March 2, 1898: Indian and little girl; Fred Moore

I learned about two different lynchings that I thought might be good to share today. I was lucky enough when trying to find one, I found the other one I already had in the same article. Instead of having to decide which one to share, I can share both without any difficulty. The article comes from The Inter Ocean (Chicago, Illinois) dated March 3, 1898:

INDIAN AND GIRL ARE LYNCHED.

Bodies Found Hanging on Trees Near Their Cabin.

MORGANTOWN, N. C., March 2.—An old Indian doctor and a little girl who kept house for him have been found hanging from trees near their cabin at the head of Irish creek. The two came here about a year ago and spent most of their time in hunting herbs. Threats had been made against the old man.

MEMPHIS, Tenn., March 2.—Fred Moore, the murderer of Tom Anderson, was taken from the county jail at Senatobia, Miss., at 2:30 o'clock this morning and shot to death by a mob of fifty persons. Anderson and Moore had quarrelled about some trivial matters. Moore followed his man and shot him five times, afterward placing the body on the railroad track to hide the crime.

More on the lynching of Fred Moore is found in an article from The World (New York, N. Y.) dated March 3, 1898:

NEGRO LYNCHED BY A MOB.

Dragged from Jail and Fifty Shotguns Emptied Into His Body at Senatobia, Miss.

(Special to The World.)

SENATOBIA, Miss., March 2.—A series of fearful cimes [sic] were ended at an early hour this morning when the jail was captured by a mob, and Fred Moore, a negro murderer, was taken out and shot to death.

Fifty persons were in the mob and each one fired into the body of Moore. The mob, which is supposed to have been composed of citizens living in the neighborhood of Love Station, rode into Sanatobia, [sic] about 1:30 A. M., and immediately proceeded to the jail, where they forced Sheriff W. F. Gray, at the point of shot guns and pistols, to yield up the keys.

Sheriff Gray, seeing that opposition would avail nothing, turned over his keys, and the mob rushed upstairs, where Moore was confined. They unlocked his cell door, put a rope around his neck and dragged him one hundred yards from the jail, and then opened fire on him.

No less than fifty shots were fired into his body. The mob then quietly left the scene and rode toward Love Station.

Tom Anderson, who was murdered by Moore, was the son of Dr. Robert Anderson, one of the most prominent citizens of this county. Young Anderson was twenty-three years of age.

Some time previous to the killing a gin had been destroyed in that neighborhood by an incendiary, and Anderson thought that Moore was the guilty party. They quarrelled, and Anderson told Moore never to come about his home again. Moore left, swearing vengeance.

Several days later young Anderson had occasion to visit a neighboring town, which is located on the railroad. Moore saw Anderson board the train for that point, and he also got on board.

After Anderson had finished his business he started to walk to his home up the railroad track two miles away. Moore followed him. In advance of Moore were Ben and Henry Atkins, two negro boys. About one mile up the road Moore overtook Anderson. The Atkins boys heard the men quarrelling and then five shots in rapid succession. They were frightened and ran away and did not report the affair at the time.

Moore, thinking to hide his crime, placed the body of his victim on the railroad track and the south-bound Illinois Central passenger train on that night ran over the body and cut it into several pieces. It was then reported that Anderson, while intoxicated, had been killed by a passing train.

Later young Henry Atkins told of the quarrel and the subsequent shooting of Anderson by Moore. Atkins was held as a witness and placed in jail. Ben Atkins, his brother, has never been captured.

Officers were at once put on the trail of the negro Moore, and shortly after he was captured and placed in the jail at Senatobia. The feeling against him has been very high and there have been threats of lynching for several days. This morning the mob entered the town and quietly did the work. 

Thank you for joining me and as always, I hope I leave you with something to ponder.