The Rock Island Argus and daily union., 1922-05-06


All three negroes were rushed
from the jail at Fairfield to Kir-
vim, the home of the dead girl, and
an iron stake driven into the
ground on a small square in the
heart of the town. Wood was ac-
cumulated and saturated with oil.
Curry was burned first. Then
Varney and Jones. There was
some delay in burning the last two
inasmuch as they steadfastly
maintained their inntcence
Refuse to Confess.
Third degree methods failed to
bring a confession from them and
they were finally cremated on the
strength of Curry's testimony.
After the third negro had been
burned to a crisp. all three bodies
were piled together and a mass of
fuel and oil flung over them and
ignited. Early today the flames
were still burning fiercely.
All three negroes were employed
on the farm of ]. T. King, prom
inent farmer of this community
and grandfather of the dead girl
with whom she lived, both her
parents being dead. Mr.. King was
present at the cremation and the
mob leaders are said to have OBJ
tanned his approval thereof before
lighting the torches.
!, Bodies MutiIated.
The lynchings were carried out
deliberately. There was no dis
charge of firearms. 1t was report
led, however, that the bodies
of the negroes were mutiIated be-
fore being tied to the stake.
With the exception of a few
shouts and screams of the con-
demned men there was little t.
disturb the early morning quiet OF
the backwoods community. The
incinerations took place on a
small open plot directly in front
of two small churches. One of the
negroes is said to have died sing
ing a church anthem
Kirvin is a town of about 500
+ Inhabitants, situated in Freestone
county, east central Texas, about
so miles south of Dallas.
Wife duplicates Curry.
| MIR. King resides at Kirvin. Miss
Awsley was riding her horse home
from the school which she attend
ed, several miles from Kirvin, late
Thursday when she was attacked
Her body was later found near the
road with twenty-three knife
wounds inflicted in the head, neck
and chest. News of the murder
spread quickly and late Thursday
a band of several hundred men
from Freestone and Limestone
counties, and a large sheriff 5
posse were securing the neighbor-
hood. Curry was arrested wher
his wife told officers he had come
home with his clothes covered
with blood on the night Of the
murder. Curry was taken tC
Wortham and imprisoned in &
bank for safe-keeping.
/; A mob gathered about the bank
last night and threatened TO storm
the building whereupon Officers
spirited the prisoner through &
rear window and started with hin
in an automobile toward Mexia, ap-
parently enroute to Waco.
| Resistance seemed useless, as
the prisoner was surrendered
/. Jones and Varney had previous
ly been arrested on suspicion anC
placed in the county Jail at Fair
field. This is the first triple lynch
ing in Texas within the recollection
of the present-day residents.
! Freestone county gained prom
inence in newspaper headlines sew
eral months ago in connection witt
wholesale liquor raids in the east
ern part of the county by fedora
officials. state rangers and mem
bers of the militia. Previous tc
that time several notorious road
houses operated within its bor-
ders, this being one - The causes
for martial law being declared in
one justice precinct in January.
Two White Men Held.
league, Texas, May 6.-TwC
white men were detained today for
| further investigation of their ac-
tions preceding the attack on and
murder of Eula Awsley, for which
/ three negroes were burned at kir-
! win this morning. No announce
ment of charges being filed agains
the men have been made, accordil:
to reports here They were helt
pending investigation only