Oxford eagle. (Oxford, Lafayette Co., Miss.) 1876-current, 1910-08-04
BLOODY WORK OF MOB
SHERIFF SAYS NEGROES wEss
SLAIN 5S BIoooT-iRsTY NOS.
5oeies sest;sres Over countrx So
~'aeiy Mary Of TEEN May Never
6s 6eeosered.

Palestine. Tex.-At teast afteen. and
.t may be twenty. negroes. an of them
probably gnarmed. uere hunted doxn
and Silled BY a mob numncrinx per
AAps two or three hgudred men near
siocum and Densou Springs. In the VI
einity Of this city. Saturday nizht and
sunday. according 10 the opinion u
sheriff Black
The sheriI returned early sunday
morning after a twenty four hour ab
senee In that district. where racial
trouble has been acute. and described
in some detail the cardifions whirh
be foaad to exist there. iis cd o. a
nerce man hunt in th- suads OF rff
aied bodies found on lonely roads and
OF the terror almost indsSsrfbable
among the negro Inhabitants In the
southeastern part of Asdersou county.
sheriff Black is sure that hts esti-
mate of the dead Is conservative. lie
said ne had a careful Investigation
made. and after telling o. its results
added this statement.
We may never ind some Of the
bodies
4 found the greatest excitement
prevailing throughout that section of
the country he said. Men vere 20
ing aoOut and killing negroes a. fast
as they could find them. and. so FAR
as have been able 70 ascertain. wirh-
out ans real cause AZ all These u--
groes have never done anything that
{ could discover. There vas Just A
hot-headed gang hunting them down
and killing them.
We found eleven dead bodies. but
from What have heard. the dad
must number fifteen or twenty. We
came across four bodies In one holse
or a marsh between benson Springs
and Sl0cum
I don't snoE how many there we're
in the mob. but I think there aust
have been s00 or 300 altogether.
50 far as can learn the negroes
were not armed I sent two deputies
out through that county 10 collect al.
the arms they could dnd in the houses
Of negroes. They made a thorough
search. but found only aine littie sia-
sie-barreled shotguHs. none OF Whica
seemed 60 have heen dred lately. and
about thirty shells. all loaded Wr-h
small shot
I an led to believe that the main
start of the trugble Nas due % con.
truyersy over a promissory note This
may not BE- true. but that Is the im-
preston have az this stage % the
Investigation. r Abort. a white nan
x6o Is erip7le. had gone on ne
Erus 1ote- TIE noe cane due and h
got after The aegru- 10 Fsuea it OF raF
tr. or something of the kinf. and the
negro Eoalt not do ir. and cursed him
The incident caused bad feeling
a few DAYS later 4 white man. las.
S1urxeF. was notified 70 do rOadworS
under 4 negro overseer. Sl0cum j. on
the line between Houston and Ander-
son counties and the negro oversee
must have been in Houston county.
because il Is declared here that n
negroes he'd such office in Anderson
county. Spurger Indignantly refuse !
10 comply attn the order. ir IS assert.
ed. and this only added 70 the gravity
o. the situation On top of all this
cane the discovery. according 10 re-
liable uen in That section. that the ne
groes Rere holding secret meetings.
-oue negro Is alleged 20 have con
fessed that a plan had been evolved 70
XII Spgrgsr and his family Another
negro. armed With a shotgun. vas seen
sneaking up behind Spurger. Some o'
Spurgsr's friends shogred 70 him inst
in tire and he d0dsed behind house
Then the negro fed. but vas traeket;
down. and when he showed resistance
vas shot
Then think Mr. Spurges probably
had 4 little trouble with them AZ
least they claim thar he whipped one.
SOMEBODY saE this negro slipping up
10 Spurges' house This negro was
killed and then they went 10 killing
them al over the country
4 think the most q that crowd Of
men came from Houston county.
They were hunting the negroes
down Ike sheep. We found two in tn
road that had been shot about 10
O'Clock night before last II vas eFi
dent that AZ the time they were killed
they we're trying TO get out Of The
county. for they had their bundles OF
clothes with them
1t will be difficult TO ind out just
how many we're killed. because the
dead are scattered all over the woods.
Some will probably never be found