Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-02-03

Texas Town in Excitement as Details
OF Double Attack Are Made
Public.
CHILD TELLS OF MOB'S ACTS
Says 15 Men In White Dragged Mother
From Home. Cut On Her Hair
And Whipped Her.

Houston. Texas, Jan. 20.-Goose
Creek is in state OF excitement as y
result of the events of the past week
following the flogging by masked men
of Mrs. r. III. Harrison. 30, a widow.
and r. A. Armand. a caller in hel
home. Mrs. Harrison is on her way 10
Houston to ask protection from Judge
j. G. Hutcheson. Before leaving Goose
Creek she said she would appeal to tho
Federal authorities.
Goose Creek citizens. who did not ap
prove of the flOgging administered Fri
day night a week ago to Mrs. Harrison
and Armand. whose home is In Middle
town Texas. attempted to hold pro-
test mass meeting Monday night OF
this week. Five hundred persons gntn
cred in the vicinity of filling station
blocking vehicle traffic in all direc-
lions. For more taan an hour. acco'd-
ins to witnesses, the crowd milled
about. but there was apparently no one
to take the lead and finally the crowd
dispersed.
Aided by Mrs. Harrison's z year OLD
daughter, Bonnie Lee, who says sne
saw mob of fifteen or more disguised
men drag her mother from home. cut
of her long hair and whip her, author
tiles were expected today to come out
in the open with their investigation.
The whipping had been kept secret un
Til Friday, when rumors were circulat
ed.
The child was the first to see the
mob members, one Of whom knocked
on the door of the Harrison home at
Goose Creek, an oil town thirty-five
miles southeast OF Houston, about 9
p. M. on January S. She told hel moth
er that the caller was dressed "ali In
white" Later the victims Of the mob
told how two of its members wore the
garb of women. although obviously
they were men. while others were
dressed as circus clowns. comedians
and other odd characters.
Mrs. Harrison, when interviewed by
newspapermen, refused to describe
the alleged assailants other than to
say they were disguised. Armand also
tailed to throw light on the identity OF
the fifteen or more men.
AT least one OF the mob members is
expected to be identified by the little
girl She told Deputy Sheriff Hamilton
she would know one Of them.
1.-TWO or three members of the par
ty kept insisting that Mr.. Armand and
1 be killed right there" Mrs. Harri.
son said. xiii them BOTH" they cried
and throw their bodie, in the bayou
I heard threats to mutilate both of
us. expected death every instant. 9th
ers in the party. though. declared that
the whipping was sufficient and so
they finally took us back to within
few blocks OF my home and threw us
out of the car.
'Dazed from our experience, almost
too weak to drag ourselves along. we
wandered around for while but final
ly managed to reach the house, where
l dressed Mr.. Armand's wounds. Both
OF us were in frightrul pain. but his
was worse, as the men had rubbed tar
or oil into the bleeding places on his
body.
Upon my return. I found that my
home haG been completely ransacked.
Every drawer, trunk and box in the
house had been opened and the con-
tents strewn about the floor, I don
know what they were looking for.
There was nothing of special value
Armand is confined to his bed, his
back lacerated by many lashes. Ar.
mand said Mrs. Harrison had been i'll
several days and he had gone to her
home with fruit only few minutes
before the masked mob arrived
Sheriff T. A. Binford. who was said
to have had Endorsement of the KIN
klux khan at the election last Fall de-
MED that the khan had anything to 10
with the flogging.
Similar cases previously had been re
ported in which residents of Goose
Creek were taken from their homes
and whipped but few of those who re.
turned covered with bruises are will.
ing to talk.