The Washington bee., 1908-07-04

Another, arrested with a white man
whom he accused Of hiring him to
slay Robert Wright, is in Jail at Cen
ter, having been rushed there under
extra guard to save them from the
mob.
1t IS reported tonight that the mob
has captured a train and Is forcing
the engineer to run to Center so
the prisoners can be captured and
lynChel
Rangers Pushed aside.
State Rangers LATHE and Hamer,
stationed at Center, won't to Hemphill
when the first news OF the trouble
reached them. They attempted to take
a hand. The county officers found
aside. The county officers found
themselves similarly served when they
tried to uphold the law and, unable
to dominate the situation, they wired
FOR reinforcements.
The sheriff at Hemphill made an
effort to swear in special officers, but
none would serve The few he sought
to swear in fed at his approach, fear
ing that they would be cheated of
their revenge.
The frenzied hatred against the
Negroes came as the result of the
shooting of a white man by Negroes
week ago. At a Negro dance on
June I3 William Stimson, a white
man, became involved in a row with
the Negroes and was killed with ra-
zor. Two Negroes were arrested for
the crime.
Last Saturday night Hugh Dean,
one of the best-known white farmers,
was also killed at Negro dance. It
was proved that he was merely riding
by when drunken Negroes set upon
him and stabbed him to death.
Six Negroes were arrested and i'm
prisoned in the Hemphill Jail. A sew
enth is still at large and a reward of
$3.50 is out for him.
Negroes and Whites -Arm.
The passion stirred up by the kill
ing of Stimson and Dean within a
week was increased by the fact that
Negroes grew bold and began TO
flourish weapons. Six-shooters were
prominent and open threats made of
what would be done in the event that
the white men showed any open ami
mostly toward the Negro.
The farmers of the vicinity armed
themselves with rifles and shotguns
and pistols and started on a systematic
hunt after every Negro Of known bad
tendencies.
The county peace officers found
they were powefless to cope with the
situation.
Hurried appeals were made to the
Governor, and a squad Of Rangers
was ordered Immediately to the
scene. /
The Houston Light Guards of
Houston were intructed to hold
themselves in readiness to take spe-
cial train and will leave tonight.
This was the situation when the
news went broadcast that Aaron
Johnson, another white farmer, had
been shot down while sitting on his
gallery with his wife and boy and
baby.
His wife, crazed at the desperate
act of theNegroes,ga chase, scream
ing with all her might White men,
raiding the countryside for Negroes,
heard her. When they reached her
she was Sitting beside the body of
her husband, insane. ?
1t was then that the white avengers
went forth, and soon the crack OF
their pistols portended that death had
been visited on someone. Later the
bodies of three Negroes - Singleton,
Evans and Thomas - were found.
Already charged with having a
hand in the death of Dean, the three
Negroes had met, swearing vengeance
when they encountered the white
men.
Johnson's death increased the tens
ity of the situation. The three dead
Negroes were known to be partners
Of a fourth. The latter, Perry Price,
would surely have met the same fate
of his fellows had not officers cap
tured and spirited him to San Au-
pustine after making a confession that