The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-07-05
KILLED BY A NEGRO
II. J. Phipps, Brother of Mrs. F. S.
Gardner, is CIubbed to Death
by a Negro Workman.

by a Negro Workman.
Mr.. and Mrs. F. s. Gardner returned
Wednesday of last week from Farragut
where they had been attending the
funeral of Mrs. Gardner's brother, H. j
Phipps,who was brutally murdered by a
negro at his farm near Red Bird, Ind .Ty
The particulars Of the murder are given
below, as taken from the Muscogee
Phoenix:
H. ]. Phipps, white man aged SO
was brutally dubbed to death late
Thursday evening by John Moore, a
negro, on the formers farm, mile and
one half northwest of Red Bird, which
is located on the M. K. & o., about II
miles from Muskogee. The news of the
murder reached Muskogee early yester-
day morning. Bud Ledbetter was sent
by the United States marshal to inves-
tigate. He returned to Muskogee last
evening bringing with him the club
which was used by the negro. The
club was about four feet in length and
about as big as base ball bat, and was
colored with the blood Of the victim.
H. j. Phipps, the murdered man, and
the negro, John Moore, were farming on
the shares, according to the story told
by Jess Mucker, an eye witness. Muck
er was farm hand employed by Phipps.
About sun down Thursday night ne
returned to the Phipps farm, after hav-
ing been in town during the day, and as
he drove up to the house he saw seated
in the yard beneath the shade of a tree
Mr.. and Mrs. Phipps and the negro and
his wife.
When MucIer drove up to the gate
Mr.. Phipps came out to the wagon to
assist in unhitcbing the team. Mucker
had not noticed that there had been any
trouble between the two men.
AS Phipps drew near the wagon,
Mucker heard Moore say: "What are
you going to do about that?" Phipps
answered 81 can't advance you any more
money unless you work." Moore then
said: "Then let me sell out to YOU"
To this Phipps made no reply. This
seemed to anger Moore and he grabbed
long hickory club and struck Phipps a
stunning blow on the head. Phipps ran
reeling toward the house and entered
the negro in close pursuit.
Both were in the house for some little
time, and finally Phipps came stagger-
ing out and started to run around the
house. The negro was close to him and
as he started to turn the corner of the
house he delt him blow on the head
that felled him to the ground. Support
ing himself on his elbow he said to the
negro, "I'll give you anything you want
if you'll only let me alone" To this the
negro replied: mo. I've started now
and might as well finish you," and he
struck him again. At this juncture, ac-
cording to Mucker, who had witnessed
the whole proceedings, Mrs. Phipps in
terfered and the negro's wife turned on
her and beat her severely with smaller
stick, knocking her to the ground and
leaving her in a serious condition, with
small chances of recovery.
Realizing what he had done and wish
ing to avoid arrest, the negro made for
the woods closely followed by his wife
and up to late hour last evening had
not been captured.
Officers are after the fugitives. The
crime is one of the most atrocious that
has been committed in the territory for
several years. The murdered man bore
good reputation in the community.
The people around Red Bird are in a
state of wild excitement, and the
brutality of the crime has aroused both
the whites and the blacks, as in this
particular part of the country there is
but little trouble of any sort and the
settlers there of both races are lawabid-
ing and orderly people. Efforts are be-
ing made to capture the fugitive. If a
clue to his whereabouts is not discover
ed soon blood hounds will be placed on
their trail.