Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1908-10-08
.FIENDS WIPE
OUT FAMILY
Shoot Woman and Five Chill
dren One by One as They
Leave the Flames.
UNHEARD-oF ATRoCITY.
Massacre of Negroes BY the
Night Riders, Near
Hickman.

Hickman, KY, Oct. 5.-The bodies
of Dave Walker and his family dead
and dying, were allowed to lie out in
the open all night Saturday and the
injured received no medical atten-
ton until Sunday afternoon. There
is no clue to the night riders who are
guilty.
Fifty men wreaked terrible re-
venge upon Dave Walker, colored,
said to have cursed white woman
and charged also with having drawn
a revolver upon white man, by set
ting fire to his house Saturday night
and shooting him and members of
his family as they emerged from the
burning cabin. Walker, his five-year-
old daughter and small baby were
killed outright, while the mother,
who was carrying the baby in her
arms at the time it met its death
wound, was shot through the stom-
ach and will die. Three other chill
dren were shot down and may die as
a result of their wounds, while the
oldest son of Walker is missing. 1t
is believed that he was burned alive
in the cabin.
NrrC11r prnrpc cTrppOr1NrD uOTIcE
The night riders, numbering about
fifty, surrounded the home of Walk
er shortly before midnight and COM
manded him to come out and take
whipping. Walker declined whereup-
on the saturated timbers Of the house
with coal oil and set fire to them. In
an incredible space of time the house
was a mass of flames and the shrieks
of those on the inside were horrible
to hear. Finally Walker, pleading
for mercy, threw open the door of
his cabin and ran out into the open.
He was riddled with bullets and fell
screaming to the ground.
SHOOT BABY IN MOTHERS ARMS.
Following close upon the the heels
, of her husband Walkers wife ap-
peared in the doorway. She held in
! her arms their infant child and beg
! ged the night riders for mercy. Dis
! regarding her pleadings, the infuri-
ated mob opened fire and bullet
! pierced the body of the infant in its
! mothers arms. A second shot struck
the mother in the abdomen and she
fell, holding the dead body of her
e infant.
4 NIGHT HIDEoUs WITH SCREAMS.
Terror stricken by the flames,
which were licking all sides Of the
cabin, yet fearing to venture into the
open, the remaining children of Wal
: ker made the night hideous with
p. their screams. The fve-year- old
|, daughter was the first to venture
: through the doorway, following the
fate of their mother, father and the
baby, but three other children fol-
lowed close at their heels. The girl
was killed outright, and the other
children received wounds which it is
believed will prove fatal. There is
hardly doubt but that the oldest
son of Walker preferred death by
burning rather than to place himself
at the mercy Of the mob, and it is
probable that his charred body will
be found among the debris
COMPEL MAN TO WATCH HORSES.
Before arriving at the home of
> Walker the night riders stopped at
the home of Joe Williams, a white
man, and compelled him to accom-
pany them to the scene of the slaugh-
ter. When the night riders dis
mounted they left Williams to look
after the horses a short distance
away.
Walker and his family lay all day
Sunday on the spot where they were
shot. A negro doctor went out to
see them, but for fear of night rid
!. ers refused to go back again. There
were seven in the family, three be-
ing killed outright, three wounded
J who will die and one missing, who is
l supposed to have persisted in the
y burning building.
Tom Bone, white man and neigh
! Dor, who heard the shots. rushed
LAYER toward the house. The nigh