n.t.

• Reuben Sims

Later reports indicate that the murder took place at 8 o’clock in the evening, when Mr. Cole was about to enter his store after returning from supper. Several negroes saw the shooring, but claimed to have nothing to do with it and were too frightened to report it, so the murdered man lay where he fell until late in the night, when he was discovered by his mother, who had gone in search of him. Citizens gathered hastily, a committee was formed and early Ruesday morning the posse arrested Robert Tate, Napoleon Henry, Don and Reuben Sims and Hand Ransom, taking them before Justice of the Peace C. H. Driesbach, who had issued warrants for their arrest, and appointed Willist Ramer as a deputy to take charge of them. Later Ramer was relieved by the appointment of Eugene Gentry as deputy, a resident of Monroe county. Late Tuesday night the crowd, forming into a court of inquiry, examined the men arrested and decided that all were innocent with the exception of Reuben Sims, who, it is asserted, confessed after a whipping to the murder. Just what was done with him after this it has not as yet transpired, but it is sure the action taken will be a matter of which the next grand jury should take cognizance. Any confession extorted under the lash would not be admitted in evidence before any fair court in the land. The sheriff could find no one willing to enlighten him as to the disposition made of Sims or of his body, if he had been lynched. In fact he was not norified of the killing until several hours after the supposed murderer had been himself murdered.

The Standard (Daphne, AL), April 29, 1904.