The Semi-weekly leader. (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1905-1941, 1908-04-08
A BRUTAL MURDER.
A NEGRO KILLS A WHITE BOY Oh
LITTLE BAifALA SATURDAY.
The Murderer Taken from Officers
Sunday Morning and Lynched.

AAAAs sNOA WdASh noA OOCA COtluilN-
ted on Saturday afternoon on Lit
tie Bahala, three.quarters of a
mile above Breeden 6 ParneIl's
water mill, and the lynching of the
murderer by an infuriated mob
about two miles from the scene
of his crime after Constable Wom-
| 1ack and two deputies had started
with him to Brookhaven. The
murderer was John Winston, alias
John Burr. a young negro about
30 years old, and his victim little
Earl Smith, the 12-year-old son of
Mr. J.W. ("Jim Breeden)" Smith,
who lives on Little Bahala. It is
stated that Burr was county
convict, whom originally Mr..
Smith had hired from the county
contractor of Copiah county. He
was known in Brookhaven to ex-
Constable Blue and others here,
and his mother is now living in
Brookhaven.
Mr.. Smith had recently had
some words with the negro about
a mule.or horse, but this passed
and he continued at work on the
place.
Saturday after dinner the negro
took his fishing lines and a single
barreled breech- loading shot gun
and went down on Little Bahala
Creek about a half mile back of
the Smith farm. He was accom-
panied by Henry Green, a negro
boy IL or 10 years old. Soon
afterWard Mr.. Smiths little son,
Earl, who is said to have been
on friendly and familiar terms
with both of the negroes, followed
and joined them on the creek
bank. where the older negro had
already commenced fishing.
Further than that, Burr con-
fessed to the murder before he
was lynched, first claimed that it
was accidental and then that he
did not know what prompted him
to commit the foul deed, nothing
is known of the actual circum-
stafces of the brutal act except
what the negro boy tells. Ac-
cording to this boy, while Burr
was standing at the waters edge
with his gun and hooks, he called
to the Smith boy, who was stand
ling on the bank above him s or 10
feet, to look up in a tree at a bird.
just as the boy looked, the negro
raised his gun and fired, blowing
the top of little Earl Smiths head
off. He then told Henry Green. the
negro boy, that if be had another
she'll for his gun he would shoot
him, and threatened him with
certain death if he ever told about
what he had witnessed. The me-
gro boy says be then started for
home, crying with fright, when
Burr picked up the dead boy
by one arm and one leg, swung
the body and tossed it into the
creek at the spot where it was
found by the distracted father and
his neighbors several hours later.
Soon afterward Burrell followed
the negro on back to Mr.. Smiths
place, and after dark the two
young negroes and the boys
mother, Liza Green, went togeth-
er over to the woman's fathers
about a mile from Mr.. Smith S
place. Here the boy aud his
mother claim that he told her for
the first time about the murder
and the threats made against him.
When supper time came at the
Smith home the boy had not yet
returned. James Smith waited
Ian hour and still the boy failed tC
appear. The boys faithful dog
had come home and howIed a time
Ior two and again disappeared.
The father then became seriously
worried and alarmed and started
lout with a neiehbor to try to fol
llow the dog. In a little while the
ldog was located by the assistance
lof some other persons fishing on
the creek, and the dog was found
lon the identical spot where the
hoy had been murdered and
Thrown into the water. Believing
Ibis boy had fallen into the river
and drowned, the father com,
Imenced searching for some sign
|of the accident. While raking il
| the sand the men found severa
pieces of bone and tufts of hair,
land later a pool of blood. 1t was
then evident that murder had beer
dome.
/ HurrYing to the home OF tht
lGreen woman, James Smitl
found and questioned the Negro
lboy. The latter, however, wouIC
Isay nothing. Mr.. Smith ther
1appeaIed TO the negress, and th,
woman, after some persuasion
/ related the story her son had toIe
| her an hour before, to the effecl
THAT the negro Burr had killed CHI
ISmith boy and thrown bis body
Into the Little BahaIa river.
i Cowed by the white men, The
negro boy then told the details q
the horrible crime.
| From the confession later OBJ
tained from the dead black. /
seems that Burr. after the negro
boy had left, picked up the body
Iof bis victim and hurled ii int
1.-The river. After covering thI
n niaeea rf skull and hair with sand