Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1902-09-24
At Oxford For the Murder of John and Hugh
Montgomery, on 10Th of Last November.
SEVEN THOUSAND PEOPLE PRESENT TO WITNESS EXEC
The execution Was Quiet AairPrsones Spent Good Night
Arose Early and Dressed for Execuon-The
to the Kiling-History of the Crime Fully Detailed.

whiskey, manufactured counterfeit
money and committed various depre-
datiOns on the property cf their
neighbors IN open defiance of the
law, and the officer who ventured
into the neIghborhood in search of a
prisoner always took his life in his
own hands.
VIII Mathis was one of the ring
leaders of this gang, an ] many crimes
of more or less serious nature had
been laid at his door prior to the
Montgomery tragedy. He enjoyed a
reputation in several counties around
as a terror in all respects, being
absolutely devoid of fear, yet crafty
and cunning in his criminal deeds,
and generally succeeded in effectu-
ally covering all tracks behind him.
1t was into this neighborhood that
John and Hugh Montgomery, broth
ers and field deputies under the
United States marshal of the nor
thern district, ventured on the after
noon of the 10Th Of November to
serve several warrants for the
approaching term of the federal
court at Oxford Both were young
men, brave and fearless in the dis
charge of their official duty, and
were we'll armed for the trip.
One of the warrants carried by the
Montgomerys was for Will Mathis,
charging him with illicit distilllng.
When within a short distance of the
house they stopped a few moments
1T the house of Dan Welsh to sum-
mons him as a witness before the
court. Leaving the summons with
the wife of Welsh they procured
drink of water and continued their
journey. The last seen of them
alive by outsiders was when Mrs.
Welsh observed them to dismOunt in
front of the Mathis house and 60 in
side.
Will Mathis was in the yard with
Orlando Lester when the officers ar
rived. They were engaged with the
work of killing a hog, and in his usu-
al cherry manner, Mathis bade them
welcome, Notwithstanding the un-
pleasant object of their visit.
What preliminarles passed between
the four men will never be positive
ly known. It developed in the evil
dence, however, that dark was fast
approaching and Mathis urged the
officers to stay over night at his
house, stating that he wanted to fin
Ish his hog killing and that they
could go into Oxford early in the
morning, and thus avoid the long
tramp through the dark.
The officers held q short cOnsulta-
tion on the subject. One of them
demonstrated against the step, say
ing that it was ill-advised, but the
other deemed it best to stay and said
there was no danger of violence, as
they were both we'll armed. John
Montgomery was opposed to staying,
as he had previously had some diff
Guilty in arrestlng Mathis and knew
him as a dangerous man.
The officers had supper and short
ly afterward retired, both occupying
the same bed. Here the testimony
commences to conflict. 1t it posi-
lively known that Mathis sent to
his father-ln-law, Whit Owens, for a
gun, but whether Orlando Lester Sc
cured the Owens gun or borrowed
one without leave at the home of
George Masks will never be known
The negro says he secured the gun at
the home of Masks
The negro admits that he went to
the home of Owens and procured
some shells for the gun, but he has
periured himself So many times on
the witness stand that little reliance
is placed in his statements, and the
belief has always been that both the
gun and shells were obtained from
Owens and that the latter was in
formed at the time of what they in
tended TO do.
The negro insisted that it was Mat
this and Jackson who fired the fatal
shots into the bed where the Mont
gomery brothers were asleep, he do
| ing nothing but hold the lamp to fur
nish the light for them to take aim.
but the evidence brought out at the
! trial tends to prove that Lester
handled one of the guns and that
Jackson, if he took any part at all.
did nothing but hold the lamp.
At any rate, the trio slipped to the
main room of the house where the
officers were asleep. AS the door
opened one of the brothers awoke
with a start, and the next instant
both guns were fired and they sank
back dying.
Mrs. Mathis was in the house at
the time. The noise awakened her and
her husband made her hurry away ia
the home of her father. He accom-
panied her and Owens returned with
his son-in-law to the scene of the
tragedy. A hurried consultation fol-
lowed as to the best way to dispose
} of the bodies. It was first suggested
that they should be buried, but
Owens pointed to the bloody bed.
clothing and said that it would be
impossible to hide all traces of the
murder by burial, and suggested thai
: the house be burned down.
The bodies were quickly pulled
from the bed with blood streamino
from twenty ugly wounds. MatthiI