The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-04-27

THE negro had been fred by Mr.. Webb
about o'clock that morning. The killing
occurred about 10 o'clock. 1 was working
on the west end of the trestle. near Mr..
Webb. saw the negro go to the east end,
change his clothes, walk over to the west
end where Webb was They had a con-
versation. but heard no loud talk. When
Webb's back was turned the negro pick
ed up one of our hand axes, struck Webb
on the leg, cutting the leg nearly OF, and
followed 1t up by another blow on the
back Of the head which split the head
open. Here IL the ak that did the
work" said Mr.. Butcher, and he showed
the reporter heavy hand ak about twice
the size of a Ratchet and with e handle
about eighteen inches long. It was very
sharp and still had some blood on it. Mr..
Webb died a few minutes later. The ne
gro pulled off his shoes at once and fair
ly few down the track. Some Of the fei-
lows jumped on a hand car and took
after him. others went after him on foot
After running down the track for half a
mile he took to the prairie and was
caught after another half-mile chase and
brought back to the trestle."
What about the alleged lynching?"
the reporter asked, to which he received
the reply: TT is said he was strung up
to tree, but did not see him and
don't know"
We talked with several others, and
they all seem to tell about the same
thing.
A representative Of this paper called on
James Hamilton and was given the fol-
lowing statement:
81 came from Little Rock, Ark, week
ago Monday and went to work for Mr..
Webb. On last Monday noon 1 was sick
and told Mr.. Webb that wanted to quit.
He told me to stay until the men he had
sent for arrived. I finally agreed to stay
and went to work in the afternoon. On
Tuesday morning about 9 o'clock I was
whipping the mule team I was driving
to make them keep up with the other
teams going down the FILL. when Webb
came up, took the blacksnake from me
and struck me in the face and on the
head several times, cursed me and told
me to get off the place at once. 1 said
nothing to him but grabbed the whip, to
keep him from hitting me again. He
snatched it away from me. ran up the
dump. Webb followed me. I then went
down to camp to get my clothes. He
followed me shortly afterwards, got his
revolver and carried it in his hands. 1
got my clothes and went up on the tres
tie to wait for the passenger~train. Webb
me- but put his gun in his
pocket. I was sick. Webb asked me
what I was there for. I told him 1 was
waiting for the train. Webb said no, and
told me he would give me few minutes
to disappear from there, and that If I
did not go they would have to carry me
away. I believed he was going to kill
me. He kept his hand in his bosom all
the time I picked up a bridgeman's
on the head. ran down the track, then
across the prairie, and stopped, being
tired out. They caught me, took me
back to the trestle. put chains on my
hands and feet, and a rope around my
waist. One man run gun in my mouth,
took the rope off my waist, put it around
my neck and took me to a tree. There |
were five men in the crowd, and they
held up their hands and swore never TO
tell anything. They threw the rope over |
a limb, pulled me up, tied the rope to
another limb and left. I hung there a |
ong time, when a farmer came along |
and cut me down and took me up to the |
lump. The sheriff came shortly after |
wards and got me. never received but |
3 cents for my work, and didn't intend
% kill Mr. Webb"
James Hamilton says he is about 10
IT 20 years old and weighs 1S4 pounds. He
vas very nervous when seen by the re-
porter, and his face and neck were ter
IDLY swollen.