Bleckley-Pulaski County GaArchives News.....Assaulted By Two Negroes January 8, 1908 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ga/gafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Stacy Richards http://www.genrecords.net/emailregistry/vols/00034.html#0008316 December 30, 2019, 6:51 am The Hawkinsville Dispatch And News Hawkinsville, Georgia, Friday, January 8, 1908 usgwarchives.net/ga/b leckley/newspapers/as saulte2795gnw(part2) (All the Articles) ASSAULTED BY TWO NEGROES. An Awful Crime Committed 8 miles Above Cochran Wednesday Night. Mr. and Mrs. Martin Livingston, of This County, Attacked by Two Negroes and Cut to Pieces at Their Home on Gum Swamp - Swift Justice Meted Out to The Perpetrators by Enraged Citizens. Cochran Ga.-- Jan.9-- News came to Cochran last night about one o'clock that two negroes had broken open the house of Mr. Martin Livingston about eight miles from here across Gum Swamp creek. Word was carried to the house of Mr. Atkins and Mr. Eunice Smith, who lived about half a mile distant, by Mrs. Livingston. It appears from information at hand that the negroes were employed on the place and one had been recently paid out of the county gang by Mr. Livingston and the other had worked on the place several years. The negroes names were Tom Coley and Ike Webb. They entered the house about 10 o'clock at night. Mrs. Livingston, first becoming aware that some one was in the house, awoke Mr. Livingston, who arose to investigate. He was met by the murderous blow of the negroes. The next morning his gun with both barrels cocked, was found on the floor together with an axe. Mrs. Livingston, in a very feeble condition, made her escape across the fields and a branch to her nearest neighbors. It is said that Mr. Livingston made his escape to the bam. Both are in a very critical condition and may not live. Mr. Livingston was cut across the face and head and throat. His nose and eye are said to have been cut away. Mrs. Livingston was also cut very seriously about the throat and body. Dr. Walker went out to the assistance about one o'clock during the night and at this hour has not returned and the extend of the injuries cannot be learned definitely, though all reports are that death amy result. Mr. Livingston was some years ago one of the county commissioners and is highly regarded. The negroes at this writing are both dead. They were taken possession of by a crowd of men and shot to death. The negroes were taken from the custody of Officers Richard Smith and J.A. Home about eight o'clock this morning and shot to death. It is said that about thirty dollars in money was taken from the house and the negroes were mad at Mr. Livingston because of his refusal to advance them money. Later — the following additional details have been received: The wounds of Mr. Livingston, while very serious, are not probably fatal. He seeded to be able to talk business with men present, and Dr. Walker has good hopes for his recovery. The injury to Mrs. Livingston, while also very severe, consisting of cuts across the throat and body about the breast, are not as serious as those of her husband. The harrowing part of the story as to her is that after the assault on her husband he was taken to the barn as dead by the negroes. They returned to the house and assaulted Mrs. Livingston, who was then on the verge of confinement. The report is, I cannot learn its definite value, that for the period of an hour and a half the negroes remained with her in their assault and later brought the body of Mr.Livingston back to the house. The negroes confessed to part of these details and the doctor traced the trail of blood to the bam, and says that in his condition Mr. Livingston could not have carried himself. This appears to be surmise, in part. Mrs. Livingston positively identified the negroes. Mrs. Livingston is reported as recovering from the shock without any serious result from it. The wives of Coley and Webb were found Thursday with the money their husband secured from the house of Mr. Livingston and were placed in the county jail here this (Friday) morning. --- WILL PROBABLY RECOVER. Mrs. and Mrs. Livingston Said to be Improving. Mr. Jarrett Green, of Goldsboro, was in the city today and informed the Dispatch and News that Mr. and Mrs. Martin Livingston, who were attacked by the two negroes, Tom Coley and Ike Webb, last Wednesday night, were improving and the doctor now has good hope of their recovery. It is believed that a plot was entered into to murder Mr.and Mrs. Livingston for the purpose of robbery and that others besides Coley and Webb, who were captured and killed, are implicated in it. Two negro men were lodged in jail Sunday on suspicion and it is believed that their arrest will throw more light on the affair and lead to the arrest of others. These negroes, it seems, were operating a still on the place and making whiskey. Their names are Sam Allen and Henry Hardon. The wives of Coley and Webb, who were found with the money their husbands took from Mr. Livingston's residence, are also being held in the county jail. -- LAURENS MEN VISITED SCENE. Of the Horrible Crime of Webb and Coley. Messrs. Sam Veal, W. T. Veal, Paul B. Harris, B.W. Raffield and George Tripp spent Sunday last at the home of Mr Martin Livingston, in Pulaski County. The gentlemen state that the horrible affair of last week has not been exaggerated one bit, but the details are even more horrible than have been reported. Messrs. Veal and Harris were callers at this office yesterday and informed us that Sam Allen and another negro known as "Big Boy" have been arrested and placed in Pulaski jail on the charge of complicity in the crime. The two negroes were arrested at the instance of the wives of Tom Coley and Ike Webb who are now in jail at Hawkinsville. The two women state that the night before the assault of Mr.and Mrs. Livingston, Webb, Coley, Allen and Big Boy, were engaged in the occupation of distilling whiskey, and that the plot on assault, robbery and murder of the Livingstons was then and there hatched. The negroes were full of whiskey when the assault was made, which may account for some of the strange things done by them. In fact, it is said that the negroes were drunk when the crime was committed. Mrs. Livingston states that the smell of whiskey was very strong on the breath of Coley when he assaulted her. Mr. Livingston, so the gentlemen state, is improving and sat up for a time, on Sunday, but they gave it as their opinion that he will hardly recover. If her recovers it will be almost a miracle. He was struck in the face with a five- pound axe, and his face disfigured almost beyond recognition. He 11 Pulaski County, Georgia, Newspaper Clippings is not allowed to talk but little, but Mrs. Livingston is practically our of danger and talked freely concerning the murderous assault. After the further confession of the two women in jail, the still used by the negroes to make whiskey was found. Allen and Big boy deny, of course, that they had a hand in the assault. The gentlemen state that there were fully one hundred people at the Livingston home on Sunday,,some coming from a distance of twenty- five miles. While at the Livingston home they visited the spot where the negroes were killed and burned. They said they found bones scattered all over the ground and burned pieces of flesh which the hogs were eating. Dinner was prepared for all who visited the Livingston home, and everyone was made welcome. The affair is one of the most horrible that was ever committed in Pulaski County, and naturally has aroused a great deal of interest.- Dublin Courier- Dispatch. Additional Comments: This has all parts to story of the Livingston's Of January 9-10 1908 usgwarchives.net/ga/b leckley/newspapers/as saulte2795gnw File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ga/bleckley/newspapers/assaulte3389nw.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/gafiles/ File size: 8.8 Kb