Vigilantes Seize Negroes for Murder of Three Aged Whites
Item
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Title
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Vigilantes Seize Negroes for Murder of Three Aged Whites
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Source Type
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Newspapers
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Publisher
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St. Louis Daily Globe-Democrat
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Publication Place
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St. Louis, MO
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Publication Date
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06/16/1898
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Transcript
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Vigilantes Seize Negroes for Murder of Three Aged Whites.
Wetumpka (Ala.) Jail Door Battered Down by a Determined Mob. Militias Reached the City After Friends.of the Murdered Family Had Made Away with the PrisonersMurderers Had Secured $8000. Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat. MONTGOMERY, ALA., June 16.-The doors of the county Jall at Wetumpka were broken in to-night and a mob of 500 angry farmers seized Louis Speer, Jeff Thompson. Sol, will and Reese Jackson, five negroes, and started with them for a point seven miles down the country. It was one of the most determined mobs known in this state for years. The National Guard companies from this city are in the federal camp in Mobile. Had they been here the mob would likely have been thwarted. William Carden was a prosperous and pop- ular white farmer living seven miles from Wetumpka. His household consisted of his wife and her-brother. They were all old peo- ple. Tuesday night these three were mur- dered by having their brains knocked out with an ax. About $3000 in money was se- cured by the robbers, and the house was burned to the ground. The five negroes lived in the neighbor- hood, and their actions since the murder have attracted suspicion. To-day they were arrested and carried to the jail at We- tumpka. Carden's neighbors and farmer friends soon banded and marched on We- tumpka. At 6 o'clock to-night the riot alarm was rung in Montgomery, Those of the National Guard who wtill remained here hurried to the armory, equipped with all manner of guns and sidearma. It was an hour and a half before the 103 citizen soldiers left on a special however, and, before the train was well out of the depot. the news came by telephone from Wetumpks that the mob had succeeded in battering down the Jall door. and had start- ed with the five prisoners for the scene of the crime. From a telephone conversation with We- tempica it was developed that, seeing they were overpowered, the jail guards made a acrt of compromise with the mob, and de- livered the primoners, on condition that, be- fore any harm was done them, a commit. tee of ten of the vigilantes should investi- gate the matter of the men's guilt, and, in case the evidence was not absolute proof, should return them to the jail. The military reached Wetumpka about 9:30, but the mob had made away with the prisoners long before that hour. M Vigilantes Seze Negroes for Murder of Three Aged Whites. Wetumpka (Ala.) Jail Door Battered Down by a Determined Mob. Militis Reached the City After Friends.of the Murdered Family Had Made Away with the Prisoners-Mur derers Had Secured $8000. Special Dispatch to the Globe-Democrat. MONTGOMERY, ALA., June 16.-The doors of the county Jall at Wetumpka were broken in to-night and a mob of 500 angry farmers seized Louis Speer, Jeff Thompson. Sol, will and Reese Jackson, five negroes, and started with them for a point seven miles down the country. It was one of the most determined mobs known in this state for years. The National Guard companies from this city are in the federal camp in Mobile. Had they been here the mob would likely have been thwarted. William Carden was a prosperous and pop- ular white farmer living seven miles from Wetumpka. His household consisted of his wife and her-brother. They were all old peo- ple. Tuesday night these three were mur- dered by having their brains knocked out with an ax. About $3000 in money was se- cured by the robbers, and the house was burned to the ground. The five negroes lived in the neighbor- hood, and their actions since the murder have attracted suspicion. To-day they were arrested and carried to the jail at We- tumpka. Carden's neighbors and farmer friends soon banded and marched on We- tumpka. At 6 o'clock to-night the riot alarm was rung in Montgomery, Those of the National Guard who wtill remained here hurried to the armory, equipped with all manner of guns and sidearma. It was an hour and a half before the 103 citizen soldiers left on a special however, and, before the train was well out of the depot. the news came by telephone from Wetumpks that the mob had succeeded in battering down the Jall door. and had start- ed with the five prisoners for the scene of the crime. From a telephone conversation with We- tempica it was developed that, seeing they were overpowered, the jail guards made a acrt of compromise with the mob, and de- livered the primoners, on condition that, be- fore any harm was done them, a commit. tee of ten of the vigilantes should investi- gate the matter of the men's guilt, and, in case the evidence was not absolute proof, should return them to the jail. The military reached Wetumpka about 9:30, but the mob had made away with the prisoners long before that hour.
