Jasper County Democrat, Volume 2, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 September 1899 — FIRE ON MORMONS. [ARTICLE]

FIRE ON MORMONS.

Tawaaaaee Mob Attack. Meeting PIM» and Kill, a Yona« Wonsan. Wednesday night six Mormon elders were conducting a meejing in a school house at Pine Bluff, Stewart County, Tenn., when the building was stormed by a mob of over 100 men. Eggs and rocks were thrown through the windows. Those present fled in a panic to save their lives, as bullets commenced to strike the building thick and fast. Elders Hiram Olson and H. C. Petty left the building to escape. Miss May Harden, a popular young woman of the place, walked between the elders with a view of checking the work of the mob. While the trio passed down the road shots were fired from ambush. The woman was hit and almost instantly killed. Her brothers secured bloodhounds and placed them on the trail of the assassins. Barton Vinson, a prominent young farmer and superintendent of a Sunday school, was lying in wait for the elders and the girl's brothers became convinced he had fired the shot which killed their sister. Vinson wrote out a confession, stating he had killed the girl, but that it was an accident. Shortly after the confession ths bloodhounds trailed to his home and wert called off to prevent their tearing the man to pieces. Vinson turned, picked up a knife and cut bis throat His family and the officers’ posse witnessed the suicide.