Waterbury evening Democrat., 1908-06-23

V
 to Death With Rope and Bullets
 Blacks Talk of ReprisaI, and White
 Men In Turn Threatened to Exter-
 nninate All coiored People In County.
 Houston, Tex, June 23.-Nine ne- groes have been killed in race war in Sabine county, and an organized band of 150 whites. has defied the authorities and threatened to exterminate the blacks if there is any attempt at re- prisal. Five of the negroes were hanged from the limb of tree, and four were shot. The bodies of two were thrown into ditch. The body of another was carried and left at the gate of man he had threatened. The entire negro population is in state of terror, and many hundreds have fled the county.
 The outbreak is the worst in the his- tory of the state and had it's start with the murder of Hugh Dean, prosper ous young farmer, two weeks ago. Dean was killed in negro church. Prohibition is the law in Sabine coun- ,ty, but there are negroes who sell liquor under cover of the church. Dean had gone to the church to buy whisky, and a full bottle was found in his hand. There was a crowded congrega- tion, and the man was shot down in the aisle. The men and women filed out and did not make known the mur- der. A searching party found the body the following morning.
 Six Negroes Taken From Jail.
 An investigation was begun, and on the testimony of several blacks that the murder had been plotted in a schoolhouse, a hundred yards from the church, Frank Williams, Jerry Ev- ans, Will Johnson, Nose Spellman, Clever Williams and Will Manuel were arrested and locked in the county jail in Hemphill. Strong testimony was given against the men at a preliminary hearing, and at secret meeting Of the whites on Friday night it was decided to lynch the six men.
 A few of the whites held out against lynching, but their objections were re- moved by the murder of Aaron Nj. Johnson, a young white farmer, early Saturday night. He was playing with his children and was killed with bull let through the window. This crime drove the whites to frenzy of rage, and it was with difficulty many were restrained from at once attacking the blacks. Finally 1t was decided to car " out the plan agreed upon at the secret meeting on Friday night. and as first step the six men in jail for the killing~of Dean were lynched
 When the mob appeared outside the county jail the leader knocked on the door of the Jail with the butt of his rife. The jaIler said he would shoot and was told he would be strung up" with the prisoners. Then he opened the door and turned over the keys to the cells. It took only few minutes to march out the six condemned men.
 One Man Tries to Escape.
 They were walked to the place for the execution with ropes around their necks. The mob caught them in a cir. cle. and there was little excitement. ex. cept on the part of the victims. They cursed and prayed alternately and also kept asserting they were innocent. Whep any one of them dropped back or hesitated In the march he was drlv. en forward at the muzzle of leveled rife. Only a half dozen men who went into the Jail wore masks.
 The six negroes were stood fin line below a thick limb reaching almost across the road a mile from the jail. It had been planned to string them up all together. Six ropes had been thrown over the limb. and groups of men were ready to swing the negroes off their feet. Just when the order was given to tighten the ropes Frank Williams made a break for liberty. The mob was SO sure of itself that the negroes had gone united.
 Williams quickly slipped off the moose and before any one could inter- fere was headed for the village. Sev- erai of the mob started in pursuit. but they were stopped by the shots of their fellows, who Killed Williams.