The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1871-12-28
ME,IpHIs.. De-. 20. ISL

Of Negroes ColIecfed-Radica1 O1fcfaIs at
the eHead-The President A appealed to for
/ Especial dispatch TO the EnquIrer-l
MEMPHIS, Dec 20, 1871.
The report previously sent in these
dispatches announcing the killing of
three white men by negroes at Cbicot,
Arkansas, and the evacuation of that
town by all of its white Inhabitants,
is fully confirmed to night by the ar
rival of some fifteen or twenty refu-
ges from that place, men, women and
children, many of whom fled without
change of clothing or food, SO great
was the terror. They report thai. the
negroes to the number of 800, took
possession of the town, patroled the
streets, pillaged stores and. dwellings,
and set fire to several of the citizen's s
houses; that the sheriff is powerless,
and. although Republican, dare not
venture out. A letter from him,
brought to the authorities here by one
of the refugees, confirms that portion
of the. statement. In several instan-
ces the sayages had resorted to rapine,
and under no consideration would
they permit the burial of the three
men killed, and to-day probably their
bodies are lying in the woods, a prey
fer buzzar1s. - M .s
Those who arrived here walked fif-
tesn miles through the woods at night
to escape the negroes, and are without
the necessities of. life. Subscriptions
are now being raised, and they will
be well cared for. One of them states
that at the time the negroes attacked
the town as high as one hundred dol
Iar zI-s s.1,
to get away. Governor Headly, of
Arkansas, has been fully notified of
the facts, but whether he has taken
any action or not is not known. zro
Further particulars are anxiously
looked for. - 80 szs.fssss- ssas sss4ts ~
IS LATER.--A messenger has Just arfi-f
we'd from Chicot, Arkansas, with let
ters from prominent Republican citi-
zens aud the sheriff, to thetauthorities
at Washington, begging assistance The
messenger states that those who were
unable to get away are now compelled
to remain in the town by the negroes,
all of whom are armed. One boat,
that contained family of escaping
refugees, was fired into by the negroes
then ordered the boat to return ashore
which it did. A reign of terror exists.
MEMPHIS, Dec. 20-Midnight.
q 1t now appears, from the statements
of passengers who have just arrived,
per steamer from below, that the plot
to release and hang the three white
men at Chicot, Arkansas, had been
communicated to negroes living in
Mississippi, and number of them
aided in the cold-blooded murders al
luded to in the previous dispatch. It
also appears that the origin of the diff
ficulty was discussion between G.
w. Wynne and John FL. Saunders, /
the former o colored lawyer recently |
from Washington, as to the vote of
the county subscribing money to two
defending and the 9TH
er opposing the yote-resulting in the |
killing of Wynne, as previously mem
toned. Saunders and the two white
men were confined in Jail until the |
18th, when one hundred armed ne
groes rode into town and instantly /
the keys of the Jail from the |
Seriff, which were delivered, and the |
prisoners taken out, as before stated |
and killed. 1t seems from the inform
alton received tonight that the me-
groes have a majority of over five to |
one, ana that they are controlled by /
the Republican Office holders, whom
Governor Headly would rather not |
interfere with. Hence the applica- |
ton made to-nlgh hit to President Grant |
to send regular troops there to qaell |
the disturbance and force the negroes |
to return to their homes. 1t is fur
ther stated that all the negroes within
a radius of fifty miles, on both sides of |
the Mississippi, have collected at Chi
cot, and defy the State as well as the
National Government. threatening to /
burn, kill and ravish, if an attempt is
made to arrest or punish them.
A meeting of the chamber of Com
merce has been called for eleven o.
clock tomorrow to consult with those |
refugees here as to the best method to
stop the outrages, and it is not unlike
" that volunteers will go down from
here. gt ae sf SOS