The Monroe News Star - Twenty-Nine Citizens Wounded by Crime-Crazed Desperado in Monroe Date: Dec. 1999 Submitted by: Lora Peppers ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Monroe News-Star Tuesday, August 24, 1909 Page 1, Column 1 TWENTY-NINE CITIZENS WOUNDED BY CRIME-CRAZED DESPERADO STREET BATTLE ON GRAND AND DESIARD Negro Man, With a Breechloading Shot Gun Fired at Every One FOUR MEN ARE SERIOUSLY WOUNDED Twenty-Five Citizens Were Slightly Wounded by the Man, Who Deliberately Fired His Gun In Every Direction - Purchased Gun This Morning and Had Pocket Full of Shells- Complete List of the Injured. Not since the days of reconstruction, when at times the streets ran with blood, has there been such excitement as there was in Monroe this morning following the wholesale shooting of white citizens by a burly negro, who went on a rampage at about 9 o'clock. Many, including the officers, believe that the shooting was an act of revenge and not that of a demented negro or the result of dope he had taken. It is the general belief that the shooting up of the town was in retaliation for the recent killing of two negroes near the Iron Mountain depot by officers of the law. W.S. Wade, who was finally shot and killed and then hung and afterwards burned, is from Pine Bluff, Arkansas. The two negroes recently killed by officers near the Iron Mountain depot were also from Arkansas, and it is believed all three belonged to a negro secret society. Wade and Henry Staples, the negro killed by Officer Newman Sunday morning, are said to hav been close friends. The first intimation of any impending trouble was a shot that nearly took one of Mr. George McCormack's arms off as he stood talking to Cashier J.J. Jordan in front of the Bank of Monroe. A short time before, the negro purchased the double-barreled shot gun from J.D. Herron at the Ouachita-Monroe Gun and Bicycle Company's store. He was very careful to examine the gun and see that it was in good working order. When asked if he needed any shells, he replied that he had plenty of buckshot shells. Wade walked up Grand street a block to the Bank of Monroe building and stepped into a doorway leading upstairs and from this point began the bombardment of the white people along the street. Each time after emptying his gun he would step back and reload and then appear at the entrance and fire both shots again. The negro evidently fired a dozen shots before officers and citizens armed with all manner of weapons succeeded in bringing him down. Possibly seventy-five shots were fired before the negro was killed. Just who fired the shot that brought him down is not known certainly, but it was either Mayor Forsythe or Police Officer Biggar, both of whom were shot, the latter seriously. For a time that section of the city was completely blockaded by men, most of whom were armed. After allowing the negro to lie on the sidewalk where he fell for a short while, some one provided a rope and he was swung up to the awning in front of the New South Drug Store where every one could get a view of him and where he remained suspended until Coroner Graham Surghnor arrived. The negro was let down on the sidewalk until the inquest was held, which required very little time, when he was again pulled up. He remained there but a short time, when the body was cut down and placed on a wagon and hauled away. Most of the vast crowd thought that ended the matter and that the body was being carried away preparatory to burying, but this was not the case, for it was taken to the vacant lot adjacent to the city hall, where there was a big pile of dry lumber recently torn from the old city hall. His body was placed on this several buckets of oil thrown on and a match applied. Soon the body was lost sight of in the mass of flames. The news of the burning spread like wildfire and soon there was a vast throng of people in the vicinity. Mayor Forsythe appeared just as the match was being applied and tried to dissuade the crowd from the act, but to no avail. He was standing near the pile of lumber when some one yelled to him that his clothes were on fire. As he jumped back several buckets of oil and a number of lighted matches started the blaze. The following is a list of those who were more or less seriously wounded by the negro: T.A. GRANT, deputy sheriff, shot in neck and breast, seriously wounded. HUGH BIGGAR, police officer, shot in lower bowels and legs, seriously wounded. SIMON MARKS, shot in breast, and face, seriously wounded and may die. GEORGE M'CORMACK, arm shot. MAYOR A.A. FORSYTHE. D.A. BREARD, president of the Police Jury. HERMAN ABRAMS ED STRONG R.R. ROSS I.L. HAAS. STEVE BURK JOE THOMPSON FRED M'GRATH A.A. GRENLY MANUEL ABROMOWITZ ALBERT MARX C.E. BYNUM, JR. J.L. KENDALL D.G. TROUSDALE J.W. MERRIMAN ARMAND BAER ROY FISHER ------ ENSELL E.P. DAVIES M. BRAUN C.B. EDWARDS Three negroes In all twenty-nine men and boys were shot during the negro's bombardment. Fortunately the negro was using bird shot instead of buckshot which accounts for the lack of fatalities. Had the negro been using buck shot at least a dozen men would have been killed, as many of the wounded were struck in vital parts. The belief that the negro was a member of a secret society and that his act was one of retaliation against the whites for the killing of two of his race by officers, coupled with the threatening talk by one or two negroes soon after the shooting, has had no good effect and there is talk of more trouble if these negroes are located. There is a suppressed feeling of excitement that pervades the air and the least outbreak may result in serious trouble. The negroes who are natives of Ouachita know their place and give the authorities little trouble, but lately a foreign element of negroes have come in, principally from Arkansas, and they have been of considerable annoyance to the officers. On two occasions lately the officers have been forced to use their guns to protect themselves. Wade was not crazy. He showed too much deliberateness and cunning for a crazy man. These foreign negroes have from time to time made their brags about what they would do and one negro recently said he would like to kill out the Monroe police force if he could get four or five to go with him. When searched $78 in cash, a letter from a Memphis concern about some timber, and a diagram were found. At first the diagram was thought to be that of the Bank of Monroe, but it proved to be a plan of an excavation. Last reports from the most seriously wounded indicate that they are resting as easily as possible and there are hopes that all will recover. NOTE: Other articles about Wade can be found at: Monroe News-Star Tuesday, August 24, 1909, Page 4, Column 1 "DEPLORABLE AFTERMATH" Monroe News-Star Wednesday, August 25, 1909, Page 1 & 8, Columns 1 & 4 "LAST NIGHT PASSED WITHOUT TROUBLE; OFFICERS WERE ACTIVE-PEACE REIGNS" Monroe News-Star Wednesday, August 25, 1909, Page 4, Columns 1 & 2 "STRINGENT MEASURES NECESCESSARY" and "THE MONROE SHOOTING" Monroe News-Star Thursday, August 26, 1909, Page 1, Column 1 "LODGE HALL SET ON FIRE" Monroe News-Star Thursday, August 26, 1909, Page 4, Columns 1, 2& 3 "IDLERS NOT WANTED" , "AN UNARMED COMMUNITY", "THE MONROE SHOOTING" and "MAINTAIN ORDER" Monroe News-Star Friday, August 27, 1909, Page 1, Column 2 "PICTURES OF HANGINGS BARRED FROM MAIL" Monroe News-Star Friday, August 27, 1909, Page 1 & 5, Columns 6 & 2 "WADE'S ACT CONDEMNED" Monroe News-Star Friday, August 27, 1909, Page 4, Column 2 "THE HIDDEN MOTIVE" Monroe News-Star Saturday, August 28, 1909, Page 4, Columns 1, 2 & 3 "WADE- CRAZY OR VINDICTIVE?", "APPRECIATED EXPRESSIONS", "SENSATIONALISM" and "NOT A CASUS BELLI" Monroe News-Star Monday, August 30, 1909, Pages 1 & 8, Columns 2 & 3 "WADE HAS RECORD AT PINE BLUFF" Monroe News-Star Monday, August 30, 1909, Page 4, Column 2 "THE MONROE TRAGEDY" # # #