The daily morning journal and courier., 1901-08-21
MOB DRIVES OUT NEGROES
LYNCHINGS FOLLOWED BY OTHER
 UTRAGESfN MISSOURI.
Armed Citizens of Pierce City Add U Third Victim to Their List-Every Negro Compelled to Leave the Place Except n Few Railroad Porters Kn noSvn to be Respectable = Their Homes Burned.

Pierce City, Mo, Aug. 20.-For near ly fifteen hours ending about noon to- day this town of 5000 people has beer in the hands of mob of armed whites determined to drive every negro from it's precincts.
 In addition to the lynching last night of William Cooley, accused of the wan ton murder of Miss Gazelle Wild, and the shooting to death of his grand father, French Cooley, the mob to-day cremated Peter Hampton, an aged ne- gro, in his home, set the torch to the houses of five blacks and with the aid of state militia rifles, stolen from the local companies, drove dozens of ne- groes from town.
 After noon the excitement died down and the mob dispersed more from lack of negroes upon whom to Wreak their hatred than for any other cause. Many of the negroes who fled the city are hiding in the surrounding woods, while others have gone greater distances in seeking safety
 Every negro has left the town except a few railroad porters known to be re- spectable, but these must also leave. The citizens of Pierce City say that as negroes have committed several crimes against women in the last ten years none shall live there in the future. As the same feeling exists at Monett, four miles east of Pierce City and the end of the Frisco passenger division, it may be necessary for the road to change all porters in Springfield hereafter.
 It is now believed that the man, William Cooley, lynched was not the real culprit. A negro named Stark, under arrest at Tulsa, I. T., across the border from here, tallies exactly with the description of the assailant. He is held there awaiting identification. Un- less the man is brought back here it is believed there will be no further trou- ble. 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 confession, while a rope was around his neck to-day accused Joe Lark. Frisco railroad porter, of be- ing implicated in the crime and Lark was arrested to-day. at Springfield This afternoon Lark gave detailed statement as to his whereabout Sunday and he is not believed to be guilty. It is not likely that either suspect will be taken to Pierce City while the ex- citement runs high. Some persons here think Barrett told any story in order to save his life. The funeral of Miss Wild took place day and was wit messed by large crowd of people.
 When the mob went to the section of the city occupied by the negroes some one in the cabins opened fire but no one was hit. The mob then destroyed the five houses.
 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 all be returned. Members of the company themselves were out hunting for the escaping negroes with rifles and this suggested the idea of taking all the guns. The mob was composed. of a thousand or more and no masks were worn. Thirty negro families were driven from their houses ~