Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1910-04-22
Mississippi News
OO g OIO
POWDER. ROPE, KNIFE, FIRE.
Mob Dispatches Negro-Victim Of Ven
geance Had Murdered His Taller.


Jailer J. r. Temple, a former sheriff
of Lauderdale county, shot through the
heart and instantly killed by Tom
ONeil a negro prisoner. in a desperate
effort to escape after having attacked
and disarmed Assistant Jailer 3 IL.
Boutwell,, . battle between officers and
the negro i'll a dark basement of the
county Jail, the lynching of the dying
negro by an infuriated mob, and an at
tempt to burn his body, is the record
of one OF the most exciting days in the
history OF Meridian.
The beginning OF the series of tragic
incidents occurred when Boutwell, was in
the act of giving the prisoners their
breakfast. Tom ONeil was used as a
trusty. As the officer went to hand him
the breakfast to be distributed among
the prisoners he sprang upon the officer
and in the fight the negro secured the
officers pistol.
Jailer Temple, being attracted by the
s~cuftie, rushed up the stairs from his
office and as he reached the top step the
negro poked the barrel of the weapon
through the bars and fired, the ball en-.
tering Jailer Temples heart, and he
staggered to the bottom of the steps and
expired.
ONeil and John Williams, another ne
gro prisoner, made their way to the
basement of the Jail while Boutwell, sue
ceeded in closing the doors on other pris.
oners, thus preventing a general break.
The shot fired by the negro was heard
on the outside and i'll a few minutes
hundreds of men gathered, and upon
learning the particulars the temper Of
the people was aroused to a frenzy.
The Jail was quickly surrounded to
prevent the escape of the murderer.
When a discussion arose as to the best
means of getting the negro from the
basement, several officers and citizens
volunteered to enter and capture the
negro or kill him. They broke out the
windows and entered the place, which
was without lights.
After entering, the men CROPPED their
way about in search of the negro, but
not until a light had been secured did
they find the negroes. They were
crouched in a closet, and as the door
was thrown open, O'Neil fired, the bullet
going wild. The officers fired d volley
into the closet. One negro, Williams,
ran out, wounded. O'Neil, Temples MUIR
derer, remained on the inside and q
second volley was fired into the closet.
There being no answering shot, a light
was thrown into the closet, and ONeil
was seen huddled in a corner. He was
dragged out, his body having been pune
tured eight or ten times with bullets.
In this condition he was dragged from
the basement through the window where
the officers entered. As they gained
the outside the crowd, which had been
now swelled to a thousand, made a rush
on the officers and in a twinkling they
hat secured possession of ONeil, placed
a rope about his neck, dragged him to a
nearby telephone pole and swung him
up. After swinging a few moments, the
BODY was lowered, his throat cut with
a knife and his clothes saturated with
oil. His clothing was then set on fire.
Before the flames could do their work,
Mayor John w. Parker broke through
the crowd and extinguished them. In
doing this, Mayor Parker was severely
burned on both hands.