Hattiesburg daily news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1907-1908, 1908-03-26
WHEAT Still ALIVE
BUT LITTLE Hope
FOR HIS RECOVERY
All is Quiet at PoplarviIle Where
the Three Negro Shootists
Are Confined.

AL oU CtOCh tnto HULL thO
information came from the South
Mississippi Infirmary that Mr.. Wheat
was resting easy and appeared to be
slightly better, though still in very
critical condition.
Mr.. Alfred Wheat, his brother was
with him. also a cousin, Mr.. Stock
well.
About 10 o'clock last night it was
reported that the three negroes had
been burned at the stake, but in
quiry made over the phone to Pop
larville gave the information that the
report was incorrect. There were |
from rs to 100 men in Poplarville |
last night, many from in the country |!
and nearby places and it was thought |
that lynching would follow, but at
1 o'clock this morning the town was
reported as comparatively quiet.
The young man, ]. R. Wheat, who
was shot by negroes, at Poplarville,
Tuesday night, mention of which ap-
peared in the Daily News of yester
day, is now at the South Mississippi
Infirmary to which place he was
brought yesterday morning and is
considered to be in dying condition.
The physicians hold out no hope of
his recovery, which would be little
short of miracle, considering the
dangerous character of his wound.
The shooting occurred about IL
O'Clock Tuesday night near the de-
pot in Poplarville, Mr.. Wheat is as
sistant town marshal and had no
thought of trouble, so far as is known.
Three shots were fired, and one that
hit Mr.. Wheat was from a Win
chester rifle. 1t is possible that the
wounded man fired one shot.
The ball struck Mr.. Wheat in the
back and passed through his kidneys,
tearing them asunder, rupturing an
artery and lodging in the spinal
column There was a great loss of
blood and the young man, who is
about 25, has never been able to
speak and consequently it is not
known just what occurred at the
time of the shooting. He was accom-
panied by a Mr.. Ladner, who seems
to have left the scene, but soon re-
turned. The hospital surgeons have
? performed an operation on the
wounded man, but express no hope
of his recovery and say if he should
by any chance, cling on to life, he
will be hopeless cripple, the lower
part of his body being paralyzed.
] A telephone message to the Daily
News from Poplarville last night a
about O'Clock, said that the two
negroes who are known to have beef
n connected with the shooting hal
been arrested; also a third negro VIII
drew a gun on the officers when the,
went to make the arrest. One of tn
negroes was named Luther Spate
and the other Charlie Smith.
? The officers went to the home G
lc Spates' father, about four mile
v from Poplarville, and found tho
te Spates and Smith were both there. A
they started toward the house, a
ot unknown negro drew a gun an
W threatened to shoot, but the Officer
P. had him covered with guns and u
vi three were arrested.
,y Last night at o'clock the town
ty Poplarville was quiet, but it W;
thought to be a subdued quiet-tl
quiet preceding storm. There vi
nd talk of a lynching. but Sheriff Roul
to- had made preparations to protect b
is, prisoners. The Daily News CORE
an pondent promised to call this office
at over the phone If necktie par
of was formed.
ols Mr.. Alfred Wheat who came up
Hattiesburg with his wounded bro1
err returned to Poplarville on t
ma afternoon train, but came back
of Hattiesburg on the $40 train.
led 1t is not very likely that the nj
in roes will escape the vengeance
Judge Lynch.