Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1906-11-17
BLACK FIGHTS POSSE
UNTIL He is KILLED
Asheville Murderer Slain In the
Woods. *
GUARDED TO PREVENT BURNING
Hundreds Gathered About Undertake
ing Establishment When Corpse
Was Brought to AshevilIe-story of
the Man Hunt.

AsheYille, N. c.. Nov. 16.-Stand-
Ing at bay, fighting with all the des-
peration of man who laughs at
death, VIII Harris, the five times
murderer, fell, riddled with bullets
from the rifles of cool but determined
officers and citizens in the woods near
Fletcher, known at the "Westfeldt"
property at 1915 o'clock Thursday.
He died as he lived, his hand
raised against every man, fighting
to the last, giving shot for shot un-
til his last cartridge was expended.
Then, as is with one accord, the
ayenging rifles rung out, carrying the
message of death to the murderer of
the brave officers, Blackstock and
Bailey, and three innocent negroes.
AT 7 o'clock Thursday morning a
report reached the city that blood
hounds had renewed the scent to Bu-
ena Vista, eight miles from Asheville,
and that the animals had lost it there
owing to interruption from farmers
citizens Immediately set out for Bu-
ena Vista and there it was learned
that the negro desperate had been
seen leaving a barn just before day
break. 1t was stated that the fugi-
tive had taken the highroad for Ar
den, three miles away. Acting under
the advice of ex-Chief of Police Jor-
dan, the posse was divided I'D into
squads, each one taking separate
routes toward Arden. All the posses
came together at Fletchers and here
ex-Chief Of Police Jordan decided that
the best course to pursue was to
again divide the fifty or more men
into squads. Two of these secured
Blakes woods, one deployed 10 the
left, while another was guarding the
road in front Of Cunninghams store.
Or. l.. P. Russell, N. B. Baldwin
and Harry Roberts caught first sight
OF the negro in the Blakes woods,
and the signal agreed upon, two
shots in rapid succession warned the
searchers that the quarry had been
run to earth. Again the rifles rang
out, and the fleeing form of the ne
gro, who carried q rife, emerged
from the Blake property, and ran
across the high road to a field skirt
ing the Westfeldt property. On the
porch Of private house adjoining
the Cunningham store stood J. H
Caine, editor of the Asheville Citi-
gen, who was one of the squad which
was left at Fletcher's store to guard
the road. AS the negro reached the
open field adjoining the house on a
dead run, Oalne opened fire with a
3S-caliber revolver, but none of the
shots took effect, for the fugitive
never slaclened his pace. but mado
for the woods, and was seemingly
swallowed up.
Down the road at 2:40 gait came
eX-Chief Jordan, O. H. Wells, DR..
Russell, H. NJ. Roberts and N. P.
Baldwin, shouting to other members
of the posses to make for the woods
where the negro had taken refuge.
The posses quickly closed in, took
the road turning to the right from
Fletcher's, and fusillade of shots
from the woods ten minutes later told
the inhabitants of the surrounding
country that justice had been done,
and that the coldb blooded murder of
two white policemen and three inno-
cent negroes had been avenged.
About 2:30 o'clock the posse ar
rived in Asheville with the body Of the |
dead negro, which was taken at once
to the undertaking rooms. Like
wildfire spread the news Of the mans |
death, and in less than half an hour
South Main street was blocked with
a crowding, shouting mass of men
and women, to see the man who in
less than twenty minutes had taken
the lives of five men, three of his |
own race.
For some time it was feared that
the mob would take the body of the
negro from the officers, and follow out
its threat of burning it. But the |
sheriff and his men guarded the door |
way OF the undertaking establishment |
with loaded rifles and the crowd later
dispersed. All is quiet in the city.
A dispatch from Charlotte, N. c.
leads the authorities to believe that
Harris was an assumed name, and |
that the dead negro was James Har
vey, of Forest City, Va. The sher-
If is on his way from Charlotte to
Identify the dead negro, should be
prove to be Harvey.