Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-08-20
WAR ON THE NEGROES
Pierce City, Missouri, in the Hands
of a Mob.
BURNING HOUSES and KILLING
Arsenal of City Militia Company
Seized and Appropriated.
ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE

SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, August 2O.-Pierce
City, where William Cooley and Gene Car
| ter colored, were lynched last night in
connection with the murder of Miss Caselle
Wild. is today in the hands of hundreds OF
armed men, who are intent on driving all
negroes from town.
All negro houses in the city are being
| fired by the enraged whites. One negro,
Peter Hampton, is said to have been Gre
mated in his home.
The mob broke into the arsenal Of the
local military company and is now in pos
session of improved rifles. So much ex-
citement prevails that it Is almost impos-
sible to secure over the wires a connected
story of the outbreak. Correspondents have
started from here for the scene.
Most of the negroes have left Pierce City
and abandoned their homes, which have
been burned.
report was sent out that two negroes
in addition to Cooley and Carter were
lynched early today. This is denied.
Railway Porter Accused.
George Lark. a porter the ST. Louis
and San Francisco railroad, whom Carter
charged with being Miss Wilds murderer,
was arrested in Springfield this morning
and is in jail here. Lark declares his in
nocence and says the man who committed
the crime boarded with him and fed
Bloodhounds put on the trail at the scene
of the murder went directly, 1T is said, to
Lark house.
Eugene Barrett, a negro suspect, has
stated that a man named Flavors who
formerly boarded with Lark, was the real
culprit.
Flavors is said to be under arrest at
Tulsa, l. T., over the territory line from
here, and Barrett is under arrest at Mount
Vernon, twenty-five miles from Pierce
City
Flavors undoubtedly will be lynched If
brought back.
1t is not believed Barrett will be mo-
Tested.
Excitement which led up to the lynching
of the Godleys continued all night, and
morning found the enraged white people
determined to rid the city and vicinity Of
negroes. After stringing young Cooley up
t. pole and riddlng his body with bull
lets the mob went to the house of French
Cooley, the young mans grandfather, and
shot him to death. They then bombarded
Ike Carter's house, in which were Peter
and Robert Hampton, all negroes.
Old Negro Burned to Death.
Peter Hampton, who was seventy-fve
years old, was burned to death when the
house was set afire. His wife and Robert
Hampton escaped through the flames. The
mob then marched from place to place
burning negro houses and firing into them.
The negroes fed In all directions many
taking refuge In the woods. while others
are coming as far as Springfield to find
places of safety.
The authorities telephoned Monett and
Aurora, nearby towns, for help, but at 10
o'clock this morning the city was still In
the hands of the mob, which finally broke
into the arsenal of the Pierce City militia
company and distracted all the state rifles
stored there.
Every train to Pierce City is bringing in
excited crowds that add to the general con-
fusion.
The report sent out last night that a boy
was shot is denied today and the name Of
the man shot to death Is given as French
Cooley instead of Gene Carter, previous
ly stated.
The Lynching of Last Night.
Will Cooley and Gene Carter were lynched
at Pierce City, Mo. last night by mob COM
posed of LOCO armed citizens, who charged
him with the murder of Miss Caralle Wild,
whose dead body was found yesterday in
the woods near there. The mob went to
the Jail about 9 o'clock and battered down
the doors and threw ropes around the necks
Of Cooley and Gene Carter. suspect.
Cooley was hanged in front of the Law
renee Hotel and his body riddled with bull
lets. Carters guilt was not clearly estAb
lished and he was taken back to jail.
Miss Wild was attacked on her way
home Sunday. The crime was committed
at the Frisco railway bridge. half mile
from the railway station. The girl was
crossing the bridge, when the negro, who
had been sitting on the rail, attacked her.
A farmer in an adjoining field witnessed
the assault, but heard no outcry and did
not interfere. Later, when the negro was
seen running down the track, he gave the
alarm. The girls body was found lying in
the weeds under the bridge.
Gene Carter was afterward taken out by
the mob, riddled with bullets and left dy-
ing in the street.