San Antonio light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1911-1993, 1923-02-09
Admits He Assaulted Three
Women and Killed
Escorts.
REVEALS AXE Staying
Describes Driskell, Skip
worth and Holt-Dene-
camp Killings.
(BULLETIN.)

Waco, Tex, Feb. Q. = National
Guardsmen and local police hastily as
sembled this afternoon to defend the
county Jail following the attempt to
form q mob to lynch Roy Mitchell, al
legel confessor to eight murders here.
Authorities, although they previously
declared the Jail was safe from attack,
tripled their guard Following the threat
against Mitchell. Intense excitement
prevails al the city.
Waco, Tex, Feb. "a series Of
crimes which have baffled officers here
for the past year were cleared today
by the alleged confession of Roy Nit
ehell. negro, to having committed eight
murders, three assaults 10 murder, aud
a number Of attacks on women during
the period Of February IL, 1922 to Jan
uary 10, 1923, according to Sheriff
Leslie Stegall and County ATTORNEY c. s.
Farmer.
Three women were assaulted when
their escorts were killed, two Of the
women having been subjected to two
assaults, according to the alleged con-
fession. A negress also was assaulted
by Mitchell, the confession says, ac-
cording to the officers. The comics
sion was made TO the sheriff and county
prosecutor last night, put in writing,
and signed by Mitchell.
The crimes said to have been con-
fessed to by Mitchell follow:
The murder of W. II. Barker and his
nine miles east of Waco February l.,
1922.
W. P. Driskell, May Z. 1922.
Harrel Bolton, May %, 1922.
Grady Skipworth. November 20, 1922.
W. L. Holt and Mrs. Ethel Dene-
camp, January 10, 1928.
Two negroes were tried and convicted
for the Staying of Mr.. and Mrs Barker
and the Turk boy, the killing of whom
Mitchell now has confessed. One Of
these negroes. Cooper johnson, was
given the death penalty and the other.
Eennie Young, life imprisonment. Their
cases are now on appeal.
One Negro Lynched.
In addition. one negro has been killed
for a crime to which Mitchell is said
to have confessed. When Harrell Bolton
was killed, his girl companion was as
saulted. A negro was later identified
by the young woman and was shot BY
the girls father. A mob then burned
his body.
Other crimes, as outlined by officers
from Mitchell's alleged confession, fol-
low:
On May IL. 1922. he shot a man
and woman who were driving in Cam
eron Park. but was frightened away
before he finished the murder, and both
recovered. Early in January. 1923, be
held up a negro couple in South Waco.
forced the man TO leave the car anil.
driving to a secluded spot. assaulted the
woman. A few days later he attempted
to hold up white man and his woman
in South Waco, jumping on
the running board of the car with a
shotgun and demanding that they drive
out of town.
The man grappled with him while
the woman stepped on the accelerator.
running toward the city. Both barrels
of the gun were discharged during the
scuffle without harm to anybody, and
the negro. showing a disposition 10
abandon his purpose, was released BY
the white man and he jumped off the
car and disappeared. He left his cap
in the car and it was identified by
Mitchell's friends as his cap.
HOlt-Deneeamp Case.
A few days after that Mitchell mur-
dered Holt and Mrs. Denecamp. Mitchell
says negro woman who was cooking
for Driskell was the cause of the murder
of the latter. Mitchell was living with
the woman and said he laid in wait
for his victim in the latter's garage
and, when he drove in about 10 o'clork
on the night Of May 4. Mitchell split
his head open with an axe. Drisken
had his pistol N his hand when the
negro struck him and the gun was
thrown under the car By the impact.
He took Driskelfs money, two or three
dollars from his pocket. vent 70 the
house, got quilt. wrapped L abont the
body and, dragging Il TO a seed houss.