The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1911-11-02
Nephew of G. p. Beavers Murdered
in Oklahoma.

Mr.. C. P. Beavers, of High Point
| township, was in Leon last Wednes-
day, enroute to Villisca, Iowa, to at
tend the funeral of his nephew, B. j.
| Beavers, who was murdered during
the recent race war at Coweta, Okla
homa. Mr.. Beavers was city attor-
ney Of Coweta, and was shot and in
stantly killed as he was walking
1 along the street. The following ac-
4 count of the tragedy is taken from
| the Villisca Letter:
| B. J. Beavers, son of ]. A. Beavers,
| Coweta, Oklahoma, was killed, two
other white men, Carmen Oliver and
Steller Thompson, were shot, prob
ably fatally, Ed Suddeth, a negro
who murdered Mr.. Beavers, was
lynched and another negro wounded
in race war at Coweta, Sunday af-
| ,ternoon.
Three white men we're shot during
(, a street battle Sunday afternoon and
$Suddeth was killed by mob Sunday
night, as he was being lifted into an
fautomobile which was to take him
Ito the Jail in WAGNER He was rid
Edled with bullets, probably fifty shots
taking effect in his body.
The trouble started Sunday after
noon. A telegraph operator named
ESwazer was walking with a young
woman, when Ed Ruse, a negro, in
jpassing, pushed the girl from the
sidewalk into the mud. Swazer
struck at the negro and another
white man, whose name is being
kept secret, seized Ruse and Swazer
beat him with his fists.
Sunday Ruse had been walking
the streets with a long knife in his
pocket seeking the man who had
held him. City Marshal Hart order
ed the negro to give up the knife and
Ruse shot at him.
At. that instant Ed Suddeth ran
out of a house across the street and
opened fire instantly killing City At
torney Beavers and Wounding Oliver
and Thompson, all of whom were
passing at the time, and had taken
no part in the trouble.
Suddeth took refuge in a nearby
house, which was bombarded with
guns and revolvers by several white
men. The house was set afire and
Suddeth fled. He was shot but not
fatally injured. He was taken to the
water tank, rope placed about his
neck and he was swung up. 1t was
then decided however, that to kill
him would precipitate a general race
war, and he was cut down. He was
then placed under guard in vacant
AQuse., ssa.s s.sSI 5g @:3,5
,ffrs action however, senly delayed
the lynching, as Suddeth was shot to
death while being taken" to Jail in
Wagner. The county is populated
largely with negroes and it was stated
that if the blacks were organized
they could bring 1000 men into
town before morning.
Negro emissaries have hurried out
to surrounding settlements with the
avowed intention Of bringing enough
people to wipe the town off the map.
They declare they will set fire to
every house in town. The sheriffs of
Wagner, Muskogee and Tulsa coun-
ties have sent help to Coweta and
every means possible will be used to
prevent an outbreak.
One negro woman set out on foot
for Redbird, an exclusive negro town,
declaring she would bring every ne
gro in the settlement back with her.
Officers followed her, but failed to
catch her. The citizens of Coweta
are panic stricken and are poorly or
ganized. They have shotguns and
reyolvers, but not enough rifles.
They ARE also short of ammunition.
The town is without fire protection.
A prominent man said late Sunday:
"We have been expecting for two
years to have to fight for our lives,
and believe the time has come.
am confident that the town will be
attacked before morning" A long
distance telephone message from
the sheriffs Office at Wagner says
that large body of negroes, heavily
armed, is marching from Red Bird,
Oklahoma, upon the town of Coweta.
They are swearing vengeance and
further trouble is believed certain.
The body of the slain man was
brought to this city yesterday even
ing, accompanied by his father and
mother and brother-in-law, O. o.
Gossett. The funeral will be held in
the home this afternoon at two
o'clock, and will be conducted by
Rev. J. w. Taylor, assisted by Rev.
w. J. Ewing. The /. o. o. F. lodge
will have charge of the services, the
dead man having been member of
that organization.