St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1913-10-04

LuC MSkIUSS uuJA uAyAl6A Uut SnS
warning was disregarded.
When the little party reached with.
in q hundred feet of the negroes
house. they were met with volley
of shots from totally unexpected
quarter. Walter Jones had stepped
from the house in the darkness and
had taketn refuge under cotton oil
mill. to the right of his front yard
Sheriff Hammett fell dead, and Gillis
was terribly wounded.
The older Hammett, realizing the
folly of lighting an ambushed gun
ner, dropped to the ground and crept
away.
News of the tragedy spread like
wild fire over the surrounding coun-
try. BY o'clock two special trains
gotten together In the Yazoo and
Mississippi Valley yards OF Natchez
reached Harriston to bear the
wounded to q hospital.
Men boarded the train at every
station, and every one was armed.
Fully 800 men from towns nearby
were in Harriston by O'Clock, and
the scene around the depot, bristling
with shotguns and revolver; resem-
bled border town In the early days
FIRE VOLLEY INTO HOUSE.
Townspeople swelled their numb
ers and the demand for a lynching
was insistent. For several hours
the houses where the negroes had
taken shelter had been surrounded.
The sun arose and the besiegery set
about their work with grim determi-
nation. From behind the cover of
the depot, men rushed to a large
rock pile at the side of the railroad
track.
Using this pile as a rampant, fully
a hundred men began pouring volley
alter volley into the front of the
house Another crowd crept around
to store to one side of the house
ar began pouring broadside into
it from this point Of vantage. The
c,ack OF rifles and the pop of pistol
CT I'D be heard for miles around,
The musketry lasted fully an hour
AMI half. So great was the din
that anxious relatives and friends of
townspeople. WHO were talking over
lcng-distanec telephones In q number
of towns, it is reported, could not
hear the conversation. Fully 5000
ssets were fired at the building, but
al but few OF these went high.
TIE front and side of the home was
ia .rly riddled. At intervals the
pcsse could hear the crash of mirrors
AMI furniture within, but still NJ
negroes stirred. Volley after volley
went unanswered, but this only serv.
ed to strengthen the belief of the
bcsiegers that the negroes Ia the
BIZ lding were saving their ammuni.
ticn to resist any rush the posse
might make. After the awful les
son Of early morning. man laid Ion.
and no advance was made,
NEGROES SURRENDER.
Thad Grayson, an ante bellum
negro under promise Of $40, boldly
the house to induce the ne.
g.ees to sprrender. A few minutes
afterward he appeared at the door
and aignalled that his mission had
been successful WIN Jones and Bpl
Patterson came out and threw ur
their hands. Their supply OF am
nunition had been exhausted,
Johnson Prophet was found with
his entire body squeezed into 4 chin.
nsy. Patterson and Jones had taken
refuge under beds ond out OF the
fusilade Of shots, it was learned that
only one had entered the formers
shoulder.
Seeing his companions throwing
themselves at the mercy OF the posse
Walter Jones crept from his position
under the cotton oil mill. ana beat
hasty flight up the railroad track in
an effort to escape. A perfect hail
OF bullets was poured upon his re-
treating figure. One graxed his head
Ln1Icttng q slight flesh wound. He
dropped and the crowd was upon
HIM.
A SCENE OF PATHos.
JEst prior to this surrender, =
scene OF rare pathos was enacted at
The depot. Miss Ona Hammett. a
sister OF the young sheriff. had come
with the first forces from Fayette at
dawn, and had gazed in anguished
sicncc into the half-light toward
where her brothers body was known
TO lay. She pleaded with members
Of the posse to Recover the body, and
when, realizing the folly of attempt.
Ing such a thing while the negroes
we're barricaded IN the house, they
refused her, she started boldly for
ward to drag it back to safety her.
self. Miss Hammett had to be held
20 prevent her from executing her
purpose.
MILITIAMEN SEE LYNCHING.
Arriving almost at the same time
the negroes were taken prisoners, the
nilttiamen from Natchez were told
politely but firmly to stand aside and |
not interfere. They obeyed the re-
iGest.
The lynching that followed was
executed with calmness that was
In view OF the happen-
ngs OF the early morRink.
VIII Jones was dragged to the rail.
cad platform and placed upon 4 bag
,ege truck. He looked down upon
rs captors and defied them. His
,yes rested upon Connell. the express
Messenger, who had given the negro
. thrashing I few days before,
Oh, youI saw you last night. /
lad to take time to kill that d. me-
gro; but you'd have been the next
,ne," he snarled at the white man.
Where is your pal?" asked one of
he crowd.
Hes under the bed wounded, .
he negro replied.
'itizens to believe Patterson shared
L. A. =