Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-06-21
Apparent Object Of colored Organiza
4 Il ton v - Louisiana with Prophet
Smith al Leader, y S85aEs
Lynching Of Leader and Several Mem.
mbers Precipitated BY Discovery
of Records. gs.:.s{ q :s55t:#f5 a
Prisoners Confess Completely in' . Re,
cent Murd er- Incendiary Meet t@
5Ss ings and Minutes.

walls at Shreveport, where two ne
:groes arrested Ii connection with the.
murder of John Gray Foster, the
.plante r,--tPr rophet' Smith and r. D.
McLand----were lynched during the
night. s,ss s, =. ,s tsf, Il; Il, 5ssS . NJ
@s kilograms from Shreveport state
tnat evidence was discovered SO clear.
" establishing the identity Of Smith
and SMcLand4 as enemies OF the white
race and dangerous elements among
the negroes that their extinction came
to be regarded as essential to the
preserva vation Of order IA the parish.
s.55 AS It became the general belief that
Prince Edwards the negro accused Of
killing Foster, will never be captured,
the mob determined to act without
further delay. .,t F.. -
Smith. confessed just before he was
lynched that he loaded the gun with
which Foster was killed. Many let
,ters of incendiary tenor written by
Smith and his fellows were found.
Indications Of conspiracies against
Chief Lake of the Shreveport police,
Foster and others ran through the
missives, and, in connection with the
minutes of g meeting Of the Church
Of the Living God,'' of which Smith
was the head, precipitated the lynch
ing .ss& S5 III s.s *- 45 N .Gy Ss$ s,s.
Sheriff Thompson Of Bossier, in
view Of the size of the mob, made no
attempt to interfere. Prophet Smith
founded the organiz previously
mentioned, at Houston. L.atershe went
to Shreveport and immed ediate1y set
about organizing there. Chief OF Po-
lice Lake declared him to be a danger
GUS person and ord cred him to: leave,
but he went no further than the Foster
plantation. - s.3 5,l 55 4s \.
discriminating Documents Found.
| After the shooting of Foster a
Isearch Of Smiths rooms revealed a
lso-called Ark OF. the Covenant. 1t
was arudely constructed box, bearing,
within and without, mystic symbols.
When the officials laid hold of the box
the negroes were panic-stricken::@ = ~
a Further search revealed the minutes
of a meeting Of the society. It's mem,
1bers were denominated ais princes and
Smith as the king. Following is d
Ecopy Of the minutes Of q meeting held
on the Foster place: II.
The royal archive of the kingdom
of God met iii supreme council. Sang
dark Was the light. Opened BY
reading the Fhirty.secon chapter Of
Isiah. After a. X Smith. the king,
opened the meeting, he stated that be
| was advised by God to cali the princes
together III council decide what
should be dome with the chief OF police
land his force fol. nterferfng with the
king of the church 81 God III shreve.
port. Il & -t%
Prince Webb was ID favor Of de-
i manding six months afiiction upon the
chief. Prince Hicks said he was IN
favor Of the same. Also Prince Me.
Il Land. Also Prince johnson. Also
Prince Edwards. All concurred in de.
manding six months, af1 1iction N on
Chief Lake OF Shreveport. s 5}5s 5. # SS 5ss
aasA complaint was: taken against j,
Foster that he should be tormented
until he give consent that all saints
leave the place" # \ :s@.a # 3; \ s3 4. S.s3s3