Paragould soliphone. (Paragould, Ark.) 1918-1950, 1921-06-10

lying beside the car, stopped to- in
vestigate. He had no more than
stopped than the guards began fir.
ing at him and he at once left tn,
scene. This occurred about 12:3t
O'Clock in the morning and Tho
facts are that the men who were in
attendance at that lodge that night
| Immediately dispatched couriers tc
call the other members OF the other
lodges. These cotriers went ovei
( ing hours arousing all members and
urging them to meet at Franl,
! Moore's home for duty by daylight
something like 100 men had assem-
bled at Frank Moore's home, armed
and ready to fight i'll accordance
with the teachings of the lodge and
| their leaders. Shortly after sunrise
| the men, under the leadership OF
| Frank Hicks, Frank Moore and 9th
ers, left, marching in columns of
two, going to Elaine to take charge
| of the town and await the coming
| of the officers or any one who might
interfere with their plans They
were expecting to be joined iby other
men who had been instructed to
been dispatched, and in truth and in
fact IA body OF about rs negroes
mobiliZed on the yellow Banks plan
tation and had marched IL miles by
IL O'Clock in the morning.
PLANS KEPT SECRET
THE above conditions actually ex-
listed and existed without the knowl-
edge of the citizens of Phillips coun-
ty. The matter of an insurrection
on the part OF the negroes of that
country was unthought of by the
white men and white citizens After
the killing Of the special agent at
Hoop Spur Lodge. the sheriff of the
county sent some five or six deputy
sheriffs to the scene to investigate
and arrest the offenders. When
they arrived, about daybreak, they
found the conditions as above stated.
The negroes were all under arms
and under the leadership of the
very men who have been tried for
first degree murder. They could
not approach them. 1t was useless
to try to peaceably arrest Them
and call was sent for more dep
uties. The American Legion at
Helena was called upon and they
responded to a man. They were
deputized as special deputy sheriffs
and placed under the leadership Of
the cool and experienced men, and
in their efforts to arrest the men
who had thus rebelled, some of them
We're killed and several of the ne
groes were killed, but my investi-
cation failed to show that a single
negro was killed unnecessarily.
"The investigation showed that
this was premeditated upon the part
Of the negroes. They had carefully
armed themselves with high-powcred
rifles, guns that would carry for a
distance of one-half mile. Every
lodge member was ordered to arm
himself in order to be ready when
the appointed time arrived and il
this trouble had not been brought
about by the untimely action of the
negro guards at Hoop Spur, we
unn11 haI "A
ferent condition to have faced, and
Arkansas would not have some OF
her best citizens alive today The
trouble at Tulsa would have been
no comparison to the outcome of
what would have happened.
THE testimony that the witnesses
gave at the trial of these men is
true. 1t cannot be otherwise, not
withstanding the affidavits to the
contrary. The witnesses detailed ev-
cry little circumstance, every con-
versation, and their testimony exact :
ly agreed with the physical facts
and the physical conditions and the
things that the officers saw and
knew existed. The witnesses could
| not have told of these things il
/ they had not known, and no man
could have framed up the testimony
for them to have given in the man
| ner in which it was given. The
witnesses appeared before the Grand
jury and there, in the presence OF
the Grand Jury, a body of represcn-
tative citizens gave this testimony
and it is true.
As stated above, am not n cit-
zen of Phillips county, but let me
tell you that county has suffered
more than most counties would en-
dure. They knew they were. right
and they passed such outbursts as
/, that of Mr.. Kerlin by, trusting in
the officers and the law, and now
to commute the sentences of these
men, or to longer postpone their
execution, would, in my opinion. be
| the gravest insult that can be given
to body of law-abiding people
warn that il such a course is taken
| it will not be safe; that some time
in the future, although hope not