The weekly soliphone., 1917-05-24
anxious to see the burning, bu were skeptical.

that the speeding autos from Mis- lsissippi had passed Collierville or Aulon and would arrive presently
 As these conflicting reports were spread, some of the men who lived in the country began to grumble
 audibly. They feared they had
 been double-crossed, and were an
 gry. A majority, however, left for
 their homes to snatch a few hours
 sleep.
 Less than 50 cars, containing
 probably 200 men, remained on the
 scene throughout the night. As the
 new day dawned the country peo- | pie began struggling back to the
 execution grounds, confident that 1 the negro would be brought in soon.
 | THOUSANDS AT DEATH SCENE City folk who read in the morn | ing paper that the mob was as-
 sembled at the WolfD river bridge,
 Hooked to the scene by the hun
 dreds in automobiles. Before '
 o'clock the crowd was greater than | it had been at midnight. | Every little while word would
 come that the committee was near,
 and that the negro would be there
 in a few minutes. As these reports
 continued to spread and still the | n ai " 1 lsightseers began to offer odds that
 there would be no lynching. Yet all remained to witness the affair
 and each minute brought others to | join them.
 Just before 8 o'clock the atten- | tion of the crowd along the narrow levee was diverted by a countryman who drove at furious speed in a Ford without regard to his own safety or the safety of those on the levee. After he had dashed up and
 down a time or two, he turned his machine down the steep embank- ment, ran through barbed wire fence, and went tearing through
 the underbrush in the bottoms. A few who followed observed
 that this man stopped his car un- der large spruce tree, took from his car a rope with block and tackle, and began to attach the rope to one of the branches of the tree. This having been accomplish ed, he began to dig pit at the end of the rope.
 Significant things thereafter be- gan to happen quickly. A leader appeared upon a levee and com
 manded that all autos be removed
 He assured the crowd that the ne- l gro was close at hand and would be there any moment. The crowd grew more dense as the autos were removed, and the entire top of the
 levee soon was packed with human |ity.
 Another leader appeared, appeal ed to the crowd for silence and re- lated plans for the lynching. He said it had been the intention to take the negro before Mrs. Wood at the Wolfgang residence, but that the road was so blocked by cars and wagons it had been decided to
 bring Mrs. Wood to the scene and confront the negro there. MOTHER DEMANDS BRUTE'S LIFE.
 Armed men appeared upon the
 bridge as though to form an escort for the negro There was a cram 1 ing of necks and scramble for
 points of vantage. Leaders appealed to the crowd to get down into a
 cleared space, but the spectators
 seemed reluctant to move. At 9 o'clock Mrs. Wood arrived | in an auto, which halted on the levee in front of the crowd. Al most at the same time another au- | to, in which the negro was seated, appeared on the bridge. The master of ceremonies raised his hands to command silence, and announced that the mother of the murdered girl desired to make a statement. The crowd surged closer | to catch her words, which proved | to be audible for a distance of about 50 feet.
 'I want to thank all my friends who have worked so hard in my
 behalf" she said. Let the negro suffer as my little girl suffered, only 10 times worse"
 "We'll burn him." the crowd yelled.
 "Yes, burn him on the spot
 where he killed my little girl" she said.
 The crowd yelled at this, but the
 leader explained that the committee
 had decided to execute Persons in
 cleared space on the opposite side of the levee, where more peo- pie could see. Mrs. Wood asserted Mrs. Wood pleaded with the crowd not to fire shot, and this sentiment was impressed upon the p,oh Inv tha uyicar baa6c of tho copa-