The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1911-10-26
RAGE WAR POSSIBLE
LYNcHIN0 or NEGRO WHO SHOT
THREE WHITE MEN PROMISES
TO BRING RACIAL CONFLICT.
cOWETA IS TERRORIzED
Trouble Began When Negro Pushed i
White Girl From the
Sidewalk.


Ccweta. Okla. I'D Suddeth, me-
gro. was shot to death by 4 mob Of
citizens who had armed themselves
following battle between blacks and
whites, IN which Suddeth killed ]. D.
Beavers, city attorney, and wounded
Carmen Oliver and Steller Thompson,
white men. Both men have little
chance to live.
Suddeth was wounded and then was
strung up to a water tank, but was
cut down before he died and locked
up in vacant building. Deputy Sher-
if Flowers attempted to take the
slayer to the Wagner Jail. AS the
negro was being lifted into an auto
mobile the mob opened FIRE on him.
probably so bullets entered his body.
Large numbers of negroes were ar
irving from the surrounding country
and a race war seemed inevitable.
The white men Of the town were pa
trolling the streets and guarding their
homes. They were afraid to take
the women out Of the houses to send
them to Muskogee Oh the last train
out.
The trouble started when a tele-
graph operator, named Swayzer, was
walking with young woman, when
Ed Ruse, a negro, in passing. pushed
the girl from the sidewalk into the
mud. Swayzer struck at the negro,
and another white man, whose name
is being kept secret. seized Ruse and
Swayzer beat him with his fists.
Ruse had been walking the streets
with along knife In his pocket, seek
ing the men who held him. City Mar
shalt Hart ordered the negro to give
up the knife and Ruse shot at him.
AIT that time Ed Suddeth ran out Of
a house across the street and opened
IRE, instantly killing City Attorney
Beavers and wounding Oliver and
Thompson, all OF whom were passing
and had taken no part in the trou-
BILE.
Suddeth took refuge in nearby
house, which was bombarded with
guns and reyolvers by several white
men. The house was set. afre, and
Suddeth fed. He was shot, but not
fatally injured He was taken to the
water tank, a rope placed about his
neck and strung up.
. It was then decided, however, that
to kill him would precipitate general
race war, and he was cut down. He
was placed in vacant building and
guarded, but later it was determined
to take him to Jail
AS he was being lifted into an auto
mobile which was to take him to the
Jail at Wagner, a mob riddled him
with bullets, probably fifty shots tax
ing effect in his body.
Coweta is terror-stricke and it is
feared an outbreak is inevitable.
There are !, 200 persons in Coweta,
one-third negroes. The county is pop
ulated largely by negroes, and it was
said that If the blacks were organ
lied they could bring 1000 men into
town.
Negro emissaries have hurried out
to surrounding settlements with the
avowed intention of bringing enough
men here to wipe the town off the
map. They declare they will set fire
to every house. The sheriffs Of Wag-
oner, Muscogee and Tulso counties
have sent help.
Muscogee, OKLA long distance
telephone message from the sheriff's
office of Wagner county at Wagner
says that large body Of negroes,
heavily armed, are marching from
Redbird, Okla, upon the town Of Cow
eta. They are swearing vengeance,
and further trouble is believed GER
tain. There are rumors OF other
deaths at Coweta, but these cannot
be confirmed.
Citizens of Muscogee are being
armed by the sheriff and are hurry
ing to Coweta, which is twenty-five
miles northwest of here. Sheriff Long
Of Wagner county has dispatched all
his men to the seat of the trouble and
has been assured Of help from the
sheriff OF Muscogee county. Redbird is
an exclusive negro town six miles
from Coweta.