The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-08-23
MOB DRIVES OUT NEGROES
Colored Population Forced to
Leave Peirce City, Mo.
ONE cREMArEo IN HIS HOME.

All Blacks Having Been Lynehed or
Driven Away, Furious Crowd Runs
Out Of Material and Quiet Returns.
Wrong Man is Lynched.
Peirce City, Mo-, Aug. 21.-For near
ly Is hours this town of 5000 people
has been in the hands of a mob of
armed whites, determined to drive
every negro from the city. In addi
tion to the lynching Monday night Of
VIII Cooley, accused of the wanton
murder OF Miss Gazelle Wild, and the
shooting to death of his grandfather,
French Cooley, the mob yesterday ere.
mated Pete Hampton. an aged 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 com.
pany's arsenal drove dozens OF ne.
groes from town. After noon the ex.
citement died down, the mob gradual.
ly dispensing, more from lack of ne
groes upon which to wreak their ha-
tired than for any other cause. Many
of the negroes who fed from the city
are hiding in the surrounding woods.
while others nave gone greater dis
tance in seeking safety
Every negro has left the town except
few railway porters known to be re.
spectacle, but who must also leave.
The citizens of Peirce City say that
as negroes have committed several
such crimes in the last ten years none
shall live there in the future, the same
feeling already existing at Monnett,
four miles east of Peirce City, and
the end of the Frisco passenger dis
trict. 1t may be necessary for the
road to change all porters in Spring.
field hereafter.
Not the Real cuIprit.
It is now believed that the man
lynched was not the real culprit A
negro named Starks, under arrest at
Tulsa, l. T., across the border from
here, tallies exactly with the descrip-
tion of the murderer. He is held there
awaiting identification. Unless the
man is brought back here, 1t is be-
lieved 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 a rope was
around his neck yesterday, accused
Joe Lark, Frisco railroad porter, of
being implicated in the crime, and
Lark was arrested at Springfield.
Lark gave detailed statement as to
his whereabouts Sunday and he is not
believed to be guilty. 1t is not likely
that either suspect will be taken to
Peirce City while the excitement runs
high. Some here think that Barrett
told any story in order to save his life
The funeral Of Miss Wild took place
yesterday and was witnessed by sew.
eral thousand people.
Peirce City is near the junction of
four railroads and trains from all di.
rections brought in large numbers of
armed men today, bent on bloodshed
If necessary. 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 cabins. Reck-
less firing broke several plate glass
windows and a train was fired into
Negroes Driven Out.
The rifles taken from the Peirce
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 local hardware stores
sold out their arms early, but several
applications from negroes were re-
fused. The mob was composed OF
1000 or more and no masks were used
and 80 negro families were driven from
their houses,
New elements in the murder on Sun
day afternoon of Miss Wild developed
1t appears she started home from
church alone, her brother lingering
behind. About one mile from town
the brother found her with her throat
cut, lying lifeless near a culvert under
which her assailant had attempted to
drag her. Evidence of terrible strug
gle was shown. A copper colored ne
gro was seen sitting on the bridge p
short time before the tragedy occurred
1t is supposed that the negro sprane
upon HeT WHEN Sne was passing ana al
tempted to force her beneath the
bridge. She fought with such despera
tion that he could not accomplish his
purpose and cut her throat in the
struggle. Her body was not violated
Bloodhounds were taken to the scene
and the girls bloody handkerchief was
laid before them. They caught the
trail and ran to the home of Joe Lark
where, on being admitted, they rushed
into his bedroom and sprang upon the
bed. 1t is believed that the man under
arrest at Tulsa, who boarded with
Lark, the Springfield suspect. slept
upon this bed.
Germans Refuse to vacate.
Tien Tsin, Aug. 21.-Minister Congel
at Peking is urging Washington's at