The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-06-28
A NEGRO ASSASSINATED
SHOT FROM BEHIND BY COLOR.
 ED PROFESSOR.
Blacks of Phoenix City are Aroused Over the Crime and Will Attempt to Lynch Assassin If
 Caught.

S
 Columbus, Ga, June 27.-(SpeciaD- Jack lngersol, one of the best known and most respected negroes in Phenix City and Lee County, was shot and in- stantly killed last night at SEQ o'clock,
 at his home neaf the city limits of that city.
 Ingersol was seated at the table alone by Professor Sparks. principal of the colored schools of Phenix City Ingersol was shot in the back part of his neck with shot gun. the whole | load taking effect, He did not fall from l his knife and fork. and died while sit- ting erect. The killing has created the widest excitement among the people of that neighborhood since 1t has developed that Jackson's own wife was implica ted in the affair. and she, herself. went into the house and got her husbands 3 shot gun from rack on the wall for | Sparks to shoot him. Sparks. the nnur- derer, has not been caught, but the Ingersol woman was arrested at an early hour this morning. with her two children. one and the other 14 years old. The children. however. have only been locked up to keep them from talk ing.
 The Advertisers correspondent called at the Phenix City Jail this morning and was permitted by the jailer to talk with the woman. Ingersoi's wife. Lucy Ingrsol, said that the Sparks negro came to her house at ? or 3 o'clock yesterday afternoon, and talked with her awhile. He often came to her house, she said. and Ingersol himself, although he did not like Sparks and had had some words with him last winter about a debt that he owed him for his chiidrens school tuition, al- ways invited him back. When he came to her house. her husband was srvay from home, and in talking of him. Sparks told her that he was going to kill Ingersol that night at o'clock. She also says that Sparks told her that if she breathed a word of the affair
 that he would kill her also. and for that reason she was afraid to mention
 it to her husband or to the police.
 At 8 o'clock last night Sparks went
 back to the Ingersol house. Lucy met
 him at the yard. and Sparks asked her
 to go away with him. She says that
 she refused to do so, and was told by
 Sparks that If she did not go that he
 would kill her husband. Still Lucy
 says that she refused to go and Sparks
 then bade her go into the house and
 get Jacks shotgun, as he did not want
 to shoot him with his own pistol. He
 also bade her she said, to hurry. and
 if she mentioned 1t to him that he
 would then kill them both. with his
 pistol So then Lucy got her husband' s
 gun down from the rack on Hhe wall.
 and carried 1t out and gave 1t to the
 negro professor.
 Jackson was seated at his table
 eating his supper alone, and his back
 was to the door when he was shot.
 Sparks was on the outside and when
 he shot Ingersol. did not go inside. but
 remained about the yard awhile ana then went away. He must have taken
 deliberate aim at the unsuspectinY
 negro.
 Lucy said again that Sparks had been after her for two or three weeks to let him kill her husband. but she would not consent. and still was afraid to
 say anything about 1t to her husband. q Those who have ever stayed any time with the Ingersoi family, his sister and one or two more, state that 1t was the custom for his wife and tho chil-
 dren to always wait until he came
 home. as he was particulsr as to that and they would never eat before ne came in, no matter how late 1t might De. Last HlBHL, HOWCNSEs N 0PPCOto .
 that his wife and children had had their
 supper some time before Tngersoi him
 self ate. He was shot when eating
 From this it would seem that the at-
 fair was all premeditated and arranged and even early in the day. Ingersols
 hours on earth were numbered. And
 this is the belief in that neighborhood.
 On the plate from which Ingersoll
 ate. was only a little food, which, it
 would appear, had been placed there to
 entrap and cecoy him, for he had
 hardly begun to eat when he was shot from the outside. The chair at the
 table was arranged so that Ingersors back would be to the door. and so there
 would be no danger of shooting another
 member of the family.
 The affair occasioned much excite ment and indignation. and bloodhounds and a posse of men were put on Sparks's trail. It Is likely that if Sparks Is caught that he will never so to trial, as the | friends of the dead negro are all armed | with winchesters and shot guns. and seem to be determined to lynch him. | Some of the excited men say that if he l is caught that they will hang him and | IngersoFs wife together, and not wait | for the law to take its course. Both
 white and colored are armed.