It was rumored here that the Negroes were to be lynched that night, but I do not think it was generally credited, as it was not believed that Ford was greatly hurt and the Negro was held to be fatally injured and crazy at that.  But that night, about 8 o’clock, a party of perhaps twelve or fifteen men, a number of whom were known to the guards, came to the house and told the Negro guards they would take care of the prisoners now, and for them to leave; as they did not obey at once they were persuaded to leave with words that did not admit of delay.

The woman began to cry and said, “You intend to kill us to get our money.”  They told her to hush (she was heavy with child and had a child at her breast) as they intended to give her a nice present.  The guards heard no more, but hastened to a Negro church near by and urged the preacher to go up and stop the mob.  A few minutes after, the shooting began, perhaps about forty shots being fired.  The white men then left rapidly and the Negroes went to the house.  Hamp Biscoe and his wife were killed, the baby had a slight wound across the upper lip; the boy was still alive and lived until after midnight, talking rationally and telling who did the shooting.

He said when they came in and shot his father, he attempted to run out of doors and a young man shot him in the bowels and that he fell.  He saw another man shoot his mother and a taller young man, whom he did not know, shoot his father.  After they had killed them, the young man who had shot his mother pulled off her stockings and took $220 in currency that she had hid there.  The men then came to the door where the boy was lying and one of them turned him over and put his pistol to his breast and shot him again.  This is the story the dying boy told as near as I can get it.  It is quite singular that the guards and those who had conversed with him were not required to testify.  The woman was known to have the money as she had exposed it that day.  She also had $36 in silver, which the plunderer of the body did not get.  The Negro was undoubtedly insane and had been for several years.  The citizens of this community condemn the murder and have no sympathy with it.  The Negro was a well-to-do farmer, but had become crazed because he was convinced some plot had been made to steal his land and only a few days ago declared that he expected to die in defense of his home in a short time and he did not care how soon.  The killing of a woman with the child at her breast and in her condition, and also a young boy, was extremely brutal.  As for Hamp Biscoe he was dangerous and should long have been confined in the insane asylum.  Such were the facts as near as I can get them and you can use them as you see fit, but I would prefer you would suppress the names charged by the Negroes with the killing.

Perhaps the civilized world will think, that with all these facts laid before the public, by a writer