Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1901-08-21
PIERCE CITY SWEPT OF NEGROES

PIERCE CITY SWEPTOF NEGhOES
The hanging Of Will Cooley for the
murder OF Miss Wilde on Monday
night ut Pierce City, Mo, by q mob
numbering from 800 to 1000 men has
produced state Of terror among the
colored people Of that city. French
Cooley. grandfather OF Will Cooley,
was shot, and Pete Hampton persisted
In the flames OF bis own house, fred by
the mob. Monday night was one OF
frenzied animosity toward the blacks on
the part OF the white population. Some
800 negroes fled Ia all directions. The
mob broke open the hardware stores
and seizsd firearms and ammunition,
and took the rifles from the armory OF
the Pierce City company Of the Mis-
souri, National Guard. The attack on
the negroes continued as long as one
could De found. Some of them took
refuge 10 the woods, while others left
on the morning trains for nearby towns.
Many were 90 panic stricken that they
did not take time to pack their house.
hold goods.
Eugene Barrett, negro boy about
| eighteen years old, says that the train
porter Starks, who runs on the Okla.
homa division OF the Frisco road, killed
the young woman. Barrett is now Ia
Iiail at Mount Vernon. Stsrks was
arrested at Tulsa, /. T., yesterday morn
] ling. He is about twen'y-four years
old. What will be done with him is
not vet known. Taking him to Pierce
City for his preliminary exam niti q
/ uow would mean his death at once.
/ Barrett says that Starks boarded with
Y Joe Lark, also q Frisco road porter,
who was arrested in Springfield yester.
day morning ard placed 10 jail there.
Bloodhounds are said to have tracked
some one from the body of the mur-
dered girl to Lark's houss. Lark ia
allowed to remain 10 the office OF the
Springfield Jail. but Gays he would
rather be 10 the Jail there than free on
the streets of Pierce City. Lark de-
MES that Joe Starks boarded with him.
and denies any knowledge OF the crime.
He seems confident that he will not be
Implicated, although he was arrested
aud Ia held at the request OF Pierce City
authorities.
| Young Barrett. who Is in jail at
Mount Vernon, expecting to be ly7ched
every minute, connects Joe Lark with
the crime.
Cooley said to correspondent In his cell
] before he was hanfe that be had teived ter
years for ap assault on woman sixty years
old. The evidence sgsinst him was not com
Ip'e'e when he WIS banged, but 1t 10 elaine
that it WAS maze complete afterwsrf 1t a.!
legged that he made the stateueat once thai
IL ever he committed criminal assault again
young girl would be the victim. He could moi
or would not explain his whereabouts when
the crime was committed, snd bloodhound,
track cd him to where he admitted be had
gone, then to his home, from Il ere 20 the jail
and to the cell where he was coDfred.
Tie bloody work may not be ended 81
! other negroes are implicated. Barretps con
lesion charging Joe Lark duplicates himself
, | The work OF the frensled mob In the regr
quarter was terrible. There was no appsren
distinct on between guilt and innocence
Houses we're set ON fire; Others were riddlet
with bullets, and riot rejgned supreme witt
the slogan, "The negro must Co."
The funeral Of Miss Wilde occurred at IL
o'clock yesterday morning snd trouble Wa
looked for and certainly would have beel
precipItated had negro been seen on the
streets when the holy was taken to the GENE