Pages

Monday, July 27, 2020

Boyette Brothers Attempt to Lynch Arthur Hinnant for Stealing Some of Their Illegal Liquor, July 1920

From the Dunn Dispatch, July 27, 1920

Threaten to Hang Negro in Wilson, It is Alleged. . . Victim of Wrath of Five Admits the Stealing of Some of Their Whiskey

Wilson, July 15--On Monday night during a storm in Spring Hill township near Buckhorn Church five young white men--and brothers--R.T., Julius, Sam, Dudley and Bernice Boyette, and a negro, Harvey Hinant, assaulted Arthur Hinnant, and would have hanged him from a bridge had it not been for one of the Boyettes it is alleged.

The mistreated negro, who has been under medical treatment ever since the near-fatal tragedy, was in Wilson Saturday and was in a pitable condition. When questioned as to the occurrence, he said:

"A bunch of negro men and myself learned that the Boyettes had a quantity of whiskey stored in an outhouse. We stole several gallons of it, and made a bargain not to tell on each other. Someone squealed and accused me of taking all of the booze. the Boyettes met me on the road, and at the point of a pistol made me get on a car with them. They took me in a dense woods. One of them struck me over the head with the butt of his gun, and someone cut me on the back of the neck, across my left wrist, and choked me nearly to death. When I regained consciousness they threatened to kill me if I refused to pay them $80 and give them back one gallon of the whiskey. I told them that if they would take me home I would send my wife off to borrow the money. They did this, and I sent my wife to get the money, but they got impatient and forced me to get on the car with them again. As the car rolled along they made a plot to hang me from a bridge in the neighborhood, and I believe they would have carried out their purpose had it not been for Mr. Bernice."

Three of the brothers are under bonds of $1,000 each for their appearance before Magistrate J.R. Hardy next Saturday afternoon at 3 o'clock. the others have not yet been apprehended.

No comments:

Post a Comment