Pine Bluff daily graphic. (Pine Bluff, Ark.) 1893-1942, 1911-05-23
UNCLfS SAY RHEA
Is INNOCENT
Visit Accused Man at the
County Jail Here Accom-
panied by Attorney
DEPLORE TRAGEDY
Says Rhea is Victim Of Set of Cir
cumstances-Rhea Still in
Jail Here.

Accompanied by counsel for their
nephew, W. S. Rhea, who is in the
county jail here charged with the
murder of Vital Archard, the young
Farrell constable who was shot and
killed by mob of negroes, said tc
have been led by Young Rhea, H. c.
Harrison, of Little Rock, and S. W
Harrison, of Kedron, Ark, uncles CT
the accused man, spent today in Pine
Bluff and for several hours talked
with Young Rhea in the county Jail
J. Russell Miller, of Little Rock, OWL
err of the Lenox plantation near Du-
mas, where the tragedy occurred, and
by whom Young Rhea was employed
as plantation manager at the time OF
the killing, also came here today with
the relatives of Rhea.
Young Rhea, who was brought to
this city from Dumas last Monday by
orders of Judge A. B. Grace, for safe
keeping, and to prevent violence be-
ing done him by a mob that was
forming at Dumas, will probably re-
main in the county Jail here until the
case is called at Arkansas City. At
torney and Former Governor x. O.
Pindall has been employed to defe&d
L., 1c,
treated in the county jail and that he
is confident that when the facts be-
come known he will be acquitted OF
the charge pending against him. He
is an exceptionally bright young fell
low and was for number of years
student of the State university at
Fayetteville.
In an interview yesterday Messrs
Harrison, the uncles of the unfortun-
ate young man, gave out the following
statement: ''Together with all law
abiding citizens of Arkansas, we de-
plore the death of Mr.. Archard, the
constable from Farrell, who was SO
cruelty murdered in Desha county On
the night of the thirteenth of this
month. Since our nephew, w. s.
Rhea, has been in the newspaper re-
ports connected in some way with this
killing, We deem it our duty to MIN
and to ourselves to say to the public
that there has been sad misunder-
standing growing out of the excite
ment incident to the assassination.
Our nephew, W. S .Rhea, is as i'll
nocent of any participation in this
affair as an infant, and is the unlor-
tunate victim of a set OF circuni-
stances, making his incarceration N
jail a. source of deep humiliation tc
himself and his relatives. We do not
c,ndone in the slightest degree the
cruel assassination, but we do ask
that a sober minded public withhold
it's Judgment until such time as the
true facts in the case shall have fully
disconnected our relatives with any
connection with the crime. This re-
suit will surely transpire, and even
though we feel ND doubt on this
source, We want to state further thai
the excitement occasioned around Du-
mas, under which our relative was
victim, were incidents naturally aris-
ing from the shocking event iof the
Saturday previous, and though our
relative has been greatly misun3ar-
stood. we are not condemning any, me
for the stand they took under such
circumstances, and we want to- as
sure those who at first seemed VIII
ing to condemn our relative tnat we
feel that his vindication brought
aGout by the true facts will be re-
ceived with satisfaction by justice
loving public We are p anxious as
any citizens of the state to see the
guilty party or parties executed for
this shocking crime, and will lend CUT
every effcrt and assistance towards
----
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