Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1901-08-22
Pierce City, NO., in the Hands Of
Mob of Armed Whites For
Fifteen Hours.
LYNCHED THE WRONG MAN.
Citizens Determined to Drive Every
Colored Man From Their Borders
Aged Negro Cremated-State
Militia Rifles Stolen From AR
senal-Hou5es Burned.

Pierce City, Mo-, Aug 20-For nearly Il
hours ending about noon to-day this town
of 1000 people has been in the hands of a
mob of armed whites, determined to drive
every negro from Its precincts. In addi-
ton to the lynching last night of William
Cooley. accused of the wanton murder Of
Miss Gazellc Wild, and the shooting to
death of his grandfather FrenchGodlcy,
the mob to-day Crcmated Peter Hampton,
an AGED negro. in his home. set the torch
to thu houses of five blacks, and with the
aid OF state militia rifles stolen from this
local militia Company'S arsenal, drove
dozens OF negroes from town. After noon
the excitement died down, the mob grad
ullly dispensing more from lack of ne
groes upon whom to wreak their hatred
than for any other cause. Many of the
negroes who fed from the city are hiding
in the surrounding woods while others
have gone greater distances in seeking
safety.
Every negro has left tho town except a
few railway pcrters known to be respect
able. but these must also leave. The citi-
zons say that as negroes have committed
several crimes in the last ten years mono
shall live here in the future.
! 1t Is now believed that the man. Will
liam Cooley, lynched was not the real
culprit A negro named Stark under ar
rest at Tulsa |. r., across the border
from here tallies exactly with the descrip-
ton of the assalant. He is held there
awaiting identification. Unless the man
is brought back here. 1t is believed there
will he no further trouble. If returned
here he will surely be lynched. Another
suspect Joe Lark, is under arrest IN
| Springfield Mo.
| Eugene Barrett, also known as Carter,
| in a confession while a rope was around
| his neck to-day, accused Joe Lark a
Frisco railroad porter, of being implicated
l.. ri 9 %
Springfield. Lark gave a detailed state
| nl.nt as to his whereabouts sunday and
he is not believed to be guilty. 1t Is not
likely that either suspect will be taken u
Fierce City while the excitement runs
high. Some persons here think Barrett
told any story In order to save his ne
/ The funeral of Miss Wild took place to-
day and was witnessed by several thou
sand people.
When the mob went to the section OF
the city occupied by the negroes some ont
in the cabins opened fire but no one wa
hit The mob then destroyed the hvf
houses, but the financial loss is small
Reckless firing broke several plate glas:
windows and train was fired into. None
OF the passengers was hurt. Tho rifle;
taken from the Pierce City military com
pany. it is expected will all be returned
Members of the company themselves were
out hunting for escaping negroes Win
rifles and this suggested the idea of taking
all the guns The local hardware store
sold out their arms early but several APP
plications from negroes were refused. The
mob was composed of a thousand or more
and no masks We're worn, thirty negro
families We're driven from their houses
New elements in the Killing on Sunday
afternoon of Miss Wild developed to-day
1t appears she started home from church
alone her brother lingering behind About
10 o found