The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1911-10-23
Race Riot Started Sunday When Ne
gro Shot TWO White Men on
the Streets Of
coweta.
CoLoRED MAN LyNCHED
Following the Hanging, Turmoil
Broke Out and the Town is Great
ly Excited over
Prospects.

COWETA, Okla, Oct 23.-Ed. Sud-
deth, negro, was shot to death last
night by mob of citizens, who had
armed themselves, following a battle
between blacks and whites, in which
Sudduth killed j. d. Beavers, city at
torney, and wounded Carmen Oliver
and Steller Thompson, white men.
oliver and Thompson may die.
Suddeth was wounded and was then
strung up to water tank, but was cut
down before he died and locked in
vacant building
Last night Deputy Sheriff Flowers
attempted to take the slayer to Wag-
oner to Jail. AS Suddeth was being
taken to an automobile mob opened
fire on him and riddled him with bull
lets Probably fifty shots entered his
body.
Large numbers of enraged negroes
are arriving from the surrounding
country and race war seems newt
able.
The white men of the town are pa
trolling the streets and guarding their
homes as best they can. They are
afraid to bring the women out of the
homes and send them to Muskogee on
the last train out. They also declare
they will not dare to try to get them
On the next train which passes through
Coweta at midnight.
Oliver was taken to Muskogee on q
passenger train and placed in the Bap
tist hospital. where doctors are prob
ing for the bullet. He was shot through
the abdomen.
telegraph operator named Swaz
er was walking with a young woman
when Ed Ruse, negro. in passing
pushed the girl from the sidewalk in
10 the mud. Swazer struck at the
negro, and another white man. whose
name is being kept secret, seized Rust
and Swazer beat him with his fists.
Ruse had been walking the street.
with long knife in his pocket. seek
ing the man who held him. Cit,
Marshal Kart ordered the negro tt
give up the knife and Ruse shot a
him.
AT that instant Ed Suddeth ran ou
OF house across the street and open
ed fire, instantly killing City Attorne.
Beavers and wounding Oliver ant
thompson, all of whom We're passn!
at the time and had taken no par
In the trouble
Suddeth took refuge in a near-b.
house, which was bombarded wit
guns and revolvers by several whit
men. The house was set afire an
Suddeth fled. He was shot, but no
fatally injured He was taken to th
neck and he was strung up. 1t wa
then decided, however. that to XII
him would precipitate general rae
war and he was cut down.
Coweta is in a state of terror and
Is feared that an outbreak is inevi
able. There are 1900 people in Gov
eta, one-third of whom are negroes
The county is populated largely by NJ
groes. and it was stated that II tn
blacks organized they could bring
600 men into town
Negro emissaries have hurried OF
to surrounding settlements with th
avowed intention of bringing enoug
OF their people here to wipe the tow
off the map. They declare they wi
set fire to every house in town
The sheriffs of Wagner, Muskoge
and Tulsa counties have sent help
Coweta and every means possible WI
be used to prevent an outbreak.
One negro woman set out on fot
for Redbird an exclusive negro tow
declaring she would bring every negl
In the settlement back with her. Q
ficers followed her and brought ht
back to town.
The citizens of Coweta are PAM
stricken and Poorly organized The
have shotguns and revolvers, but nj
enough rifles. They are also short
ammunition The town Is without fl
protection
A prominent man said last nigh
I'VE have been expecting for tv
years to have to fight for our live
and believe the time has come.
am confident that the town will
attacked before morning
Town Calm Today.
CoWETA, Oct. 23. Practically u
der martial law while national guar'