The Lexington advertiser. [volume] (Lexington, Miss.) 1904-1985, 1927-06-30


tragedy and death that stalked through
the little city of Pickens about a year
ago, will be written on Friday, July
9Th, when Will Wade, colored, leaves
the cell for the condemned just long
enough to enter the death chamber, and
at the stern mandate of law, drop to
eternity.
1t is a sordid story of human deprav-
ity, made worse by the fumes of bad
whiskey, and it ends, as it must, in the
death march.
>On the night of Saturday, July II,
1927, Herbert L. Jones, young marshal
of Pickens, was summoned from the
pressing shop he operated to put an
end to q row between negroes filling
two cars, on the streets Of Pickens. He
was greeted with fusilade of shots,
several of which entered his stomach,
leuncturing his intestines, and resulting
IN mortal wounds. Notwithstanding his
condition, Mr.. Jones bravely returned
the fire, killing one of the negroes and
wounding another, and driving them
from. town. He dragged his way to
the home of Mayor McKie, and aid was
summoned. Meanwhile, his condition
growing worse, he was rushed to a
Jackson hospital for treatment, but died
OF his wounds in about five days.
The negroes were all "bad men," who
had more than once defied authorities
and responsible white men, and are
said to nave boasted about what they
were going to do. Feeling Immediately
reached white heat and there was a
widespread determination that the gull
ty should not escape the vengeance of
the law.
Sheriff J. Lon McRae reached the
scene in short order and started a
thorough search for the missing ne
groes Lou Arthur Wade was soon
found, dead from the, gunshot wounds
of Marshal Jones. The other negroes
eluded capture temporarily. On the fol-
lowing Wednesday, Fred Chambers, who
had been shot in the arm by Mr.. Jones,
went to doctor in Goodman for medi
cal treatment. He was lodged in the
city calaboose and found at daylight the
next morning, dead from gunshot
wounds inflicted by persons unknown"
A few days later Booker Green was
found dead by the roadside. Booker,
it was thought, was killed by negroes
because he knew too much. He was
member of the party that perpetrated
the crime, but was not positively known
to have participated in the shooting. His
killers have not been apprehended.
On Saturday, July Oath, information
oaly known member of the party not
accounted for, was in hiding near Broz-
Vile, a community roughly midway be-
tween Pickens and Lexington posse
was organized and dispatched to the
scene Immediately; and colored ennis
sary, sent to the designated spot to in
form Wade that he was surrounded, re-
turned with the negro. waite was
lodged in Jail in nearby city for safe
keeping and security.
Following indictment by a grand jury,
Wade was tried in the November court
term charged with murder. Judge
Davis appointed C. R. Mayfield, of Kos
ciusko, and C. F. Drake, of Durant, to
defend the accused man, while p. ii. Will
liams assisted District Attorney HAIRS
ton in the prosecution. Full protection
and able council was afforded the ac-
cused, and violence and disorder OF any
kind was prevented or eliminated by a
heavily armed guard.
The state contended that Will wade
was present at and participated in the
shooting that led to the death of Mr.
Jones: that he fired the shots that ac-
tuallv killed Mr.. Jones; and that, as
partv to the criminal conspiracy, wheth-
err or not he fired the fatal shots, he
was guilty as charged. This contention
was supported by statement that Mr.
Jones made to Mayor Hardie McKie, IN
which he said that he was shot by Lou
Arthur Wade and Will Wade" 1t was