Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 64, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 April 1904 — MOBS LYNCH BLACKS. [ARTICLE]

MOBS LYNCH BLACKS.

NINE COLORED MEN DIE IN ARKANSAS RACE WAR. Shot Down After Firing on Officers—Defiance of Authorities Given as Cause of Tragedy at St. Charles—Town Under Strong Guard. A race war has been in progress at St. Charles, Ark., for several days. Five negroes who had been arrested as a result of the race troubles were taken from the guards by a crowd of men and shot to death. The five victims were James Smith, Charley Smith, Mac Baldwin, Abo Bailey, Garrett Flood. Two more negroes implicated have been captured and it is thought they will be lynched. With the lynching of these five the news, heretofore suppressed, became public that four other blacks have been lynched. The authorities apparently are powerless to uphold the law. A few days ago a difficulty occurred over a trivial matter as Charles between a white man named Searcy and two negroes named_Henry and Walker Griffin. On Monday the two negroes met Searcy and his brother in a store in St. Charles, and the difficulty was renewed.

One of the negroes without warning Struck both of the Searcy brothers over the head with a table leg, rendering them unconscious and fracturing their skulls. One of them may die. Deputy Sheriff James Kirkpatrick attempted to arrest the negro, and he, too, was knocked down. The negroes then gathered and defied the officers, declaring that “no white man could arrest them.’’ Their demonstrations aroused the fears of the citizens of St. Charles, and they telephoned to De Witt for a posse to come and protect the town. P. A. Douglass, deputy sheriff, went out with five men Wednesday moruing. Constable L. C. McNeeley went forward with a posse to capture the Griffin negroes. The constable met three negroes —Randall Flood; Will Baldwin and Will Madison —in the road. Ho inquired of them if they knew where the Griffins were, and one of them replied that they did but “would tell no white man.” The negroes then attempted to draw their pistols, but the posse fired, killing all three of them.

Thursday sixteen mon left De Witt for the scene of the trouble. Large crowds gathered in from Roe, Ethel and Clarendon. During the day, while the sheriff's posse was searching for the Griffin negroes, they were fired upon by a negro named Aaron -Sinton- -from ambush. Three of .the posse were hit, but the shot used wore small and no serious damage resulted. The posse returned the fire and the negro was shot down. Several other shots were fired into him, killing him instantly. Five other negroes, Jim Smith, .Charles Smith, Mack Baldwin, Abe Bai.ley .and Garrett Flood, who were the negroes that had defied the officers, were arrested, and Thurslay night a crowd of men took them away from the guards and shot them to death. St. Charles is heav ily guarded. --- ;