WPA History of Lamar County, Mississippi
WHITE CAPS AND BULL DOOZERS , or
WILL PURVIS
Numerous
stories have been written on the life and experience of Will
Purvis, known as the "Miracle Man", or the man who was hanged and
still lives. His life on the gallows, in the convict camp, and as
a fugitive was all brought about by his being a member of the
"White Caps". In the year 1895, when he had just returned from
school at the age of 19 years, there was a secret clan known as
the White Caps which had overrun Mississippi. They had banded
together to promote a better regime of law and order. Their
meetings were held in secret and no one but a member knew of
their meeting place or their plans. The order was much like the
Ku Klux Klan and must have been an outcropping of the original
clan.
The White Caps were held responsible for many acts of
violence and disorder, some of which they were innocent. The law
was very much opposed to the White Capping and even the Governor
of the State determined to destroy their power.
Soon after Will Purvis became a member of their Clan some
of the White Caps called on a Negro, Sam Waller, who was a farm
hand on the Buckley Place nearby. Sam had been working for an
aged widow in this community, who could pay only a very poor
wage. The Buckleys knew Sam's ability as a worker and finally
obtained his service on their farm at a higher wage. The White
Caps determined this act an injustice to the poor widow and then
and there marked the Negro for vengeance. They called at the
Buckley farm that night and took Sam out and gave him a flogging.
Will Purvis had nothing to do with the whipping, but was present
when it took place.
Now the Buckleys were members of the White Caps but
denied this. They became very wrought up over the flogging of the
Negro and declared that they would report this to the sheriff.
All members of the White Caps were stirred up over this and
became wary, lest Sam had recognized some of their members.
The Grand Jury was in session in Marion County at the
time. The White Caps called a meeting at Red Bluff on Pearl River
and the death lot was cast for the murder of Will and Jim
Buckley. So while the Buckleys were reporting the misdemeanors of
the Clan to the Grand Jury their neighbors were planning their
murder. They held their meetings after dark and planned for the
murder. Will Purvis had only attended two meetings of the clan
prior to this. He arose and stated that as long as the Clan stuck
to the colored line that he was with them, but when it came to
killing members of the white race they could count him out. He
resigned that night and knew nothing more of the activities of
the Clan.
Late one afternoon as the Buckley brothers and Sam were
returning from Columbia, where they reported the whipping of Sam,
they were fired upon from an ambush and Will Buckley was killed
from his saddle.
Buckley's murder was soon reported in town and the
Sheriff, Jim Buckley, the Coroner, and others returned and
prepared Will's body for burial. Jim Buckley claimed that he saw
Will Purvis near the scene of the murder and pinned the crime on
him. The next day, June 22, 1893 Will Purvis was summoned to
appear before the county Grand Jury. About midnight that same
night Sheriff I. G. Magee and several deputies called at the home
of Will Purvis' father to arrest Will and carry him to jail.
The following day his father engaged two lawyers, Watkins
and Travis of Hattiesburg, Mississippi, to defend Will. In a
short while he was taken to Meridian and placed in jail and
remained there thirty days and then was returned to Columbia for
trial. This was a special term of court. As public sentiment was
running high at that time the Judge felt justified in calling a
special term. Then came the strenuous siege of trial, and witness
after witness was summoned and questioned. After hours and hours
of debating the Grand Jury returned the verdict- "We, the Jury,
find the defendant guilty as charged in the indictment and
recommend him to the mercy of the court." Then the Judge's
sentence- "I sentence you (Will Purvis) to hang by the neck until
you are dead, dead, dead, on the 5th day of September, 1893,
between the hours of 11 A. M. and 3 P. M. at the jail, Marion
County. This was to be a lesson to the White Caps.
It was September 6, 1893. The Reverend Sibley read a
short passage of scripture. The sheriff asked Will if he had
anything to say; Will stated that the only regret that he had was
on account of his grief stricken mother, and shouted, "I didn't
do this. There are men out there among you who could save me if
they would." The black cap was placed over his face and the trap
sprung, but the knot slipped, and he was escorted to the scaffold
the second time. The Reverend Sibley cried out, "We have seen a
miracle from God and the hand of Providence slipped the noose."
Then the vote was cast and was unanimous to the effect that the
act should not be repeated. He was taken back to jail and a new
trial. The State Supreme Court confirmed the sentence and set the
date for him to be hanged a second time on December 12, 1895. He
was brought back to Purvis and stayed five months. One Sunday
night friends broke jail and set him free. He hid out with
friends until February, 1897; then he gave up. Upon his surrender
Governor McLaurin sent him to Okley Farm between Natchez and
Jackson and he remained there until on December 20, 1898 he was
pardoned.
After coming home he married and reared a large family.
In 1920, Joe Beard, a resident of Marion County, went before
Toxey Hall, then District Attorney and confessed to the murder of
Will Buckley. After Purvis' innocence was established the
Mississippi Legislature on March 15, 1920 appropriated $3,000
compensation for the services performed in the penitentiary
through an erroneous conviction.
WILL PURVIS PARDON
The petition for the
pardon of Will Purvis, the Marion County whitecapper who
miraculously escaped the hangman's noose by the slip of the rope
and is now serving a life sentence in the penitentiary has
received over 100 signatures among the members of the
legislature. This petition is signed by all officers in Marion
County with some 1700 citizens of the county. Representative
Hathorne of Marion County will present these petitions to the
governor in a day or two.
The Pearl River News, February 4., 1898
$10,000 FOR WILL PURVIS
Representative John A. Yeager of Lamar County introduced
a bill in the house this week for the relief of Will Purvis. The
bill appropriates $10,000 and reads that it is given as a measure
of recompense for the erroneous prosecution, conviction and
punishment of the said Will Purvis of the state of Mississippi,
relative to the assassination of Will Buckley in Marion County,
Mississippi, in the year of 1893.
A little over a year ago the real murderer of Buckley
confessed on his deathbed the crime, finally clearing the name of
Purvis, whom many have believed innocent. The Columbian was the
first paper to announce to the world the confession and a day or
two after its issue the leading Metropolitan Papers played the
news up in big business.
The Columbian, January 17, 1918
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