The Hattiesburg news., 1913-07-19
DEAD NEGRO'S SONS
were THREATENED
WITH DEATH
THEE HAMPTON NEGROES ARE
WARNED TO LEAVE RAWLS
SPRINGS NEIGH HBoRHooD.
OFFICERS RELIEVE SITUATION
Learning Of Threats Of Whites They
Went to Scene of Trouble Friday
Evening and Brought Negroes to City
Were Preparing to Leave For La.

IL was reported in Hattiesburg Fri
day that the people in the Rawls
Springs and Lux neighborhoods were
very much excited over the fact that
three sons of Aaron Hampton, the
negro who was assassinated near the
Springs early last Wednesday morn
ing, were i'll the neighborhood. Many
rumCrs were circulated as Ito threats
the negroes were said to have made,
but investigation showed that these
nlmors We're in the main without foun-
dation.
The facts are that the negroes who
caused so much excitement and whose
preSence in the community was gen.
orally objected to, came here from
Abita, La, where they are employed
at a saw-mill, for the purpose of at
tending the funeral of their father.
These negroes were in Hattiesburg
Friday morning and were advised that
they ought not to go back to the place
where they were so unwelcome, but
they 6isclaimed any intention of CIV
ing any trouble and said it was their
purpose to stay until they wound up
some business affairs of their father.
Learning the purpose Of the negroes
to stay in the community until Mon
day and that the citizens had deter
mined that they would not be permit
ted to do so, Deputy Sheriff Cahal
took an auto and with Chief of Police
Bennett, Police Officer Edgar Parker
and News representative, left here
at $50 Friday afternoon for Rawls
Springs.
II was learned uopn arrival at the
Springs that a brother of Aaron Hamp-
ton was there for the purpose of NOV
ing the widow and several small chill
dren of his brother to Shubuta, where
he has his home. This man reported
that he was waited upon during the
day by sixteen citizens of the CON-
munity all armed, who notified him
that the. three sons of his brother must
not remain in the community another
night. AS a result of this warning the
three men prepared to leave on the
train at 7:15, and they were waiting
at the station when the officers
reached there. The men were advised
not to wait for the train but to come
into town in the auto and arrange to
return to Louisiana at once. This
they readily agreed to and came to
the city with the officers at Z o'clock
Friday evening.
The negroes denied that they had
made any threats or that they had
any other intention in remaining here,
than to see that their step-mother and
her family of small children were
provided for.
The action of the officers in bring.
ing the negroes into the city is to be
commended, as the citizens were with
out any knowledge as to what their
real intentions were in remaining in
the community longer than was neces-
sary to attend their fathers funeral
Wand the many rumors that were cir
culated as to the threats they had
made only served to aggrevate an al
ready excited condition of the public
mind
There is no doubt in the minds of
those who know the feeling existing in
the neighborhood that had the negroes
persisted in disregarding the warnings
given. and attempted to remain in the
community last night other homicides
would have been added to the chap.
ter, which the prompt action of the
officers served to close.
The recently disturbed neighbor-
hood is said to have a remarkable
peace history. The population is very
largely wkite, and the negroes there
being mostly of the Warren Kelly type,
no trouble between the races has here
tofore arisen. Aaron Hamptons
brother from Shubuta, who was seen
by News reporter Friday evening,
doubtless expressed the real truth