Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1869-08-06


chunk of coal. IN ~ instant, as If
the matter had been agreed upon, as
mauy as twenty-five Of the raftsmen
Joined In the assault. The bloody
work began. Some of the raftsmen
ran to the shore and armed them
I selves with chunks Of coal, with
which they stOrmed the colOred men.
| But Lynch and one Ted Butler, with
q dozen followers, commenced hunt
ing the negroes on the boat, In the
melee, Davidson escaped and ran up
to the hurricane deck and seCreted
himself under the life. boat aft of the
Texas. The Lynch gang went
sweeping through the deck passages.
The negroes scattered-sOme leapfng
to the shore, and some rushing for
up stairs. Two of them were caught
aft of the engines, terribly pounded
and cut, and hurried to the stern,
and made to leap into the water. The
passengero saw them sink immedi-
lately, and that was the last of them.
The water colored with their blood as
they went down. Their names were
VIM. Olmstead and Clayton Jones.
Both were from New Orleans.
One negro was pursued along the
starb0ard guards, across the rear Of
the boilers, to the larboard guards
where lie was hit on the head with a
piece of coal, caught, and beaten till
he was nearly s0nselcss. Then n
half dozen Williams seized him, ron
him to the stern, and jumped him
into the water. It was said by two
lady passengers who saw him as he
! sank, from the windows Of the pass
age in the rear Of the ladies cabin,
that his throat was cut from ear to
ear! His name was not ascertained.
The fourth negro who was murder
eG was pursued up stairs, along the
cabin guards, and across the hurri-
cane deck to the other side, down to
the guards and the stairs to the deck
again. He fed toward the stern,
was caught, and plunged into the
river. As lie struck the water, u
great piece of coal struck him on the
head, and he went to the bottom.
About ten of tue negroes escaped
to the shore and ran away unframed,
although several shots were fred at
them from reviewers.
After tho murder of tho negroes
mentioned above, the raft fends
made a hunt for "niggers. They
wandered all through the places and
by>ways on deck. At last Lynch
spied Dawson as the latter lay curled
up under the life boat. He cried out,
" Here's a-sOn Of a bitch" Da-
wilson heard him, and turning the
boat up, sprang out, and ran with a
knife in hand towards the cabin
stairs. Lynch cried, "That'8 the
one we want" and with three Othels
Dursued him. Down on the deck
went Davidson. There TED Butler.
tried to stop him, and Davidson slash
ed his bowels with a knife. The me-
gro then fled to the place where four
of his fellows had met their death,
and on his way was hit with club,
lie jumped into the river, and pad
died with his hands for. q while, and !
kept his head out of the water. Two
men set out from shore with skiffI
to rescue him, but before they could |
get near him he ceased his efforts |
and sank!
Passengers efforts for the saving of
the negroes were numerous and sue
cessful. Several negroes were locked |
up in state rooms in the ladies cabin.
One instance is mentioned particu-
larry. Rev. d. c. Mccoy, of Macomb.
H., was in his state room with his
wife. 4 negro nearly covered with
blood from cut in his throat, fairly !
bounded through the outside door,
and cried, "Save me, do save me,
Missis!" The lady, perfectly igno
rant of the terrible work going on
outside, Immediately closed the doors.
In All instant, almost. she heard the
tramp Of men outside, aud the cry,
Il" Where is the hellion ?" Then
there was q rush back for the bow,
and her protege was safe, He re-
mained in the room more than an
hour. Mr., Mccoy spongcd his
wounds, and bound them, and made
the poor fellow as comfortable as pos
sible. Several Of the hunted hands
were secreted in the texas rooms by
the officers.
The officers We're powerless. Not |
one Of them was in the possession of
Il shooting iron Of any kind, and to
have interfereJ with the negro-kilI-
ing scoundreis, unarmed, would have
been foolish indeed. All they could !
do in opposition to scores Of raftsmen
was to secrete the negroes, when pos
sible.
The mate was saved by craftsman. /.
On the deck a villain went rushing
at the mate with large knife. At
the mates side stood a Mr.. McKin- |
ney, who gave the knifeman a shove
and Il kick that sent him staggering. !
When he returned TO the attack, the !
mate wasn't where he used to was"
The Sheriff Of Rock Island county
was teiegraphed TO fer assistance in
arresting the murderers. He imme-
djately placed the matter in the
hands of Deputy Sheriff Payne.
Superintendent Cotton, of the West
ern Union, placed train at his dis
posal, and at eleven o'clock some
sixty men, mostly armed, went on
their way northward, On they went
tit Fulton Junction was reached.