The Birmingham age-herald., 1904-08-30
ALABAMA NOW HAS
 "BEFORE DAY. CLUB
Lee County Negroes Plan Mur-
 der, PiIlage and Arson
FIVE OF THEM ARE CAUGH I
All Plans Laid and Attempt Made to Kill Whole Family of White Citizen at Che
 wacla.

Opelika, August 29.-(Speclal.l-lhe be- , fore Day club seems to have invaded Lee county. At least there were lodged in the county jail at 1 o'clock this morn ing five negroes, arrested upon the con- fessions made by two of the number. that they were part of an organization formed for the purpose of murder, pillage and arson.
 The names of the five negroes now in custody are Nancy Mangrum, Fletcher Dawson, Ella Peterson, Homer Peter son and John Cook, the latter having the graver charge against him of having been one of several actually engaged in an attempt to murder, rob and burn. Ac- cording to the confession of two O. the members an effort to enter the house O. mrs. Maggie Plot, of CheUecla one the night of August ', is accounted for ln this manner: There had been formed club whose object was to kill the family of Mrs. Plott. rob them, pour kerosene over the bodies and burn the house with the bodies of the murdered inmates. Johf Cook, one of the men now in Jail, was to kill Mrs. Plott and her daughter, Miss Pearl, aged IS years. Another was to kill the two boys, James, aged 15. and Riley, aged F. In the event of failure to carry out the deed the club was to select some other family and treat it as decided upon for the Plott family.
 Rainy Night Selected.
 The night selected for this first attempt of the new club was the rainy night of Sunday, August '. Two members, the ones designated as having this crime in charge, went to the home of Mrs. Plott ,,1o a.alo proceeded to carry into execution the plan that had been agreed upon. One of the negroes went to work under the boys room to affect an entrance through the floor of the house, while the other went to the window of Miss Pearls room. The shutter was pried open. But the noise made in doing this aroused Miss Pearl from her slumbers in spite of the din of the storm and she told her brother that some one was trying to get into the house. He got his gun, and on entering her room saw figure before the window, as though in the act of entering. He att tempted 70 shoot the fellow, but was too frightened to take aim and when he fired the charge went wide of the mark. tear ing a hole in the side of the house.
 It was sufficient, however, to frighten both the criminals away
 The next day some of the citizens of that section were informed of the att tempt to enter Mrs. Plott's house, and work was at once instituted to apprehend the criminals. About two weeks ago confession was secured from two of those supposed to be familiar with the affairs of the organization and more or less implicated in the affair. These con fessions were made at diverse times to R. J. Allen, J. w. Littleton, c. P. D. Taylor and Frank Booker and seem to be authentic. as some of the details have been verified, and the stories hang to- gether well.
 Others in the Plot.
 Upon the strength of these confessions the arrests were made yesterday after noon, the apprehended members of the gang being received at the jail in this city at 1 o'clock this morning There are others, the names of whom are in the hands of the officers and the mem- bers of the citizens committee at work on the case, but they will not be given for publication, as 1t Is hoped to find them soon and place them with the five others now here. In the possession of Cook was found a huge butcher knife which one making the confession says Is the one he had with him on the Sun day night of the attempt to enter the home of Mrs. Plott, and was to have been used In killing her and her daugh- ter. He IldH WHO was 10 nave Killed | the two sons, James, aged 15, and Riley. aged 12, has not yet been apprehended, although his name is known.
 In the confession of the two some | light was shed upon the mystery which | has heretofore baffied the people of that section for about a year. One night | early last winter a shack was burned to | the ground, and in it, as was supposed, the old negress residing there perished | in the flames. But 1t Is stated that John | Cook, the most deeply implicated of those now under arrest had killed the | aged negress because she had been dun hing him for some money he owed her for washing for him. and to get rid of the | debt he slew her and burned the house. | It Is said he boasted of having done this l without detection, and would be suc- | cessful tn the attempt to kill the white | family, Mrs. Plott and children. He killed | the old auntie with an ax, and threw the instrument with which he committed the crime under the house, so that the | charred remains lay beside 1t when found | after the fire.