The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-16

4
: half dozen young men, brave, steady am
true lads,
(GoD BLISS TnEM.)
swelled 10 many. And wen tell you the
truth, Governor, FIVE die by tive sir IN,
editor Of the Mercury, Alexander G.. Horn
bers of the band, and the Chief Executiv,
OF the state may make the most OF IL. Our
own life, and every mans life, who vsnturet
homward, alone in the dark,
WAS IN PERIL.
But they gathered, and still they gathered
and the tramp of retribution began. The
oraggart squads that lay In wait TO SHOOT
white men heard that fearful tread, and
took counsel Of their fears and dispersed &c
the four quarters.
The Array ON MOmdny.-.The
Mercury's Description.
One of the inevitable results of Radical
rule and the appointment of bad men TO
office, was fatally manifested on Monday
evening in the killing OF the above named,
and that too in the courthouse and during
an Investigation before Squire Bramlette.
of a charge made upon affidavits against j.
Aaron Moore, Bill Dennis, alias Clopton and
Warren Tyler, alias Finley, of incendIary
acts and speeches, threats to burn the town,
&C., all made at a riotous assembly of col
| ored people at the courthouse on Saturday
evening last, which it is believed led TO the
firing OF the town on that night.
The trial Of the three colored men named
ali conspicuous and notorious as Political
leaders OF the colored population, was COM
| menced, as we said, before Squire Bramlette
on Monday evening about o'clock, and
| though there was quite a crowd in the court
| house, composed both OF white men and
| negroes, and much interest were manifested
In the investigation by those present, ey-
erythiug was being conducted
! QUIETLY AND ORDERLY;
1 h.. Oh
being very fully made out, especially
| against Dennis and Tyler.
Mr.. James Brantly, about the sixth wit
ness, having been produced, w. G. Ford,
counsel having charge of the prosecution,
| asked witness what remark he witness had
heard Warren Tyler make in his hearing
that morning in regard to the citizens mass
meeting just then adjourned. Witness an
| swereu: warren Tyler remarked to sever
al other negroes, that the white people were
getting scared or excited, or something to
| that effect" at which answer, Tyler. rather
sneeringly and contem ptuously smiled and
| turning his face rather toward the court and
| looking at witness, remarked-we ask TO
mediately to impeach your testimony"
Witness thereupon stepped toward Tyler,
having a walking cane In his hand, when
Col. Patton, marshall of the city,
CAUGHT HIM FROM THE REAR,
and Tyler started toward the door leading
from court room to sheriff's Office, drawing
his pistol, Just as he entered the door, he
turned about half facing Brantley and fired.
1t is not known whether he fired at Brant-
ley or the Court, (he having great enmity
against the latter,) but the charge entered
Squire Bramlette just above the leftSeye
and passed out on the ether side, he falling
instantly dead. Immediately after this shot
another pistol fired near the door by which
Tyler left the court room, and continued in
rapid succession. About
TWENTY-FIVE OR Thirty SHOTS
were fired, il is said by both white and col
ored people. During tlis firing scene of
indiscribable confusion prevailed, some per-
sons escaping from tie building by the
| stairway to the street, others entering the
different clerks offices and rooms just across
the hall. Warren Tyler having passed
through the sheriff7s Office, leapeu over the
banisters of the small verrandah extending
over the street and lit i'm the street below,
receiving wound from some person in the
rear as he struck the ground.
The court room was now almost cleared,
and the firing having ceased, the scene pre-
sented was horrid. In addition to
SQUIRE BRAMLErE's LIFELEss BODY,
lying PROSTATE near the chair in which he
was sitting, was the body of Gus Ford, col
ored policeman, stretched on his iace, just
inside the sheriff. Office door, in the act OF
dying; and Bill ClOpton or Dennis, lying by
his side, with three pistol shot wounds and
bleeding profusely. j. Aaron Moore, left
the room by the stairway, 1t is said wound
ed in the side or shoulder. and at the time
of writing this article had not been heard
from by us. The killing of SO good a man
as Squire Bramlette and one so well known
as such, and that too whilst holding a court,
when known, instantly caused intense eX-
element and the cry was for Warren Ty-
Ter, his murderer. A crowd of those who
saw it, and others instantly pursued and
found him in the back room of a negro
shop, on Rhodes street-one block distant
from the court house-and he was shot to
death as soon as discovered.
TERRIBLE AND BLOODY SCENES
should be enacted, in the house where law
matter of profound regret u every man
white or black-who desires peace and safe
ty, and Is shocked at crime,
BUT NO PEOPLE WILL,
can or should submit to indignity, outrage
upon outrage, incendiarism, and then DELHI
crate murder, in the Courtroom i'm open
day, and that too, by a VIGOROUSLY mean
inal offence, but out on bail to answer a
criminal charge upon Indictment, for ere
ating a riot in this city on Sunday. War
rem Tyler has at last, grievously answered
for his many
LAwLEss AND OUTRAGEOUS ACTS
in this community, and we have no doubt
that any just law-abiding man in this COM
munity, be he white or black, will say that
a bad man, who seemed to grow daily worse,
has met his just deserts.
Who it was that shot Gus Ford, policeman,
and Bill Dennis, we cannot ascertain, or
whether they were shot by accident or de-
sign. Where so many shots were fired,
from seemingly every part almost of the
house, il is singular that so few persons
were struck. 1t is said that there were at
least one hundred persons in the Court
room at the time, one halt of them colOred,
in the rear of the room; and it IL said
that some of them also drew their pistols
and fired.
Terrible and distressing as this affair must
be-and however deeply in our community
we regret its occurrence, yet We hope it will
forcibly teach some lessons, to those who
instigate acts of lawlessless,
THREATEN TO BURN THE CITY
and to take the law into their own hands,
The examination, as far as it progressed. |
when this bloody affray ended IL, showed
most conclusively that on Saturday even
ing last, by previous appointment, about
two hundred negroes met In the Court
house, for the Gvotoed purpose, as declared in
the speeches of Billy Clopton and Warren
Tyler, of better organizing the Loyal
League, that they might put stop to Ku Klux
outrages, giving among other reasons for
their proposed organizationA that they had
through Billy Clopton. and perhaps others,
applied to Governor Alcorn, who gave them
no satisfaction, and that the civil officers of
the county would not put down Ku Klux
one of the speakers, Clopton, saying with
great emphasis, that he was ready for war
with white people; that
HE COULD WHIP
five white men himself. That the whole
meeting was in harmony with him, in his
seditious, incendiary and violent language,
was shown by the fact that the above, and
all remarks Of that character were received
with loud applause and savage yells.