The Caucasian. (Shreveport, La.) 1900-192?, 1901-06-23
TWO LYNCHED.
Prophet Smith and F D HcLand
Hanged
A Conspiracy to Murder John
Gray Foster

Ou "eu0eSudB ulSuI, WEEK dtleI O"nn
GRAY Foster had been sssas mated by
Prince Edwards, two negroes, Frank
Smith, known ss the prophet, and ID Nc
Land, were banged on the Arkansas road
one and one-half miles from Benton by 8
number Of citizens who, after q quiet In
qulry, concluded that the Gpublic peace
an Isafety demanded the SUMMARY exeeu
tiOn OF the two men. named, whe were
taken from theIBenton Jail whero they had
been inearcersted.
"PrOpheL" Smith was beyond: doubt .
dangerous man and n disturber of the
pc ce. He was governed In ,nis actions by
what may be cslledlss religious frenzy,
and In that state OF mind had assumed
tn 1t he was q messiah aud possessed pow
ers which would keep him safe from harm
while he d fed the law and conspIred
with his deluded followers. Smith was the
head Of an organization which had its OF
gin In Houston, Texas. He claimed that
all his acts were inspiratfons.i from God, =
biasphemy OF itself, but with this pretendtd
supernal influence he held his gang into
ready submission TO his will and his com
msnds' He WAS the Prophet of the
Church ot:the. Living God," the hesd Of
the supreme council, while r ID McLsnl
was treasurer and p Edwards was score
tary, each being q "prinoe" in the
church.
TWAS "Proph t" Smith who prophesied
the destruction Of Galveston by storm and
Houston by = cyclone. The Galveston
horror, which came soon after his predict
ION, gave him great power over the ne
yroes. He led over hundred OF his race
from Houston to Shreveport uuJer q labor
contract and 8 number OF these were on
the Foster plantation. After he had
reached the city he pr dicted the destruct
lon OF Shreveport by fire and water. He
was run out OF Shreveport by the police as
icing = dangerous character. So great was
his influence that his absurditiss were
accepted Dy his dupss with the implicit
confidence of faith,
1t has been developed that John Gray
foster had Incurred the enmIty of the
prophet, whose disple4sors / Q had aroused
by . reproval, and who therefore was
man doomed TO die. Had Edwards not
kIhed Mr. Foster, the prophet or some sther
negro of tbs gang would have attempted
his murder. Tho gun fred BY Edwards
hAd been loaded BY Pro het Smith.
These developments sustain the dIsg
Hcsis Of the case by tho CauoasiAn, In
which 1t was stated hat the assassination
was the result Of . eonspIl acy which had
been preclpitSted by the attack on Mr.
Foster by the women In the heId. II has
also developed that Prophet Smith and his
gang had been plotting against the whites.
"Prlnce" MoLand, the negrs lynched
with the ''propheu" was . ready and .
willing tool. He ebeye1 implicitly. IL
has been said In his favor tnat he had
assisted or had offered to assist Mr. Vickers
when Mr. Foster was murdered, but this
has been disproved. he WAS no doubt =
full acconplice Of Smith aud Edwards.
When being led to execution 1t 10 said
that the ''prophet" called on God to save
him. He did not realize that the GiVer Of
All Good could not answer his blasphemy,
He asserted as . proof OF his innocence
that q star in Heaven to which he psipt'd
Ut, would 60 out. The star shines still; IL
did not 20 out.
Prophet Smith pleaded his innocence sBd
begged for his life like dog. He was =
craven, . coward, trembling vita terror
McLand wss more resolute. He declared
that he had no con nectlon with the murder
and was innocent.
The women, Manday Edwsrds AID
Phyllis Hamilton, were not molested. In
the mob were many who favored the
execution Of these women as . warning to
others OF their class who are nurderOusly
inclined. but the leaders were firm in their
opposition and the women were saved.