The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1901-08-24
IN HANDS OF AN ARMED MOB.
A Terrible Time at Pierce city, Mo-, roll
lowing the Murder of Miss
Gazelie wild.

=
TO the lynching, Monday night of viii
Cooley, accused of the wanton muir
der of Miss Gazelle Wild and the
shooting to death of his grandfather.
French Cooley, the mob yesterday
cremated Pete Hampton, a negro, in
his home; set the torch to the houses
of five blacks, and, with the aid of
state militia rifles, stolen from the
local company's armory, drove dozens
of negroes from town.
After noon the excitement died
down, the mob gradually dispensing,
more from lack of negroes upon
which to wreak their hatred than for
any other cause.
Many of the negroes who fed the
city are hiding in the surrounding
woods, while others have gone great
er distances in seeking safety. Every
negro has left the town except few
railway porters known to be respecta-
BILE, but who must also leave. The
citizens of Pierce City say that as
negroes have committed several such
crimes in the last ten years, none shall
feeling already exists at Monett,
four miles east of Pierce City, and
the end of a Frisco division. 1t may
be necessary to change all porters in
Springfield, hereafter.
1t is now believed that the man
viii Cooley lynched was not the real
culprit. \ negro named Starks un-
a Of I h.a
border from here, tallies exactly with
the description of the murderer. He
is held there awaiting identification.
Unless the man is brought back here
it is believed there will be 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 Car
ter, in a confession while n rope was
around his neck, yesterday, accused
Joe Lark. Frisco railroad porter. of
being implicated in the crime. and
Lark was arrested, yesterday, at
| Springfield. When arrested Lark gave
a detailed statement as to his where
"
TO be guilty. 1t is not likely that
either suspect will be taken TO Pierce
| City while the excitement remains
high. Some here think that Barrett
told the mob it was Lark to save his
own life.
The funeral of Miss Wild yesterday
afternoon was witnessed by several
thousand persons. Pierce City is near
the junction of four railroads. and
trains from all directions brought in
large numbers of armed men, yester-
day, bent on bloodshed if necessary.
When the mob went to the section of
the city occupied by negroes, someone
in the cabins opened fire, but no one
was hit. The mob then destroyed five
houses, but the financial loss is small.
Reckless firing broke several plate
glass windows, and a train was fired
into.
The rifles taken from the Pierce
City military company, it is expected.
will be returned. Members of the COM
pany themselves were out hunting for
the escaping negroes with rifles, and
this suggested the idea of taking all
the guns. The local hardware stores
sold out their arms early, but several
applications from negroes were re-
fused. The mob was composed of a
thousand or more, and no masks were
used. and 30 negro families were
driven from their houses.
New elements III the murder, on
Sunday afternoon, of Miss Wild. de-
Neloped yesterday. 1t appears she
started home from church alone, her
brother lingering behind. About one
mile from home her brother found her
with her throat cut, lying lifeless near
n culvert under which her assAilan;
had attempted to drag her. Evidence
OF terrible struggle was shown. \
copper-colored negro was seen sitting
on the bridge Il short time before the
tragedy occurred
Monday bloodhoundS were taken tc
the scene, and the girls body anC
handkerchief was laid before them
They Immediately caught the trail
and ran at full speed to the home OF
Joe Lark. where on being admitted
they rushed into his bedroom ant
sprang upon the bed Il is believed
that the man under arrest at Tulsa
who boarded with Lark. the Spring
field suspect, slept on this bed.