McClain County News Items

Submitted by: Bob Chada

Guthrie Daily Leader
July 16, 1896

Purcell, IT - A prominent citizen was fatally injored here yesterday by a negro assassin, and the indications are that the cowardly black fiend will adorn a telegraph pole before morning. For a long time trouble has been going on over a town lot between Sam Childers and a negro named john Williams. Williams claims ownership of the lot as also does Childers. Childers has a little house on the ground from which he collects rent. Tuesday Williams went to Childers and demanded that he have the house removed from the lot. This Childers promptly refused to do and the negro left swearing vengeance. In a short time, while Childers was sitting in his office in company with Attorney R. N. Coffee, Williams, armed witha vicious looking knife, and accompanied by another negro, whose name we failed to learn, armed with a hatched, made his appearance and again demanded that he immediately move the house or be killed instantly. Instead of weakening childers made a run at the negro and fought him empty handed until he received the would that will in all probability cause his death, a long, deep gash in the left side, which went through the lung. He was fearfully cut on both shoulders, and a deep gash from the left temple clear across the face, and in fact, all over the body. At the beginning of the fight Coffee grabbed a chair and he and the negro with the hatchet stood each other off until assistance could be summoned. Childers is still alive, but very low. The negros were confined in the U S jail under heavy guard, but there is an ominous looking crowd gathering. Ther are well armed and have good ropes and expect a large crowd from Lexington to reinforce them about midnight, when a rush will be made on the jail and the two guilty scoundrels will be taken out and hanged.