Arizona republican., 1922-05-07
THREE NEGRO
FARM HANDS
| LYNCHED IN
TEXAS C| TY
Negroes Accused OF MUIR
ldering Young Girl Die
Together On Single Fun
eral Pyre Near Mexia
TRenubIican a. p. Leased Wlrel

RepUOffCa1 ~ r. ScdSGu UTCJ
MEXIA. Tex, May 6-Authorities OF
Frcestone county tonight expressed
the belief that there will be no grand
jury called. at least not at an early
date, TO investigate lynching of three
negroes on a single funeral pyre In
Kiryin, Is miles east Of here, at day
break today.
The three negroes. Snapp Curry
26 Nose Jones, 10 and johnnie
Cornish SO, all farm hands on the
homestead of John King, grandfather
of 17-year- old Eula Awsley whose
murder Thursday the lynchings were
intended to expiate, were taken from
Sheriff NJ II. Mayo at a. m. today
after a fight on his front porch.
Currey is said to have confessed
and implicated the other negroes.
Sheriff Mavo said that evidence and
admissions convinced. him that Curry
and Jones were guilty. but that ne
was uncertain of the guilt of CORNISH;
All three negroes were employed
on the farm Of J. t. King. prominent
farmer of this community and grand
father of the dead girl with whom she
lived, both her parents being dead.
Mr.. King was present at the crema-
ton and the mob leaders are said TO
have obtained his approval Thereon
before lighting the torches.
The lynchings were carried out in
orderly fashion. There was no dis
charge of fire arms nor was any I'M
due violence attempted although 1t
is understood the bodies of the
negroes were mutilated before being
tied to the stake. With the exception
of a few shouts and the screams OF
the condemned men there was little
10 disturb the early morning quiet
of the back woods community. the
incineration took place on a small
open 1,lot directly in front of Two
small churches. One of the negroes
is said to have died singing church
anthem.
Kirvin is a. town of about 500 in
habitants. situated in Freestone
county east central Texas, about 80
miles south of Dallas.
Mr.. King resides at Kirein.
Miss Awsley was riding her horse
home from the school which she at
tended. several miles from kirvin
late Thursday when she was attacked /
EFr body later was found near the
ROAD with 23 knife wounds inflicted in
the head neck and chest. News OF
ffes murder spread quickly and late
Thursday a band of several hundred
men from Freestone and Limestone
counties, and a large sheriffs posse
were securing the neighborhood
ssSnapp' Curry, the negro TO be led to
The stake. was arrested when his. wife
told officers he had come home with
his clothes covered with blood on the
night of the murder. Curry was
taken TO Workman and imprisoned N
a bank for safe keeping, where 1t +s
alleged that he confessed to the NOR
that he had assaulted and murdered
the girl and that in his confession ne
implicated two other negroes. j.. ii
Cornish and Nose Jones. He Was
taken from the sheriff az he VAS
being conducted TO another town 1ol
safety.
tened to storm the building, where
upon officers spirited the prisoner
through a rear window and started
with him in an automobile toware
Mexia, apparently Ell route to waco
Resistance seemed useless. and tht
prisoner was surrendered.
The mob Invested the sheriff OF hi:
KEYS to the Freestoue county Jal
where Jones and Cornish were be
ing held as suspects. unlocked lhi
doors and there took the other twt
negroes in charge. All three wer'
then rushed to Kiryin. the home O
the dead girl. where the execution
took place at an iron stake driven int
the ground on a small square in th'
heart of the town.
Wood saturated with oil 10 increas'
its infIammability was piled abou
the stake.
Curry was burned first. TheI
Cornish and Jones. There was som'
discussion of their innocence. bu
they were finally cremated on th'
strength of Currys testimony.
After the third negro had beel
burned to a crisp, all three bodie
were piled together and mass o
fuel and oil flung over them. Thi
was ignited, the flames soaring 20 o
30 feet in the air. At an early hou
today the flames We're still burning
fiercely with the prospects that tn
bodies would be reduced to ashes
The mob dispersed rapidly.