Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1904-06-11


saturday says
One Of the most deplorabe TRACE
dies in the history of Washington
county occurred at Trail Lake, twenty
miles southeast of Greenyille and neaI
Arcola, last night
John T. Sims and j. w. Cato, two
OF the best citizens and most success
ful planters of the county were mur.
dered by sam Clark, desperate ne
gro, without provocation. Three
negroes, including Clark have also
paid the penalty of their desperate
deeds with their lives.
A few days ago Sam Clark, a negro
tenant on the plantation of Sims and
Williams, left home without giving
any reason. Last night he returned
to the store of Sims 4 Williams at
Trail Lake, about 10 O'Clock, Just as
Mr. Sims and the clerks were pre-.
pairing to close the store for the night.
Clark walked in and said that he had
come back and wanted box of cart.
ridges.
Sims asked one Of the clerks, j. d.
Cato, to get the cartridges for Clark,
which he did. Clark walked out Of
the store
In the store at the time was John
T. Sims, one Of the proprietors; j. w.
Ct!o. the general manager of the
plantation; Newton and Van Arm.
istead, the latter being a negro Sam
Clark, the negro who few moments
previously had purchased the cart.
ridges, walked back in at the front
door and. with some oaths, began to
shoot with 3S.caliber Winchester
rifle.
The first shot struck J. w. Cato. the
ball entering his left side below the
arm and passing entirely through his
nody The second shot struck John
I, Sims in the back below the shoul.
der, coming out through his chest.
Mr., Sims was shot again and fell
dead almost instantly The clerks ran
to the back room for their guns.
Young Cato lodged behind the coun-
ter and a bullet passed between his
iNSs NitHbut StllhlES Hllll.
J. w. Cato who was shot through
the body, started to the back room
for his gun, but was struck with a
Winchester by Van Armistead, a ne.
gro, who was in the store and who
had been acting as a guard at the
county convict camp of Sims & Will.
iams, and Mr.. Cato was knocked
senseless.
The clerks instantly returned. but
Clark and Van Armistead had fled.
john T. Sims was dead. J. w. Cato
was apparently dead. but soon aroused
and stated that Van Armistead had
struck him with the gun An engine
was secured on the BLACK Dog"
branch of the Valley railroad and Mr.
Cato was taken to Leland for medical
attention. but while everything posi-
BILE was done for him he died about 6
o'clock.
In the meantime Sheriff ]. H.
Crouch had been communicated with
and he and Mr.. Bailey, with a posse
of ten men and bloodhounds. pro-
ceeded to Trail Lake on special
tain
While the sheriff and posse were
In pursuit of Clark, Stewart Cato, son
OF j. w. Cato, one of the murdered
men; l.. b. Saunders and others wer2
hunting for Van Armistead, the negro
guard who had struck old man Cato
after he was shot.
Coming to the house of Will Moore,
another guard, they asked Moore to
come to the door. More came, armed
with a Winchester and pistol, but
he closed the door and ran out at the
back door. The young men called to
him to halt and finally he turned with
the gun leveled to shoot, when young
Cato fired quickest and killed him.
Van Armistead was afterward
found near the cages where the con.
victs are kept and was arrested. He
was taken to Leland and put in the
calaboose.
Later a crowd gathered and took
him out and swung him to a railroad
bridge short distance from Leland,
The crowd did the job in an orderly
manner, while the sheriff and his
posse were looking for Sam Clark,
who had killed both Cato and Sims,
The desperate negro returned to the
scene of the tragedy Of the night be-
fore about s o'clock this morning and
told a negro before reaching the store
that he had killed two the night be-
fore and intended to kill the balance
today" and to carry his threat into
execution he opened fire on the clerks
in the store.
The fire was promptly returned by
Newton Grow and Aaron Fuller. the
latter a negro, and Clark was soon
riddled with bullets.
Mr.. Sims was one of the best Citi'
zens of the county He was little
more than 40 years of age and has
two daughters, one almost grown and
attending college. His wife died sew
eral years ago He had been a most
successful planter and had never had
trouble with his labor
Mr.. Cato. who was also killed. was
the acting general manager for Sims
& Williams on their big plantation.
He was man over so years of age
and a splendid man in every way. He
leaves several sons and daughters.
Detective Quinn, of Greenville, who
was in the posse. talked with Mr.,
Williams and learned part Of the early
details of the affair. 1t is believed at
Trail Lake that the shooting is the
outcome of a meeting held in the vi
cipitv of Trail Lake by negro secret
society, and that the negroes involved
were picked out to do the killing,