Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1869-08-29
THE MACON RIOT.
The Negroes Rampant for Two
Days.
Fifty or the Rioters Put In the
SOmerVilie Jail.
Five Men Shot by the Mob.
From the Mempbis Avalarcbe, A,

The reign of terror in Maco
was, providentially, a brief one
and, owing to the forbearance of th
| people, terminated without muc
bloodshed. At one time it appeare
as though the whole county of Fay
cite would be given over boldl
into the hands of an impassione'
rabble, maddened by a spirit o
vengeance, and led on by few mel
of the most diabolical proclivities
who would rejoice to see ever,
homestead in Fayette laid in ashes
After considerable effort to com
at the truth in reference to the or
igin of the incipient riot, and wha
was done by both sides, we are en-
abled to present our readers thii
morning with comparatively cor.
rect account. The origin and his.
tory of the trouble is briefly this
On Saturday last a difficulty arose
between Tom Tarpler, colored, and
some white boys. Among these lat
ter was Albert d. Boswell. Tarpler
cursed one Of the boys. This bred
bad blood, and the ill-feeling con-
tinued to increase till Sunday
morning, when the village became
swarmed with negroes from the
surrounding districts. There were
perhaps one thousand of them
gathered within the precincts of the
town. They were ostensibly at
tending a religious meeting; but
most of them were armed, and, as
the sequel showed, had other
thoughts than those of religion in
their minds. In the evening Al
bert D. Boswell, son of an esteemed
citizen, D. ]. Boswell, approached
Calvin Tarpler, colored-a brother
of Tom Tarpler who had been in
the previous difficulty. He imme~
diately pulled out a pistol, and,
swinging it in a vicious manner,
made threats against Boswells life.
Boswellasked him, "Did you threat
en- my life p Tarpler answered
boldly, ''Yes, 1 did" ''Then," said
Boswell, "You shall take it all back,
and deliver up your arms or I'll
kill you Tarpler impudently an
swered, 'Tll deliver up my arms to
no d-n white man." at the same
time thrusting his hand back to
draw his pistol. Boswell immedi-
ately shot him in the head with his
revolver, and soon after left town.
In ten minutes Calvin Tarpler was
dead.
The negroes soon met in a
crowd, and declared vengeance
against Boswell and his friends;
against the white men of the town
and their property. Some negro
women shrieked, "Macon is
doomed Macon is doomed" In
furiated negroes strobe through the
streets displaying their weapons,
with fearful oaths, threatening the
lives of the citizens en- masse, and
some by name, and saying, "To-
morrow morning Macon will be in
ashesl"
That night they assaulted the
house of Mr.. Carroll in quest of
one of young BoswelPs friends, as
they claimed; came near killing
Carroll and burning his house, be-
cause he could NOT tell where the
young man was. The same night
twenty.seven negroes went TO the
house of d. S. Boswell, and swore
they would hang him till he told
them where his son was; also to the
residence of Esquire VIM. Johnson,
whose SOC is a friend of Albert
Boswell. They threatened Mr..
Johnson with violence, and not
content with mere threats, they
gathered together q lot of fagots
and dry wood, and set his cotton
gin on fire. Through the superhu-
man exertions of Mr.. Bates, assist
ed by some citizens, and q number
Of the more well disposed colored
men, who labored in behalf of
peace throughout the whole night,
the negroes were restrained from
perpetrating the deeds of blood
and destruction they so foully
threatened. 1t was only by a comr
promise that they were prevented
from breaking into and cleaning
out the stores that contained any
sort of weapon or ammunition.
This humiliating concession was far
the less of the evils, for if they
had broken open the groceries they
would undoubtedly have become
drunk, and well supplied with in
struments of death no man can
picture the scenes of horror which
would have followed. What would
have been the cruel outrages and
the nameless crimes which mad
dened and Infatuated men like them
would pe1petrate is fearful to think
of. They gathered around the
corpse of the young man that had
been shot, and inaugurated series
of orgies horrible to behold.
Knives and pistols, and all manner
of deadly weapons, were fourished
in the air; threats were made by
the leaders, and vengeance dark and
swift breathed from every mouth.
In effect, the town was placed under
martial law; citizens were halted,
Intercepted, cautioned what to do
and what not to do; ladies insulted,
buggies, business wagons and men
on horseback going through town
were all stopped and ordered back
to their places; guards were placed
all over town and away out on the
roads leading countryward. The
people were all locked up in their
houses, and the women, pale and
fainting, seemed to be at the mercy
of the negroes. The magistrates
who had the temerity to command
the peace, were cursed and insulted
with the most opprobrious epithets,
and ordered back into their houses
under penalty of death.
In this posture were affairs in
that terrified village during Sum
day, all that night and Monday
morning. The laws defied, au-
thority, evidently taken from the
hands of the civil officers, and the
social life of the people rendered
chaotic; the rioters having de.
clared s'There is no law in Ma.
con we will regulate things accord.
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