The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1870-06-27
DIsCRAOEFUL BLOT.
Ku.Klux Outrage In armstrong
Township.


Township, one of the Oldest residents
of this county, was In town on Satur-
day, and while here made complaint
against a number of men, who, on
Tuesday night and Thursday after
noon last, committed serious ofenses
against law and order, that they might
crafty their ignorant and fanatical
hatred Of negroes.
The circumstances are, that MIR.
Finch, finding it impossible to get
white laborers enough to reap his
grain. came into the city on Tuesday
last and engaged a couple of negroes
to assist him in that work.
On arising on Wednesday morning
Mr.. Finch found that the bands to his
reaper had been cut, and some of the
gearing rendered useless, in conse-
quence of which, he was compelled to
discharge the men he had hired, be-
cause he was unprovided with tools
for them to work with.
During Wednesday, another color
ed man offered MS services to Mr..
Finch. saying be could provide a era
die to harvest tho wheat by hand. Mr..
Finch accepted him, and promised
him 50 30 per day, if he would get a
force of hands sufficient to harvest
the whole crop. which the colored
man did, bringing five hands on
Thursday, and with them going to
work to cradle.
The men had not been long at work
when some of the improvised Ku-
Klux of the neighborhood came to
Mr.. Finch and demanded that the
negroes be sent away. threatening
that if they were not sent they should
be driven, and he with them; declar-
ing that no ringers" should be toll
Grated in that neighborhood.
Mr.. Finch replied to their threats,
that he would manage his business as
seemed best to him, and not ask leave
of them. At this they became
abusive, declaring with fearful oaths
and threats. that the negroes should
be annihilated, and with these threats
the interviewers withdrew.
Mr.. Finch continued with his men
until about two o'clock PM, when he
went home, and the sneaking fanatics
who had been watching until they
thought the colored men were unpro-
tected gathered to the number ofabout
twenty, and rushing into the field
with threats of word aud gesture,
drove the negroes off, all but one of
them flying as if to save their lives.
The one plucky negro refused to
be driven, but went with the crowd to
Finch's, where the miscreants re-
newed their vile abuse of Mr.. +. and
the negroes in the most shockingly
vulgar and threatening language.
Finding it impossible to stem this
tide Of violence, and fearful of its
consequences. the negro was of course
sent away, and Mr.. Finch was left
without any means of harvesting his
crop.
The Courier. In relating the affair,
says with characteristic meanness:
It seems not to have been a politi.
cal matter at all. as Mr.. Finch is re-
garded as one of the wheel horses of
the Democratic party always, and
the party of assailants was COM
posed of both Republicans and Dem
ocrats.
This is emphaticaly denied by those
who have lived long in that township.
and know nearly all of the rioters,
one whose Democracy is undoubted
denying that there was even one Re-
publican engaged in the ARRAY.
And although Mr.. Finch is lone of
the wheel horses of the Democratic
party always" the Courier thus hints
that his account may not be true:
We yesterday learned the particu-
lars of a difficulty which transpired
in Armstrong Township, in this coun-
ty, out of which there will probably
grow a world of litigation and Grim
inal prosecutions, and which, if the
facts are properly stated to US, will get
a number of men into very difficult
positions to get out Of The facts, as
we got them from the mouth of Mr..
Geo. Finch, are about as follows:
Further along the Courier still
more strongly intimates that Mr..
Finch's account is not indisputable,
in the following words:
We give but one side of the affair,
not having heard the other.
Although it admits that Mr.. Finch
is a truthful man. These remarks
taken with the following half excuse
of the riot, with which they preface
the account. shows that the sympa-
thies of the writer in the Courier
leans toward the rioters:
AS long as there is a black man on
the face OF the earth there will be
war among the white race about what
he shall do or what we shall do with
him.
A PALACE OF BEAUTY. -Messrs
w. K. French & Co., opened up their