The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1916-01-04
SIX NEGROES SHOT;
TWO OTHERS BURNED
RESULTED FROM BATTLES WITH
SHERIFF'S POSSE HUNTING
MURDERERS OF FARMER.
SEVERAL WHITE MEN WOUNDED

Presence of His Wife. Three Men
Accused and Relatives Opened Fire
When House Was Surrounded.
BLAKELY Ca, Dec. 30.-Four ne
groes were shot to death, two negroes
burned alive, two white men seriously
wounded and others slightly wound
ed in a series of battles fought in
/ Early county late today in an effort to
capture the slayers of Henry Wilt
pigue, farm overseer on tn river
plantation owned by E. H. Coachman
of Clearwater, Fla.
Sheriff Howell was in charge of a
posse that burned a negro house in
which Granison Goolsby, negro farm
er, and his two sons were barricaded
with other negroes this afternoon.
Goolsby and another negro were shot
to death in trying to escape from
the flames. Two white men were
wounded.
.
other cabin, which also was fired by
the posse and the sheriff and his dep
uties brought back the news tonight
that both of these negroes were burn
ed to death. They faced certain death
to attempt to escape.
Two Gun Fights.
Several posses, each with fifty or
more men, had been hunting the ne
groes throughout the day. Two seri-
Gus gun fights had occurred, two ne
groes being killed in each battle.
VilIipigue was the overseer on E.
A. Coachman's plantation. He was
killed in the presence of his wife by
three negroes, presumably because he
had chastised 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.
Villipigue lived only ten minutes.
Other shots were fired, some of these
barely missing Mrs. Villipigue.
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 a posse bent
upon capturing the three accused
men.
Not until after Willingness body
was on it's way to his former home
in Griffin, Ga, did the posses come
upon the negroes suspected of the
shooting.
Two Negroes Surrounded.
AS one posse surrounded two ne
groes the latter opened fire and the
fire was returned with deadly effect.
| Only a few rounds were exchanged
when the negroes ceased shooting.
Both negroes were found dead. They
were identified as Early Hightower,
| COuSlII VI Ll1Ss bOOAobJ . 0AAN OAAhi
Burton.
They were not implicated in the
killing of Overseer Villipigue, it was
stated, and the posse continued the
chase.
During this afternoon the negroes
were located in negro house on
| Dick Simmons 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
then shut themselves in. More dar-
ing ones of the posse stole up at one
side of the house. where there were
no windows, and set fire to the build
ing. 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 Hudspeth
and Sam Hillman. fell wounded Hum
dreds of shots were fired at the ne
groes and members of the posse, and
Grandson Goolsby. the leader of the
negroes. fell dead, as did another ne
gro, whose named has not been learn
ed here.
Wounded Sent Back.
The two Goolsby boys and the 9th
/ r negroes got away though some OF
them are believed to have been shot.
The sheriff of this Carly county
sent the wounded white men in an