Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1904-02-11
PAID THE PENALTY.
MURDERERS OF JAMES EASTlANp
BURNED TO DEATH.
CAPTURED EAST OF SHEPpARDTOWN
Were Immediately Taken to the
Scene Of Their Crime and the Torch
Applied-chase Was Long and
Stern one-Both Brothers OF the
Murdered Man Present at the Burn
inn

Doddsville, Miss. Feb. THE ne
groes Luther Holbert and his wife,
who murdered James Eastland at
Doddsville Wednesday morning, were
burned at the stake at this place this
afternoon at $3.50 o'clock. The 16-
-old-boy, son Of the negroes. was
released.
The negroes were captured yester-
day morning at o'clock In a dense
swamp or brake about eight miles
east of Sheppardtown while they were
asleep, and were carried Immediately
to Doddsville, the scene of the crime.
This was the intention of w. c. East
land from the start in case the ne
groes were captured alive, as the
brother of the murdered man felt that
only in that place and manner could
the full expiation for the horrible
crime be eXacted.
Two of the Eastland brothers were
present when vengeance was taken on
the negroes, the second brother hav-
ing arrived from Arkansas Saturday to
join in the chase.
Near the Church.
The negroes after their capture were
first taken to Itta Bena and from
there to Doddsville. A large crowd
was present at the lynching, compris-
ing almost all the original searching
party. which included men from three
counties. The lynching was accom-
plished in an orderly manner, If such
a term is permissible in this connec
ton, and there was no effort at the
terrorizatio1 of innocent negroes. A
number of negroes were present. The
burning occurred near the negro
church, which has served as a lodge
room. Holbert and the woman were
obdurate to the last, and there is no
doubt that unless they had been sur
prised they would have made a hard
fight and have killed or injured num-
ber of their pursuers.
The negroes never Intended to be
taken alive, having sworn to sell their
lives as dearly as possible. Tonight
the mob has dispersed to their re-
spective homes and the matter in its
acute stage is thought to be settled.
Ii Is not improbable, however, that the
negroes who assisted Holbert and the
woman to escape and harbored them
during the pursuit may suffer some
pretty serious consequences for their
guilt, but they will be handled not
nearly so severely as would have been
the case had the murderer succeeded
In making his escape.
The Crime Reviewed.
The crime for which the horrible
penalty was exacted today Is generally
known and was one of the most fiend-
ish and cold-blooded in the history OF
the State and certainly of Sunf1ower
county James Eastla1d was one OF
two brothers who owned a plantation
of 1900 acres near Doddsville. or this
1900 were under cultivation, and the
brothers were well fixed financially
and were successful and highly re-
spected planters. They came original
ly from Forest, Miss, the Doddsville
plantation falling to them on the di-
vision of their fathers estate. They
were both highly connected in the
State and were young men OF high
honor and good habits.
James Eastland was but 21 years OF
age, aRd was murdered Wednesday
morning at 9 o'clock, when he went to
Holbert's cabin, about two miles from
his home He had in company with
him a negro named Albert Carr, who
was also killed by HolbeFt at the same
time. The object Of the visit was to
warn Holbert from molesting another
negro who works for the Eastlands.
The woman with whom Holbert was
living had brought on the trouble be-
tween the two negroes. AS young
Eastland and the negro Carr entered
the cabin they were shot down, Carr
falling first on the veranda and East
land being found on the bed in the
room with a bullet hole in his fore
head. Two shots from his revolver
had been fired.
Shooting Of Winters.
The news spread like wildfire, and
Eastlands brother hurried with a
crowd to the scene. A negro named
Winters who was implicated was shot
by w. C. Eastlald as he attempted to
escape. and a hunt for the colored
fiend was organized. But owing to
the delay in securing bloodhounds, the
negroes secured ten-hour start.
Three dogs were secured from
Greenville in charge of T. c. Mailey,
the jailer at that place, while two 9TH
ers, belonging to H. E. Williams, of
Cleveland, also joined in the chase.
The negroes were chased through
Suaflower county Wednesday night
and a part of Thursday. They were
heading for Culver creek and evident
ly for Itta Bena and the Yazoo river.
A portion of the posse diverged and
caught the train at Blaine on the even
ing of Thursday to head Holbert off.
At Itta Bena that night they were
Joined by those who had come straight
across the country After supper at
that place the posse set out for the
plantation of the Mahoney brothers,
it having been learned that Holbert
was hiding out there. A negro run
ner, however, had warned the MUIR
derer and the posse surrounded the
place half an hour after the black
birds had flown. 1t was there that a
negro woman was killed by mistake,
and that the Holbert boy was cap
tured.
The Hunt Continued.
Next day, Friday, the chase led up
and down the country bordering the
Yazoo river as far south as Rosebank
while the telephone wires had posted
parties in all the surrounding country
to watch the railroads and towns for
the murderers. Friday night false
clew brought the party back through
driving rainstorm to Roebuck, and
they slept, thirty-five strong, at the
house of Mr. Redditt at Roebuck pla1-
tation. At noon Of Saturday the
searchers were greatly discouraged.
1t looked as il the murderer was to
escape. The party again headed west
toward Rosebank with Belzoni as their
destination.
Later on, however, another report
came that the negroes were spotted
in a swamp about eight miles east