11/17/1908: Race War in Weston, Negro is Found Dead - Missourians charge that Colored People Butted In during the Recent Election - Part of a Long Struggle
Weston had a race war Saturday night that resulted in one fatality, and the end is not in sight. There is a settlement of negroes there and the Misserious for a negro to “butt in” in an election these negroes did an unnecessary lot of “butting in.” No one knows exactly what this means, but it is plainly series for a negro to “butt in” in a democratic stronghold like Weston. There have been a number of scrimmages, none that were serious, but on Saturday night last there was an encounter on the road bridge in Weston, between a dozen white men and as many black, that was serious.
The combatants were finally separated and nothing more was thought of it until on Sunday morning when the body of Tom Mitchell, colored, aged about 51 years, was under the bridge. The man had been dead many hours and his body was left there all day Sunday until the arrival of the coroner late Sunday afternoon.
There were no marks of violence and no one is talking today. It is presumed that he “fell off” the bridge and was killed by the fall. It was a distance of fully 25 feet to the bank where his body was found. No arrests have been made. There are about 150 negroes in Weston, and the whites have made several attempts to get them out, but have failed. The negroes own their property and refuse to sell at any price.
Date(s) of Creation
11/17/1908
Other Names and Numbers
Other Names
Name Type
Free Blacks
Other Name
Mitchell, Tom
Other Numbers
Number Type
Source Citation
Other Number
The Leavenworth Times (Leavenworth, KS, 1861-1977): 11/17/1908, p. 4
11/17/1908: Race War in Weston, Negro is Found Dead - Missourians charge that Colored People "Butted In" during the Recent Election - Part of a Long Struggle
