The Lansing state Republican. [volume] (Lansing, Mich.) 1855-1874, 1866-05-23
The Memphis Riots.

were shot down u cold blood without cause.
4 few DAYS since, and another riot Of Ike
character. occurred at Memphis resulting
in the murder Of many colored people, in-
Guiding women and children, and the burn
ius OF iAe school houses, churches and res
licences of The blacks. This riot COM
meuced, according 10 the Memphis Post.
Of May 81. hy some 90 or 20 colored soldiers
belonging 90 The Third United States fcol-
Orel Heavy Artillery, who had been dis
charged ee't.uS noisy in the street during
"a drinking irolic. The police came down
upon them making some arrests, when sew
er-l %. Tie eolored soldiers discharged their
pistols At random. Tie policemen fired
amoug them. killing AMI wouudinr several
Of thri. noinpyr ana Oae or TWO polceIuvs
we're wounded, as 10 since proves by the
shots Of The policemen III alright. large
portion Of Tie colored population rushed to
the Tort ior protection The bodies of the
numbered negroes laid during the night up-
tie street. many Of them horribly bruised
and mangled TheneXt day the police ac-
companied by a. large number OF citizens.
armed with carb.nes, pistols and muskets.
visited the locality, ana commenced an IN
discriminate massacre Of every negro who
came ia sight The officers instead of
quellng Tie citizens. assisted them. and
fired every negro church aud school house
in the city The Memphis Post saws:
F. Dickinson, colored, while standing
IN front Of his house. and who had been
promised that If he remained there he wonld
not be disturbed, was shot down. c. Wat
Rins, cOlOred, was cursed. and on his start
ING 10 get away. was shot bv the crowd
y cOl0red soldier was killed on sight. An
other surrendered, and while surrounded
by policemen, on the cry of shoot him. 90
" don't let him escape" was slot i'm three
places. on raising his hands TO beg for
his lie, he was knocked down with a car
Dlne. Alter falling on the ground in a dy-
ing condition, h0 was shot through aud
through. A boy was taken out from under
a bed, knocked down with a club and qis-
patched with some ten or twelve shots
wo colored children were killed. A black
woman was seen IN a grocery and shot.
Another ON the street VAS killed
The respectable blacksmith ODDOsi,a Nrs
Hardwlch on Main-st. who had not been
away from his shop. was shot down. and
viii probably die. We could find no one
and we inquired Of several policemen and
citizens who went down who had seen any
armed negroes on SOuth-st.. or in that Vi
clnity during the day. \ large posse was
called out by the Mayor and Sheriff. and
armed them from the gun and pistol store
OF Henry Folsom & Co. The Mavor had a
conference wlh Col. Kappner of the Sd
United states lCoiored) Heavy ARTILLERY.
ana the latter assured him there would be
10 disturbance t tAe armed citizens would
disperse- Tie Mayor accordingly ordered
them 10 return I'D thoir homes MANY re-
tired, but many more remained The sher-
III Kept hundred men underarms last rialt.
on me Greenlaw Block. Early IN the NOR
nng Gen Stoneman ordered an oIncer v4sli
% men 70 patrol and preserve order be
tween Beal and SOuth-sts, and that "a
guard he put around the Fort to keep the
colored soldiers from being connected
with the disturbance
In the afternoon Il ColOrcd woman. while
walking along Main-st. near the corner of
Main and Exchange, was shot down bv Il
drunken man. \ negrO who came i'm from
the country was shot of his horse and his
horse stolen. The body Of colOred sol
dier who was killed the day before Law du-
ring the forenoon on Mulberry-st. Il was
repeatedly spit upon, kicked and cursed bv
ruihanly boys This soldier after being
Killed by gun-shOt and several pistOl-shots.
had been cut IN the breast several times
with knife. Two white ladies made affi-
dayii before Gen. Runkle that Col. Pickett
lcoloredl, who was dragged ont OF his
mouse and killed. IN SOU Memphis. had
Just returned from bis days work. and had
no connection whatever with the disturb
ance. Other alfidavits were made before
the General, identifying some who had
Killed peaceable negroes. lie will give the
whole affair 4 thorough Investigation.
In the afternoon the rioters sci fire IN the
house, noal tue END OF Causen-st.. wnlcu
has been occupied by II. y. Rankin (color-
ed Tor cOiOred school. Mr. Rankin had
about zoo pupils m attendance He him
sell was struck with whip at The corner
OF Union and SecOGd-sts. The rufiian at
tempted TO draw his revolver to shoot him.
but was prevented 10y another citizen. Sev-
eral more houses IN South Memphis were
burned during the afternoon, and during
the whole evening the sky in that direction
was lurld with flames. There were incendia-
~ tires also on Madison and Shelby-sts
Early M the evening there was sharp firing
out on DeaTbOru-st A negro hoy of Il
or Is years was killed A negro woman
from the country was deliberately shot OF
Shelby-st. Il Is supposed mortal.y.r
From pure fiendishness, au old negro o
seventy years, ignorant even Of the exist
ence ofthe riot for pleading that he hac
never done no injury to nobody" was hack
ed down, his mouth wrenched open with
knife. and his tongue cut out by the roots
/ \ little girl five years Of age, for the of
fense OF bursting into tears when aske,
by the devils to point out her fathers hidin.
place, had her eyes cut out. and was throw
mangled and bleeding into the flames O
the burning cabin, and roasted alive. ;.
writes the special correspondent OF the Chi
cago Tribune.
These matters should at once be investi
gated by Congress, and its authors an
ahettors tried and punished with the utmos
severity of the law. These are the drs
results of the insane policy OF Johnson. an
. the restoring Of single cities into the hand
OF the rebels We're the c0lored men voter
Z these outrages would not have been com
mltted, because the participants would hav
ielt that the Jaw would have visited ther
with vengeance. Tie Federal government
IS responsible for these outrages. and vi
be held responsible by the people for 9th
ers which viii occur OF ike character. N
der the present system Of reorganization
( Congress should have long ago provide
for a different government in Tennessee
and other rebel States, and the people
ready 10 sustain prompt and proper action
will not long submit quietly 70 tie do-no,t
Ing policy, which. like that Of McClena
during tho rebellion. is dangerous to ia
public safety How long must we wait ID
Congress to acte Is the Washington =.
mOsphere fatal TO all independence u
love Of liberty. Talk we have had. an
admired. L does not avail. Give rs law
which viii extirpate evistiug evils or
chance TO send men. who. fresh from th