The Paris Morning News
Paris, Texas Wednesday, November 16, 1910
CLARKSVILLE EXCITED
The Wife of a Young Farmer Killed By Negro Girl
There was a great deal of excitement on the streets of Clarksville last night over the killing of Mrs. Clarence Smith, the wife of a young farmer living eight miles southeast of town, by a negro girl, the daughter of Wes McAdams. The girl claims to be only eleven years old, but the officers say that she is fourteen or fifteen.
She and two brothers, fourteen and nineteen years old were gathering pecans from some trees in front of Clarence Smith's yard and Mrs. Smith went out and told them to leave and let the pecans alone. The negro girl had a single-barreled shotgun in her hands which one of the brothers had given her to hold while they were gathering the pecans and when Mrs. Smith ordered them to leave, the older boy told his sister to shoot her, which she did without hesitation. The charge of shot took effect in the back just below the right shoulder-blade, and killed her almost instantly. Neighbors 150 yards away who heard the gun fire ran to the place and when they got there Mrs. Smith was dead.
After the shooting the young negroes went to their home and some of the white neighbors followed them and surrounded the house and held them there until the officers at Clarksville could be notified. Deputy Sheriff C. E. Weatherly went out and took charge of the negroes and carried all three of them to town and lodged them in jail.
A telephone message from Clarksville at 9 o'clock last night stated that the people of the community in which the killing occurred and the citizens in town were very much stirred up and that there was some talk of lynching, but the officers did not seem to think that an attempt would be made on the jail.
Galveston Daily News, November 17, 1910 Front page
CLARKSVILLE TRAGEDY
Three Negroes Are Held in Red River County Jail Awaiting Action of the Grand Jury
Special to the News
Clarksville, Tex, Nov 16 - The funeral of Mrs. Clarence Smith, who was shot and killed by Mary McAdams, a negro girl, yesterday afternoon, will be held at Lanes Chapel, six miles southeast of Clarksville. Today the three McAdams negroes----George, a demented young negro 18 or 19 years old; Garvey, a boy of 14, and Mary whose age is placed at 15 to 16 years--were brought to this city shortly after the commission of the crime and placed in the Red River County Jail, pending action of the grand jury, which will convene next Monday.
The streets of the city were scenes for numerous small party meetings, where the affair was discussed, until a late hour last night. The affair has been the chief topic of discussion on the streets all day, but feeling has apparently subsided, said there is little indication of a demonstration.
Mrs. Smith was about 20 years of age, and is survived by two small children. The family moved from the Blossom Prairie section,in this county, to the Tucker place,where the crime was committed, about one year ago.
REMOVED TO PARIS JAIL
Special to the News
Paris, Tex Nov. 16 - Sheriff Stephens of Red River County came here tonight from Clarksville with all the McAdams negroes who are charged with the killing of Mrs. Smith, near Clarksville yesterday. They are in the Paris jail.
(Her husband's name was Clarence Valentine Smith. They had a daughter, Luda, and a son, Wesley.)
Johnie Lee provided the newspaper articles for this memorial)
Paris, Texas Wednesday, November 16, 1910
CLARKSVILLE EXCITED
The Wife of a Young Farmer Killed By Negro Girl
There was a great deal of excitement on the streets of Clarksville last night over the killing of Mrs. Clarence Smith, the wife of a young farmer living eight miles southeast of town, by a negro girl, the daughter of Wes McAdams. The girl claims to be only eleven years old, but the officers say that she is fourteen or fifteen.
She and two brothers, fourteen and nineteen years old were gathering pecans from some trees in front of Clarence Smith's yard and Mrs. Smith went out and told them to leave and let the pecans alone. The negro girl had a single-barreled shotgun in her hands which one of the brothers had given her to hold while they were gathering the pecans and when Mrs. Smith ordered them to leave, the older boy told his sister to shoot her, which she did without hesitation. The charge of shot took effect in the back just below the right shoulder-blade, and killed her almost instantly. Neighbors 150 yards away who heard the gun fire ran to the place and when they got there Mrs. Smith was dead.
After the shooting the young negroes went to their home and some of the white neighbors followed them and surrounded the house and held them there until the officers at Clarksville could be notified. Deputy Sheriff C. E. Weatherly went out and took charge of the negroes and carried all three of them to town and lodged them in jail.
A telephone message from Clarksville at 9 o'clock last night stated that the people of the community in which the killing occurred and the citizens in town were very much stirred up and that there was some talk of lynching, but the officers did not seem to think that an attempt would be made on the jail.
Galveston Daily News, November 17, 1910 Front page
CLARKSVILLE TRAGEDY
Three Negroes Are Held in Red River County Jail Awaiting Action of the Grand Jury
Special to the News
Clarksville, Tex, Nov 16 - The funeral of Mrs. Clarence Smith, who was shot and killed by Mary McAdams, a negro girl, yesterday afternoon, will be held at Lanes Chapel, six miles southeast of Clarksville. Today the three McAdams negroes----George, a demented young negro 18 or 19 years old; Garvey, a boy of 14, and Mary whose age is placed at 15 to 16 years--were brought to this city shortly after the commission of the crime and placed in the Red River County Jail, pending action of the grand jury, which will convene next Monday.
The streets of the city were scenes for numerous small party meetings, where the affair was discussed, until a late hour last night. The affair has been the chief topic of discussion on the streets all day, but feeling has apparently subsided, said there is little indication of a demonstration.
Mrs. Smith was about 20 years of age, and is survived by two small children. The family moved from the Blossom Prairie section,in this county, to the Tucker place,where the crime was committed, about one year ago.
REMOVED TO PARIS JAIL
Special to the News
Paris, Tex Nov. 16 - Sheriff Stephens of Red River County came here tonight from Clarksville with all the McAdams negroes who are charged with the killing of Mrs. Smith, near Clarksville yesterday. They are in the Paris jail.
(Her husband's name was Clarence Valentine Smith. They had a daughter, Luda, and a son, Wesley.)
Johnie Lee provided the newspaper articles for this memorial)
The Paris Morning News
Paris, Texas Wednesday, November 16, 1910
CLARKSVILLE EXCITED
The Wife of a Young Farmer Killed By Negro Girl
There was a great deal of excitement on the streets of Clarksville last night over the killing of Mrs. Clarence Smith, the wife of a young farmer living eight miles southeast of town, by a negro girl, the daughter of Wes McAdams. The girl claims to be only eleven years old, but the officers say that she is fourteen or fifteen.
She and two brothers, fourteen and nineteen years old were gathering pecans from some trees in front of Clarence Smith's yard and Mrs. Smith went out and told them to leave and let the pecans alone. The negro girl had a single-barreled shotgun in her hands which one of the brothers had given her to hold while they were gathering the pecans and when Mrs. Smith ordered them to leave, the older boy told his sister to shoot her, which she did without hesitation. The charge of shot took effect in the back just below the right shoulder-blade, and killed her almost instantly. Neighbors 150 yards away who heard the gun fire ran to the place and when they got there Mrs. Smith was dead.
After the shooting the young negroes went to their home and some of the white neighbors followed them and surrounded the house and held them there until the officers at Clarksville could be notified. Deputy Sheriff C. E. Weatherly went out and took charge of the negroes and carried all three of them to town and lodged them in jail.
A telephone message from Clarksville at 9 o'clock last night stated that the people of the community in which the killing occurred and the citizens in town were very much stirred up and that there was some talk of lynching, but the officers did not seem to think that an attempt would be made on the jail.
Galveston Daily News, November 17, 1910 Front page
CLARKSVILLE TRAGEDY
Three Negroes Are Held in Red River County Jail Awaiting Action of the Grand Jury
Special to the News
Clarksville, Tex, Nov 16 - The funeral of Mrs. Clarence Smith, who was shot and killed by Mary McAdams, a negro girl, yesterday afternoon, will be held at Lanes Chapel, six miles southeast of Clarksville. Today the three McAdams negroes----George, a demented young negro 18 or 19 years old; Garvey, a boy of 14, and Mary whose age is placed at 15 to 16 years--were brought to this city shortly after the commission of the crime and placed in the Red River County Jail, pending action of the grand jury, which will convene next Monday.
The streets of the city were scenes for numerous small party meetings, where the affair was discussed, until a late hour last night. The affair has been the chief topic of discussion on the streets all day, but feeling has apparently subsided, said there is little indication of a demonstration.
Mrs. Smith was about 20 years of age, and is survived by two small children. The family moved from the Blossom Prairie section,in this county, to the Tucker place,where the crime was committed, about one year ago.
REMOVED TO PARIS JAIL
Special to the News
Paris, Tex Nov. 16 - Sheriff Stephens of Red River County came here tonight from Clarksville with all the McAdams negroes who are charged with the killing of Mrs. Smith, near Clarksville yesterday. They are in the Paris jail.
(Her husband's name was Clarence Valentine Smith. They had a daughter, Luda, and a son, Wesley.)
Johnie Lee provided the newspaper articles for this memorial)
Paris, Texas Wednesday, November 16, 1910
CLARKSVILLE EXCITED
The Wife of a Young Farmer Killed By Negro Girl
There was a great deal of excitement on the streets of Clarksville last night over the killing of Mrs. Clarence Smith, the wife of a young farmer living eight miles southeast of town, by a negro girl, the daughter of Wes McAdams. The girl claims to be only eleven years old, but the officers say that she is fourteen or fifteen.
She and two brothers, fourteen and nineteen years old were gathering pecans from some trees in front of Clarence Smith's yard and Mrs. Smith went out and told them to leave and let the pecans alone. The negro girl had a single-barreled shotgun in her hands which one of the brothers had given her to hold while they were gathering the pecans and when Mrs. Smith ordered them to leave, the older boy told his sister to shoot her, which she did without hesitation. The charge of shot took effect in the back just below the right shoulder-blade, and killed her almost instantly. Neighbors 150 yards away who heard the gun fire ran to the place and when they got there Mrs. Smith was dead.
After the shooting the young negroes went to their home and some of the white neighbors followed them and surrounded the house and held them there until the officers at Clarksville could be notified. Deputy Sheriff C. E. Weatherly went out and took charge of the negroes and carried all three of them to town and lodged them in jail.
A telephone message from Clarksville at 9 o'clock last night stated that the people of the community in which the killing occurred and the citizens in town were very much stirred up and that there was some talk of lynching, but the officers did not seem to think that an attempt would be made on the jail.
Galveston Daily News, November 17, 1910 Front page
CLARKSVILLE TRAGEDY
Three Negroes Are Held in Red River County Jail Awaiting Action of the Grand Jury
Special to the News
Clarksville, Tex, Nov 16 - The funeral of Mrs. Clarence Smith, who was shot and killed by Mary McAdams, a negro girl, yesterday afternoon, will be held at Lanes Chapel, six miles southeast of Clarksville. Today the three McAdams negroes----George, a demented young negro 18 or 19 years old; Garvey, a boy of 14, and Mary whose age is placed at 15 to 16 years--were brought to this city shortly after the commission of the crime and placed in the Red River County Jail, pending action of the grand jury, which will convene next Monday.
The streets of the city were scenes for numerous small party meetings, where the affair was discussed, until a late hour last night. The affair has been the chief topic of discussion on the streets all day, but feeling has apparently subsided, said there is little indication of a demonstration.
Mrs. Smith was about 20 years of age, and is survived by two small children. The family moved from the Blossom Prairie section,in this county, to the Tucker place,where the crime was committed, about one year ago.
REMOVED TO PARIS JAIL
Special to the News
Paris, Tex Nov. 16 - Sheriff Stephens of Red River County came here tonight from Clarksville with all the McAdams negroes who are charged with the killing of Mrs. Smith, near Clarksville yesterday. They are in the Paris jail.
(Her husband's name was Clarence Valentine Smith. They had a daughter, Luda, and a son, Wesley.)
Johnie Lee provided the newspaper articles for this memorial)
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Advertisement
