The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1910-08-05
WHITES MURDER THE
NEGROES BY SCORE
IN TEXAS COUNTY
BLACKS ARE SHOT IN THEIR
TRACKS WHEREVER
FOUND.
NO QUARTER Is GIVEN THEN
Sheriff Makes Investigation and Finds
Riddled Bodies on Lonely Rosds.
He Declares There 10 Little Provo
cation for Outrage.

least fifteen, and it may be twenty
negroes, all Of them probably unarm
ed, were hunted down by a mob mum
bering perhaps 200 or 400 men In tn.
Slocum and Denison Springs neigh
borhood of Palestine last night and
yesterday according to the opinion Of
Sheriff Black, expressed today.
The Sheriff returned early THU
morning after q twsnty-four hour alb
sence in that district, where racial
trouble has been acute, and descrfb
ed in some detail the conditions
wheich he found to exist there. He
told of fierce man hunt in the woods
of riddled bodies found on lonely
roads and of the terror almost indie
scribable among the inhabitants In
the southeastern part of Anderson
county.
Sheriff Black is sure that his esd.
mate of the dead is conservative. He
said that he had careful investiga-
ton made, and after telling Of its re-
suits added this statement:
I'VE wont find some of the bodies
until the location is revealed to US
by the buzzards
II found the greatest excitement
prevailing throughout that section OF
the country Men we're going about
killing negroes as fast as they could
find them, and, so far as l have been
able to ascertain, without any real
cause at all. These negroes have new
er done anything that I could discov-
er. There was just hot-headed gang
hunting them down and killing them.
I'VE found eleven dead bodies, but,
from what l have heard the dead must
number fften or twenty. We came
across four bodies in one house on
marsh between Denison Springs and
Slocum.
Il don't know how many there were
in the mob, but / think there must
have been 200 or 800 altogether. /
understand that Mrs. George Scar
borough, of Slocum, saw a party or
forty or fifty go 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 be-
fore and three were sitting up with
the remains, one of them being an old
and white-haired negro. These three
were killed right where they were.
So far as I can learn the negroes
were not armed. I have been some
what disabled by runaway accident
and, therefore, could not make per-
sonal investigation of this point, but
sent two deputies out through that
to collect all the arms they |
could find in the houses of the ne
groes. They made a thorough search |
but found only nine little single bar
relied shot guns, none of which SEEM
ID to have been fired lately, and about
thirty shells all loaded with small
shot.
II am led to believe that the rlain
:rouble was due to a controversy
lbout note. This may not
De true but it is the i'm
preston that have at this
stage of the investigation. R. Afford,
/ white man, who Is cripple, had
gone on a negros note. The note
,ame due and he got after the negro
o renew it or pay it, or something of
he kind, but the negro would not do
t but cursed him. The incident caused
,ad feelin. Then think Mr. Afford
lad a little trouble with them. At
east they claim that he had whipped
me. Somebody saw this negro slip
ing up to Spurges house. This negro
vas killed and they began killing them
IL over the county
Il have been talking to Mr.. Sadler,
t Grapeland, and he told me that
wo were killed late yesterday AFTER
Don near the town of Priscilla.
link that most Of that crowd of men
anne from Houston county and. AGA
ording to what / am told, the shoot
lg was still going on late yesterday
fternoon They were hunting the me-
roes down like sheep. We found two
the road that were shot about 10
clock night before last. 1t was evi-
mt that at the time they were kill
they were>trying to get out of the
'unty, for they had their bundles Q
clothes with them. Because of my
aahIad condition uOt IN aoa nuIv