The Montgomery advertiser., 1904-08-25
THE NEGRO C0NFESSES
EUGENE ROBERTS TELLS or DAL.
 HAS LYNCHING.
Alleges that the Three speesa1 CSnsta- bles Now in Jaii and Other
 White Men are the 0uflty Ones.
Advertiser Bureau.
 9Alrna AuD on

negro, arrested in Montgomery for irn,- plication in the lynching of the negro Edward Bell near Sardis three weekn ago, was made in the private office ouf. Sheriff F. M. Blackwell this morning. The Advertiser correspondent, whfse unable to quote his authority. is rn- formed by a person in a position to know the facts, that the negro, Rob- erts. declared in his confession that the mob Of negroes did not take the negro Edward Bell from the three special constables. who were brin e.tne the negro to Selma to place him ini jaii to answer the charge of murder,I but that the three men, stanhl, Ra hsom and Cherry, were present when the lynchfng took place and took p;trt in the hanging.
 Roberts. while claiming that { took no part in the lynching. admits that he was present and that later hhc as- sisted in p1aking the conn in which the negro Bell was buried. Re has furnished to the sheriff list ofy names of those who participated in the| lynch- ing and 1t is alleged that a nusnber of white men, in addition to the three special constables, were present and took leading part in the affair. Roberts claims that he had been advised that he must leave Dallas County at once as those who participated in Yhe lynch ing had reason to believe that he was about to give the whole affair away. The officers hero learned that Roberts was in Montgomery and opdered his arrest by telephone and he was brought here Friday night ana placed in jail. He has made several state ments since his arrest and., 1t is said, that in each of these statements he has not failed to implicate the three white special constabies in. the affair.
 Sherin Blackwell has assured The Advertiser correspondent all along that he had not been able to capture any of the negroes who had expressed a de- sire to citizens of the ;Southside to make a confession of the whole affair, provided. that they were protected from the violence of those who took part in the lynching. The Advertiser correspondent was denied an interview with the. negro Eugene Roberts this morning.
 In reply to the question as to whether Eugene Roberts, in his confess sion. had implicated the three white special constables in the lynching Sherint Blackwell declined to answer. He refused to deny or. confirm the fact implicated in the lSnching. The me- gro Roberts was brought to the sher- iff's office at s:50 o'clock this morning and kept there until nearly 1 o'clock this afternoon. No one was permitted to enter the room while the confession was being made except the clerk of the City Court and the sheriff's depu- ties.
 The Advertiser correspondent visited the jail this morning in search of Eu- gene Roberts and was allowed to see the three special constables who are confined awaiting the action of the grand jury. The men are not con- fined in cells and are allowed the lib- erty of the corridors of the tail. Cher ry declared that everything except the truth had come out in the case. When informed that Eugene Roberts had made a confession, the men refused to comment on the fact and Stanf1l, the younger of the trio, seemed greatly worried. He Is young man of very commanding appearance. with an un- usually strong face. black hair and piercing black eyes. His sister was with him in jail this morning and while he tried hard to be cheerful, it was apparent that 1t required great effort.
 It is stated tonight unofficially that a number of warrants have been issued for the arrest of prominent white citi- zens of the South Side growing out of Eugene Roberts's confession.
 Many sensational arrests are looked for within the next few days.
 William Thompson, one of the me- groes arrested in connection with the lynching of the negro Edward Bell. was given a hearing before Justice Gale this afternoon and was dis charged for want of sufficient evidence.
 It has not been announced when the other three negroes now confined in the Dallas County jail will be given a hearing.
 It is understood tonight that a posse of officers will go to Sardis tonight and make an effort to capture a number of negroes who, according to the con- fession of Eugene Roberts, were impH- cated in the lynching.