The Savannah morning news., 1904-09-24
WILL BE UNDER
GUARD OF TROOPS
PRISONERS FROM BAXTER
WILL BE ESCORTED BY JACKSON
VILE COMPANY.


Will Oppose States Motion for a
POstpOnement-StOr of the Crimes
with Which They Are Charged
Tallahassee. Fla, Sept. 23.-Adjt.
Jacksonville Light Infantry to act as
a guard to the prisoners recently ar
rested at Baxter, charged with being
implicated in the murder of Deputy
Sheriff Thrift.
There are twenty-one prisoners who
will be taken for preliminary trial
from Jacksonville to McClenny.
1t is said that the state will ask a
postponement, and that this will be
opposed by the defendants.
The prisoners will be carried to Nc
Clenny Monday morning. The prison
ers are: Hilary Altman, w. Hardy
Altman, Aaron Bowling, Lonnie Dow
ling, Andrew Harvey, w. Hardy
Johns, Cauley Johns, Barlow Crews,
Riley Rhodes, John Eddie, Jesse Sapp,
Charles A. Altman, Jesse Altman, Will
liam Bowling, Willie Bowling, Ivey
Harvey, George Johns, Bird Johns,
Berry Crews, Caney Rhodes and Ho-
mer Eddie.
The offenses charged against vari-
Gus of these men are as follows: Muir
der of Jackson Duncan of Baxter;
murder of Jim Riley, negro Of BaX-
ter; murder of r. T. Thrift of Baxter;
stabbing and wounding Marshal Dun
can of Baxter; shooting and wounding
William M. Duncan of Baxter.
During the attack on Deputy Sheriff
Thrift by the mob the following casual
ties occurred to members of the mob
Killed, Riley Bowling, shot by Thrift;
wounded, Hilary Altman. shot by
Thrift. other of the prisoners are be-
lieved to have been wounded. but no
examination has yet been made of
them.
Will Oppose States Motion for a
The first of the troubles occurred
on the train Sunday night, Sept. II,
while an excursion party, made up of
people from Baxter, was returning
home from st. Augustine. William M
Duncan, a turpentine operator, and his
two sons, jackson Duncan and Mar
shall Duncan, were on the train. Hi
larry Altman and his brother, Charles
A. Altman. were on the same train.
The Altmans went into the negro
compartment of the car, and in walk
ing along the aisle Hilary Altman
stepped on the foot of the negro Jim
Riley. At this the negro remonstrat-
ed, and some words passed between
them. According to the story told by
some of the passengers. Charles Alt
man grabbed the Negroes head and
Hilary Altman slashed the negro's
throat. The latter fell to the floor be-
tween the seats.
AS the negro worked for the Dun
cans, Jackson Duncan, who had fol-
lowed the Altmans into the negro COM
partment, denounced Hilary Altman
for killing the negro. They had some
words and Jackson is said to have
been stabbed to the heart by one of
the Altmans, but which one struck
the blow no one seems to know.
Marshal Duncan appeared on the
scene and attacked the Altman broth
ers, and they turned on him with their
knives, stabbing and slashing him in
dozen places. In trying to get away
from them and enter the adjoining
car Marshal Duncan rolled off the
moving train.
BY this time w. M. Duncan had
got his pistol out of his grip and start
ed after the Altman brothers. They
made their way through the train and
apparently swung off the rear end, but
only swung around and remained on
the platform until the train reached
Baxter.
Trouble Renewed
The next morning, as w. NJ Duncan
was passing the postoffice building.
with a gun in his hand, he was fired
upon from the building by Jesse Alt
man, a younger brother of the men
who were in the difficulty on the train.
He was struck in the side by a pistol
ball and painfully wounded.
No arrests were made and every
thing remained quiet until Thursday
night, Sep1 Is, when Deputy Sheriff
r. T. Thrift was sleeping in build
ing used as a commissary. About mid
night he heard number of shots
fired just outside the building.
Taking his shotgun, Thrift went
downstairs and opened the door to
look out AS he did so, a number of
shots were fired by mob about fifty
feet from the building. Raising his
gun, ne UfeO WnllS the outlets were
striking the building all around him.
He was struck by two or more bullets,
and fell out of the doorway, but re-
tanning his gun, he fired the remain
ing barrel. He then crawled under
the building as the mob rode away.
They passed Mr. Duncan'S house, fir
ing their guns as they went, but re-
turned in a few minutes and dragged
Thrift from under the house. and al
though he pleaded with them not to
shoot him again, they stood over him
and emptied their pistols and rifles
into his body, literally Kidding II with
bullets The shots fired by Thrift did
execution, for the next morning brains
and a piece Of human scalp were
found in front Of the commissary, about
where the men had stood when they
first fired at Thrift. 1t was learned
afterwards that the brains and scalp
belonged to the body OF one Riley Dow
ling, "A young farmer who lived near
by The wheel tracks Of a cart. used
10 carry away the body were traced
from the house Of a brother OF Riley
Bowling 10 the place where the body
was moved by the horsemen. and from
there 10 Riley DOwllng's house, where
the body was placed on the piazza
without awakening his wife or family.
Troops Then Called.
The next morning the authorities
Maxine Friends