Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1910-06-25
STAY FARMERS
SON FOR REVENGE
Two COIOred Youths Confess
the Killing.
BODY IN SHALLOW GRAVE
Crowd Of Farmers Threatened 10
Lynch Them. ana Victims Relatives
Rushed Accused to Jail.

Rushed Accused to Jail.
Deliberately planning revenge. two
Philadelphia colored boys. Henry VII
Hams and James Sharp. working or
three miles from Georgetown Del
shot and killed the farmers fourteen
yearold son John Rogers and after
ward dragged him through a woods ant
buried the body Ia field
The body Mas discovered after ar
all night sea IN, III which the two muir
derers took part When the evidence
Of the crime pointed 10 the two boys
the crowd OF farmers began 10 arrange
for lynching. until Dallas Rogers. o
brother OF the murdered boy, spirited
Williams away behind fast horse and
succeeded in landing him in the coun
ty Jail State Detective Walls sue
ceeded In bringing the other boy here
later.
So great Is the Indignation, how.
ever. that II is feared an attempt will
be made to force the Jail. and extra
guards have been placed.
The boy left the farm house after
dinner and took his single-barrcled
shotgun along in the hope of killing
some birds When supper time came
the boy did not return home. and as
night came on his parents became
alarmed.
The anxious father. with the broth
ers and some neighbors. secured Ian
terms and began the search. In every
nook and corner oil the woods they
hunted. expecting to find the hoy III or
accidentally shot by his own gun.
During the all-night hunt the colored
boys kept with the crowd. holding the
lanterns and assisting in the search
With the coming OF dawn the tired
farmers went to the house for break
fast At 6 O'Clock the hunt was re-
sumed by the men.
Crossing new corn field into the
woods. the father noticed part of the
ditch bank claNed up as II scuiile
had taken place and. scratching away
the sand. found large stain of blood
beneath the sand. Looking around, the
men found traces of something having
been dragged and. following the clear
path. finding traces of blood and cloth
ing on bushes as they passed. they
soon came into field where newly
made grave had been hastily covered
with old grass and leaves with a large
log on the top.
Here. buried in grave not over
two feet deep. the body of the boy
was found. lying face down. with the
shirt pulled up around the face. The
head and face were badly beaten and
bruised. and nj first II was thought
the boy had been beaten 10 death. un.
Ill large gunshot wound was found
In the back of his neck. severing the
spinal cord and the load going into
the base OF the brain.
The colored boys were hurried TO
the house. and after being closely
questioned admitted the murder both
blaming the other for the actual shoot
ing. Indignant farmers grabbed rope
and started TO lynch both. when the
brother slipped to town with one OF
the boys and fearing the other was
innocent. the father begged the men
TO let the law take It's course.
According to Williams story John
went to the field where the colored
boys were working and complained Of
feeling III. but finally went into the
woods. Coming back. he asked the
two boys to try to get bird. and laid
down in the ditch. with his face down
and between his hands. after giving
Williams a shell and the gun. Williams
and Sharp then went into the woods.
but could not find any birds. and there
presumably arranged the plot.
Coming out. Williams raised the
gun and shot young Rogers in he
neck. Terrified. both grabbed their
sticks with which they had been
'suckerlng" the corn and beat the
boys face and head until they were
sure he was dead. Then Sharp went
up to the house and secured shovel.
and both dragged the body through the
woods TO another field. where they
buried II. after taking over dollar
they found In the pockets. They hid
the gun and shovel