Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-27

ashes of his devastated home. The negroes
orc afraid To touch it and the local officials
have not taken steps to dispose OF IT,
Troops in Control.
The situation in the adjacent county re-
mains practically the same. The troops
are in absolute control and are acting Will
ont the presence of the sheriff of kemper'
who. since the call for troops, has not ar
rived No further mob violence is expected.
Those of the mob element have fed toward
the Alabama line. The negroes or the sur
rounding country are panic-stricken ana eA-
listing in a state of abject terror. Ihey are
coming into the town of Scooba ana piaclhs
themselves under the protection OF the ci'i-
Gems and soldiers When the troops arrived
they were met at the station by Deputy
Sheriff Alexander, who stated that ne hao
information as to the whereabouts OF the
negro Tom Simpson, the murderer or Con-
stable O'Brien. The men were marcheu
about five miles and surrounded seVeiai
negro cabins, but failed to find the negro
murderer.
The home of W. E. Ashford was among
the houses surrounded at the instance OF
the deputy sheriff. who said that the vile
OF Simpson cooked for the family.
Knew Nothing Of Simpson.
The only negroes that were found were
several women. who protested that they
knew nothing of Simpson or his where
abouts. The troops returned to town, and
again, at the instance of citizens, MADE
another trip. about eight miles northwest OF
the town, in search of other negroes, whose
whereabouts were said to be known to the
to1 no
burnns of the negro Calvin Nicholson. The
house had been burned to the ground, !eaV-
ing the CHASTITY remains of the negro ex-
posed The coroner and his jury arrived
upon the scene shortly after the arrival OF
the soldiers and returned verdict that
the negro came to his death at the hands of
parties unknown to them. There are salo
to be four negroes dead and others missing,
making the total death loss about seven.
Three houses have been burned
district Attorney Currie arrived yester-
day afternoon and is in conference with the
local officials. He has made public state
ment that he will make strenuous eHorts
to bring the guilty parties to justice
He said: II find upon an investigation
that the trouble was caused by lot of
boodlums and outlaws, who openly violated
all laws of God, man. and decency. The
four men killed yesterday were not con-
nected with the affair in any manner ana
7 am informed that the houses burned were
occupied by negroes who were not even In
sympathy with any of those who were con-
nected with the outrages. These men Will
be captured if it is in the power of the sta.e
of Mississippi to do so and they Will be
made to answer for their violation OF the
law of the land
Feeling is Intense.
The company from Macon reached here
last night and relieved the Meridian SOL
diers, who are exhausted with their siren
uous service for the past three days. The
citizens of the town and country are greatly
excited, as we'll as the negro element, none
knowing what the night may bring forth
To all appearances the town and adja-
cent territory are quiet, but the feeling Is
intense.
The murder and burning Of the negro
Nicholson was one of the most brutal that
has been perpetrated in this country since
the days of the reconstruction.
Story of the Outrage.
A posse headed by Deputy Sheriff Alex
ander and composed of Capt. D. F. Carr,
City Marshal Juim Rinehart of Scooba,
ty, Jim Beatty, Dan Kerr, Hal Bird and
Ernest Bryan was looking for the murderer
Simpson. They were told that the negro
was in hiding near the residence of Nichol-
son. The posse entered the house of Mich
olson, and it is said that some of the men
entered into an alteration with him and
opened fire Nicholson fell at the first
fire and called for assistance. Deputy
Alexander assisted by two members of the
posse, shielded the negro with their bodies,
raising him from the floor of the room in
which he fell They carried him to room
in a different part of the house, protesting
to those who We're seeking his life that he
was innocent of any of the crimes that had
been committed. They overpowered the
sheriff and shot the defenseless negro to
death.
Returned to Scooba.
The members of the posse returned to
Scooba, where Deputy Alexander called for
troops After the officers had gone the
house was fired and the body OF the unfor-
tunate negro burned.
Nicholson was married man, having a
wife and ten children. Since the burning
the mob disappeared as completely as If the
earth had swallowed them. Nicholson was
one of the most substantial farmers of the
county. He had home of no mean pro-
portions well stocked and provided with all
comforts When the attachments of Bat
terry I and Company D arrived at the scene
of the burning yesterday afternoon they
found the farm house smoldering in ruins.
Nicholson's body was burned beyond rec
ognition The head was burned from the
body. The arms and limbs were hanging
1 of oha