The Fairfield herald. [volume] (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1849-1876, 1869-08-18
The Mobile Riot.

We copy the following from our
Mobile exchanges Of the 9th inst, In
regard TO the recent riot: =
Last nighta serious riot occurred
in this city, beginning at an outdoor
Radical meeting to celebrate the tri.
umph of the Radical candidate for
this congressional district. The meet.
ing was q large one, and all negroes
except few white leaders. During
the whole Of yesterday rumors were
ii circulation that the negroes wers
very much excited, defiant, and threat.
ening, and meant to burn In effigy the
Democratic candidate for Congress,
Colonel Mann. Several citizens call.
cd ON tie Mayor aud some of the
Radical leaders, and advised them
that it would be better to postpone
the meeting, for thet if the efiYy
threat was carried out that the white
people could not be restrained from
On attempt to resent the fndighity By
force. II was thought that those fe.
presentations had had the desired ef-
fact, and that there would be no meet
ing. . = t",.T'<rs "a. y Yggf SS',S.1Si
AT 8 O'Clock, however, the Tar bar
rels were lighted, when the negroes
began to Rook in until they gwelled
into y crowd Of one thousand to one
thousand Eve hundred. Many came
with guns, most all with concealed
arms pistols, knives, and razors.----
Nothing occurred to. disturb the har-
mony Of the meeting except the ii.
fammatory talk Of the oarpet.bag
speakers until about 10 O'Clock, when
q ajocose dispute between two citizens
upon q subject entirely foreign to
politics or the meeting attracted aome
attention, and in pressing up to see
what it was about, q white man aooi-
IDENTIFY trod on the foot Of negro
just as the alteration about this was
settled, q pistol shot was heard, and
this was the signal for general firing.
The whole crowd dispersed imme-
diately. The firing was continued o
few minutes as the crowd scattered,
and in ten minutes dead quiet reign,
ed, broken only by the tread of white
patrol. ~ @'.f 2tF
A detachment of United States
troops we're stationed at the guard
house in anticipation of trouble. They
took no part in the affray, except TO
march up town to, look after and put
o. stop to some firing. Tt is not known
who fred the first shot. II Wao the
natural result Of the / excitement.-
There were not over 100 white men
as lookers-on at the meeting. '
The casualties are small, consider.
ing the. number of shots and the close
quarters. Many shots must have been
fred in the air. q" "f'.'@s s'aa .
Three negroes were killed outright.
Four policemen, five negroes, and
three white men were wounded. s'h
The. Mobile Reqistes. comments on
the riot as follows: isN''r1
sssLast nights work, done after our
editorial Of this morning was in print,
is . sharp and quick and commentary
on the dangers we foreoasted from the
present aspect Of affairs. It Is q
burning shame that this community
should be exposed to outrages like
this, and the community owes IL to
itself to take measures to protect
itself against q repetition Of them..
Asto. where the blame lies there is no
room for question. gs, .tss7 =:
tThese deeds. are the direct out.
flow of tho maddened passions of ne.
groes, infamed and dashed Into fury
by thespublic harangues and private
instigations Of the foreign Radicals
in our midst. It is "a question for the
public to decide how long these ipcen-
diaries shall be- allowed to imperil
the peace Of sooiety and the safety Of
women and ohildren. We hope, that
o public meeting will DO held TO an
,swer1 this question:" ais 5f o9
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