The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1916-01-05
POSSE KILLS SEVEN NEGROES
BATTLE RETWEEN RACES IN
GEORGIA HAS SERIOUS RE-
SUITS.
Difficulty Was Started by Staying OF
Ove'seer and Whites Started Out to
Secure Revenge-Two White Men
Seriously Wounded and Others In
jured.

Blakely, Ca, Dec. 30.-Five ne
groes were shot to death, two negroes
burned alive. two white men seriously
wounded and others slightly wounded
In series Of battles fought in Early
county late today in an effort to cap
ture the slayers Of Henry villapigue,
farm overseer on the River plantation
owned by e. H. Coachman of Clear
water. Fla. r..
| Sheriff Howell was in charge of a
posse that burned negro house in
which Grandson Goolsby, a negro
farmer, and his two sons were bar.
ricaded with other negroes this after
noon. Goolsby and another negro
were shot dead in trying to escape
from the flames. Two white men
were wounded.
Goolsby's sons sought refuge in an
other cabin, which also was fired by
the posse, and the sheriff and his dep
utiAs brought back the news tonight
that both these negroes were burned
to death. It was certain death to at
tempt to escape.
/ Villapigue was the overseer on E.
H. gCoachman's River plantation. He
was killed in the presence Of his wife
by three negroes, presumably because
he had chastised a negro boy on the
night before.
| He was shot in the back with a
"rung' shell, filled with large shot, a
terrible hole being torn in his body.
Villapigue lived only 10 minutes.
Other shots were fired, some of these
barely missing Mrs. villapigue.
Grandson Goolsby, negro. and his
two sons. who resided on Col. A. J.
Singletary's plantation near Pleasant
Grove, were accused of the shooting
and posses started out in pursuit of
them as soon as news Of the shooting
spread. The sheriff Of Early county
also was in charge Of posse bent
upon capturing the three accused
men.
| Not until after Villapigue's body
was on its way to his former home in
Griffin. Ga. did the posses come upon
the negroes suspected Of the shooting.
| AS one posse surrounded the two
negroes the latter opened fire and the
fire. was returned with deadly effect.
Only few rounds were exchanged
when the negroes ceased shooting.
Both negroes were found dead. They
were identified as Early Hightower a
icousin of the Goolsbys, and Jim Bur-
ton.
They were not implicated in the
killing of Overseer villapigue, it was
stated. and the posse continued the
chase.
During this afternoon the negroes
were located in a negro house on
Dick Sermons plantation. They
were barricaded there and heavily
armed. The posses closed in on the
house and demanded the surrender
of the negroes. The Goolsbys and
others were inside. The negroes fired
and then shut themselves in. More
daring ones of the posse stole up at
one side of the house where there
were no windows and set fire to the
building. When the flames were
upon them. the negroes made a dash
for the open air. They fired into the
posse and two white men, Olive
Hudseth and Sam Hillman, fell
wounded. Hundreds of shots were
fired at the negroes by members of
the posse and Grandson Goolsby, the
leader Of the negroes, fell dead, as
did another negro whose name has
not been obtained.
The two Goolsby boys and the
other negroes got away, though some
Of them are believed to have been
wounded.
The sheriff of this (Early) county
sent the wounded white men in an
automobile to the home Of Hudseth,
five miles from here, and he sent an
other car to this city for doctors to
care for the wounded white men and
for more guns and ammunition and
more men.
Additional posses left here shortly
before z o'clock tonight to join the
posse. 1t was learned that the me-
groes had been located in a cabin
occupied by Charley Holmes.
The whole of Early county and
the lower part of Clay have been ex-
cited throughout the day and night
over the murder of Villapigue. ...
R1Akolv noOp1o To- ,,c,,.