Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-10-25
''COUNCIL OF GOD"
DEALS OUT DEATH
NEGRO ORGANIZATION SHOOTS
FOUR POLICEMEN.
BLACK HAND ASSEMBLY
Purpose of Organization Supposed to
Be 'Brutalizing' Prophets of
Christian Era characterized
Young Boys Started the Trouble.


One policeman is dead, two other
men, policeman and negro, are
dying in the Charity Hospital and
several other policemen and negroes
are more or less severely wounded as
the result of pitched battle betwee
the police and the members of a band
of negro fanatics styling themselves
"The Council of Cod" which oc-
cured in a sparsely settled section Of
the city.
AS a result of the shooting half a
score of negroes are locked up in the
Fifth Precinct station charged with
murder, while as many others are held
on various other charges in corr'c
ton with the case. They were taken
from the scene of the tragedy in two
patrol wagons, and through rapidly
increasing mob that attempted to
take them away from the officers.
"The Council of God" met fire.
quently in the house of Ed Horore,
which sits in a triangle formed by
Allen, New Orleans and Prieur streets
and it was here that the trouble
started. The negroes made a great
deal of noise at their meetings, and
some Of the neighbors took it upon
themselves to protest against the gath
ering. Stories differ as to the man
ner in which the row started. 1t is
declared by some that several white
boys in the neighborhood pelted the
house in which the negroes were mee:-
ing, and that this angered the negroes.
According to the information fuc-
nished the police, however, fifteen
year-old boy named John Sherman,
who lives in the neighborhood, went
to Honore's house to protest against
the noise being made by the negroes,
One Of the members of the band slap
ped his face and the boy complained
to the police.
Young Cumbias was sent to investi-
gate the story, and as he stepped into
the front door of the house was set
upon by the negroes. A razor was
drawn across his chin, while another
stroke severed his juguiar vein.
The officer staggered to the side
walk and fell there.
Some time later Sergeant Joseph
Wheatley, Corporal Peterson and one
or two other officers went to the place
to find what had become of Cambias.
They stumbled across his body near
the house, and then went in to inves-
tigate.
Wheatley, according to a state
ment which he made at the Bethany
Home Sanitarium last night, walked
into the place and told the negroes
to line up. He asked who had MUIR
dered Young Cambias, and the only
answer was a snllen silence. Wheat
ley then called upon the negroes to
throw up their hands, and the firing
began One of the first balls struck
Wheatley in the left breast, and in
some marvellous manner glanced off.
carrying away the officers left nip
pie instead Of penetrating the breast
Wheatley was stunned and was help
ed out by Petersen, who opened fire,
bringing down Honore.
In the meantime Corporal Dunn
and Supernumary Patrolman Weinckc
had arrived. Both were in citizens
clothes. They had not been there long
when. Weincke received what will
very probably be his death wound,
in the shape of the contents Of g
double-barreled shotgun. Dunn wss
slightly shot in the calf of the right
leg.
Jack Pierce, a bricklayer of 920
IRENE street, who was "EZekial' in
the Council, is believed to have been
the man who murdered young Cam
bias. Honore, according to the state
ment of a negro next door, was
"Prophet Daniel" Denny Latimorc,
a peddler of 91S Liberty street, was
"Apostle Paul. +"
Among the negroes in the neighbor-
hood the Council Of God" was
known as a negro "Black Hand" So
ciety, and it met frequently, so:le-
times twice and three times week
at Honore's home.
According to the statement of
Thomas Manson, a negro railroad
hand, who lived next door to Hhnore,
the society devoted itself to "bruta'-
izing" Catholicism and Protestan-
ism, and always held services without
lights. The participants in the cere
monies would moan continually, and
We're often heard to declare that they
did not worship tine God worshiped by
the Christians