Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1913-10-01
TEN KILLED IN A RACE RIOT.
Drug-Crazed Mulatto Boys Start
Reign of Terror--Both Lynched.

Harriston, Miss, Sept. 2S.-Two
drug-crazed mulatto boys, brothers,
began a reign of murder here this
| morning that ended only after three
white men, three negro men and q
negro woman had been shot to death,
several wounded and the two boys
| lynched. A serious clash between
the races was prevented by the arri-
val, on special train, Of a company
of National Guardsmen from Natchez.
The trouble started at about 2
O'Clock Sunday morning and contin-
ued intermittcntly until 10 o'clock
to-day, when Walter Jones, the elder
of the two boys, who started the fir
ing, was lynched just after the SOL
diers arrived. His brother, Will, had
been shot by citizens earlier in the
day. Soon afterwards persons who
had barricaded themselves in their
homes began to emerge cautiously
from their hiding places, and by noon
the town was quiet. No more trouble
is feared.
Dead and Wounded.
The dead are Sheriff G. b. Ham
nett, of Jefferson county, shot as he
was leading a possee to where the
negroes were hiding; former Consta-
bic Frank Keinstly, shot at his home
after being called to n door; ClarGH
Freeman, white, of Fayette, shot at
| railway station while waiting for
train; Johanna Aiken, Tom Weeks,
Jesse Thompson and Thead Grayson,
negroes, killed during promiscuous
shooting; Walter and Will Jones,
| negroes, lynched.
Among the wounded are Orrin Gil
lis, former sheriff, shot in shoulder
and may die; e. B. Appleby, conduc-
tor Of the YaZoo and Mississippi VAL
ley Railroad, shot in breast, leg and
arm, dangerous; William McCaleb,
shot in leg and thigh; William
! keinstly, son of Frank, shot in hand:
! William Dennis, shot in leg; w. c.
Bond, shot in leg.
Beginning of Riot.
The shooting was started by Wal
ter Jones in the negro quarter, where
the negro woman and Thead Grayson
were shot and killed. Walter then
went to the homeSof his mother and
aroused his brother, a boy 1S years
old. Together they went through the
main street Of tie little town firing
at every one in sight. Citizens afous-
ed from their slumber by the shots
peered out of the windows and then
hastened to cover.
The two boys, soon after leaving
their home, went to the home Of for
mer Constable Frank Keinstly, who,
when he replied to their cell, was
shot through the head by Walter
Jones. Death was instantaneous.
keinstly's son, William, grabbed for
gun when he saw his father fall,
but before he could fire he received a
bullet in one of his hands.
Officers Killed.
Frightened citizens by this time
had telephoned for Sheriff Hammett
at Fayette. Summoning former She
riff Gillis to accompany him, Ham
nett started for Harriston on horse
back, arriving about 5 o'clock. A
small crowd of men were firing into
the seed house, but no one had VEN
tured to lead the posse to the place.
Taking few men with him Sheriff
Hammett started toward the build
ing. Seeing this move, it is believed
Walter Jones crept to the tall grass
nearby, and AS Hammett approached
the negro fired, killing him instantly.
A shot from the seed house brought
down Gillis.
BY this time the countryside had
been aroused and farmers came pour
ing in from every direction. Every
one opened fire on the seed house.
Finding his hiding place too preca-
rious Will Jones started to run to-
wards a coal chute nearby, but had
gone only few steps when bullet
ended his life. A rope was placed
around the body, it was, strung up to
telegraph pole near the scene and
became a target for every one not
shooting at the seed house
Soon after Will was killed Walter,
with deadly aim, picked Tom Weeks,
a negro, off the coal chute. Either
the bullet wound or the fall would
have killed him.
Not long after weeks was killed
the special train bearing the Natchez
Guardsmen arrived and this seemed
to have cowed the desperate. AS they
were detraining the crowd rushed the
seed house. Not shot greeted them,
and as the leaders went into the
place with drawn weapons they saw
Jones completely unnerved but not
injured. They quickly placed rope
around his neck and rushed him to
the coal, chute.
Rope Breaks Too Soon.
The rope was too small, and as the
negro was drawn up the rome broke
and he fell heavily to the ground. Not
a word or act Of protest came from
Jones as larger rope was drawn
around his neck and again he was
pulled up-and the crowd looked on
as the drug-saturated body writhed
until life was extinct.
. Ihe crowd then went to the home
or the negroes, where they found two
negro men, and were about to lynch
them, but were dissuaded by officers.