St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1908-02-15
KILLS NEGRO FIEND.
Mob OvercOmes Militia
and Takes Vengeance
For Brutal Crime
Others Injured in Fight
Eor Possession of the
Negro Criminal
The Negro Mobhad

Plgot, the negro who criminally as
saulted Miss Matte Williams at Ruth
Lincoln County, Dec. 27, was takel
from two armed companies of thu
State militia this morning at TAO, hi
throat cut, his body riddled with bul
lets, his head beaten to jelly and s
rope was then thrown around his neck
and he was strung up to a telephone
pole.
The negro was brought down from
jackson, Miss, this morning on train
No. l, accompanied by Sheriff j. F.
Greer, several deputies and the Capi-
tai Light Guards, under command of
Adjutant General, O. N. Fridge, who
was joined at the depot by Captain J..
L. Storm and Company H of this city.
The Brookhaven military company
was lined up on each side of the track
as the train pulled in, being pushed
and jostled by an immense crowd of
people from all parts of the county.
The crowd assembled for various
reasons, today being the time set by
Judge M. H. Wilkinson to try Pigot
for his henious crime, at a special
term of the Lincoln County circuit
court. AS soon as the train came to
standstill rush was made for the
rear coach, where the militia, the
sheriff and Pigot were seen to emerge.
AS soon as they stepped off the train
onto the ground the soldiers formed
around Pigot, the mob closing in on
them all the while, and in few mo-
ments both companies Of soldiers were
engaged in hand-to-hand struggle to
keep the mob from the prisoner. In
few minutes they were partially
overpowered. Pigot was knocked
down and trampled upon, but the
militia came again and once more
secured possession of Pigot, who was
jerked to his feet. With the prisoner
in the center the soldiers made a
double-quick run of it for two blocks
straight down the railroad tracks in
the direction Of the courthouse and
and Jail. The mob was in close pur-
suit all the while, some making a
short cut to head off the soldiers and
prisoner from the Jail.
Two blocks from the depot, where
a corner had to be turned, the troops
were again forced to stop by sheer
force of numbers, the mob by now
numbering about 1900. Here was
where the last stand was made, the
soldiers and the mob struggling over
the prisoner for about ten minutes.
Finally rope was thrown over the
brute's head and willing hands took
hold, quickly dragging him away from
the soldiers. During the melee an
awful cash had been cut in his throat,
and as he was pulled along the ground
shot after shot was poured into his
body by infuriated citizens.
A conservative estimate placed the
number of shots fired at 200 or over.
AS soou as the firing was over, the
negro being riddled almost almost like
a sieve, one of the mob climbed a.
telephone pole, threw the rope over
one of the footholds and Pigot was
drawn up, where he dangled in the
cold, misty rain for thirty minutes.
He was then cut down and hauled to
the county Jail on dray, where he
was put into rude coffin and only a
limited number allowed to view the
remains.
During the fray, when the militia
was trying to protect Pigot, j. T.
Williams, the father of the young
lady assaulted, was hit over the head
with gun and his arm cut.
Wade Cole, from the southern part
of the county, also received shot in
the thigh. Jake Moak was shot
through the foot and some of the
smaller bones were broken.
Wesley Arm, one of the Capital
Light Guards, was hit across the neck
with gun and trampled upon until
SO badly injured internally that he
died while being taken back to Jack
son on local passenger train.