Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1910-08-06
THAT HORRIBLE BUTCHEBING.

Good citizens everywhere. regard
less OF race or color. politics or re-
isiou vill read with horror the Gend-
ism ana barbarous accounts OF that
horrible massacre of colored people
in Texas. Even the stern sheriff. used
to scenes OF cruelty was evidently af-
fected by the signs OF the horrible
slaughter that everywhere met his
gaze. The affair occurred in the Slo-
cum aud Deunison Springs neighbor-
hood near Palestine. Texas.
Reports were sent out that Negroes
were slaughtering whites. that they
were well armed and pleuufulIy sup
piled with ammunition and that they
had killed pianers and state troops
when as matter OF fact they were
running like rabbits before huutsmen
and were about as harmless. The tele-
graphic reports which give a true d..
scription OF the massacre read as
follows:
Palestine. Texas. July 2I.-At
least D.. and Do may be 90. negroes
We're hunted down and killed low
mob numbering perhaps 200 or 500
men. in the Slocum and Denisou
Springs ueighhorhood. OF Palestine.
last night and yesterday. according
Co the opinion OF Shcrin Black. eN-
pressed today.
The sheriff returned early this
morning after q 2f-hour absence i'm
that district. where racial trouble
has been acute. and described ia some
detail the conditions which he found
TO exist here. He told of q fierce
man hunt in the woods. OF riddled
bodies found on lonely roads and OF
the terror almost indescribable among
tAe Inhabitants in the southeastern
part OF Anderson county
Sherin Black is sure that his est
mate o. the dead is conservative. He
said he had careful investigation
made.
Sheriff Black is quoted as follows
We won't find some of the bodies
until the location is revealed TO us
by the buZzards
81 found the greatest excitement
prevailing throughout that section OF
the country. Men were going about
and killing negroes as fast as they
could find them and. so far as I have
been able to ascertain, without any
real cause at all. These negroes have
never done anything that could dis
90 Nre H.. a
gang hunting them down and killing
them.
I'VE found II dead bodies. but
from what / have heard. the dead
must number Is or 20. We came
across four bodies in one house on a
marsh between Denison Springs and
SlOcum
This then is the testimony of the
Democratic sheriff. who is evidently
mo Negro-lover, yet the herrIbIeness
Of the slaughter so impressed him
that he bluntly told the whole truth.
These colored people were not only
harmless, but they had never done
aught to any one. He tells the story
further.
4 don't know how many there
were in the mob, but I think there
must have been two OF three hundred,
altogether. ] understand that Mrs.
George Scarborough. of Slocum, saw
a party OF 40 or so through her
field. Some OF them cut the wires and
went through on horseback and some
of them walked through. They went
across To the house where we found
the four dead bodies. One negro had
been killed at this house the night
before and three were sitting up with
the remains, one of them being an
old and whitehaired negro.
These three were killed right
where they were found"
To further emphasize the absolute
heartlessness of the slaughter and
the absolute lack of justification
therefor, he said:
So far as I can learn. the negroes