Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1901-08-24


became of the judge or whether the jul
rors participated in the lynching.
1t shows, however that the indiscrimi-
nate setting at defiance the law viii
react upon the white people themselves.
There is something lacking in our form
of government, which shows that Ii
cense is too often taken for liberty.
News came from BIRMINGHAM, ALA
BANIA, that CHARLES BENTLEY (colored)
charged with the murder of JIM VANN,
alias WILLIAMS, white man, was
lynched Friday, August 2d, 1901, near
LEEDS, ALA His body was riddled
with bullets.
No information is given relative to
the torture to which he was subjected
before his spirit took it's flight to the
other world.
There was no suspicion even of crimi-
nal assault.
For fifteen hours three hundred arm
ed white men attempted to drive every
colored man from the neighborhood of
PIERCE CITY, Missouri,
Monday, August 10Th, the mob killed
WILLIAM COOLEY, accused of murder
ing Miss WILDE. They shot to death
his grandfather, FRENCH COOLEY, who
was innocent of any crime and then
burned to death in his own home an
aged colored man whose name is PETER
HAMPTON.
This work of deviltry and despoilia-
ton was followed by the burning of the
houses of five colored men.
The arsenal of the local military COM
pany was broken into, the rifles secured
aud with them dozens of colored men
We're driven from the town.
The lawlessness subsidized only when
there We're no more colored people upon
whom 20 wreak vengeance.
Many of the colored people with their
children are hiding in the adjoining
woods, having neither food nor shelter.
Others, foot-sore and weary, having lost
every thing in the mad rush, have GO e
further for many miles seeking shelter.
Every Colored man in the town has
been required TO leave, except few
railroad porters and a demand is TO be
made that these must leave.
1t has since been ascertained that the
mob lynched the wrong man and that
WILLIAM COOLEY was really innocent.
Nevertheless, not only was he muir
dered, but also his aged grandfather.
Train-loads of armed white men have
come to this point from all directions.
They are bent on blood-shed and no eff
fort seems TO be made by the authori-
ties to check the work of carnage.
The hardware stores sold arms to
white men, but refused TO sell TO colored
people.
1t is estimated that not less than thir.
~ colored families were driven from
their homes and are now wondering up
on the face of the earth.
These gruesome scenes have been fol-
lowed by others. but none have tended
TO shock the civilized world so much as
the one reported as having taken place
Saturday, August 18th, 1901, at Mel
sons ranch, % miles east of RED
RANCH, TEXAS.
ABE WILDER, a colored man charged
with the murder of Mrs. CALDWELL.
(white) was captured. He was taken
TO tree and swung up in the air, pre-.
sumably by the body as there was no
desire TO hang him.
Wood was piled up underneath, kero-
sene oil poured over it, and he was dan
Cling above this, while being slowly
roasted alive.
The heart-rending appeals made by
the victim echoed and reeohoed for a
long time as this crowd of human
tiends danced around the funeral pyre
of the then living victim.
The horrible details of this outrage
Gus murder will never be known, but il
adds another chapter to this bloody his.
torical period through which we are
now passing.
Law is a mockery and to be arrested
upon the charge of heinous crime is to
pS AynCneu-
What is TO be done? This is the ques-
ton for the conservative men of both
races to consider.
1t is gradually dawning upon us all
that lawlessness is affecting both races
and the disposition to visit summary
punishment rather than have recourse
to the law every where apparent.
Few officers are willing to blast their
regulations and do their sworn duty.
The lower elements, both white and
colored have become too intolerant.
The laws of both God and man are be-
ing disregarded. What is to be done?
Individually speaking, we have about
made up our minds as to the proper
course to pursue, but what are the mass
es to do?
Are they TO be driven from their
homes? Are innocent individuals to be