New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-04-23
STATEMENT OF MR.. WHEELER.


On the fourteenth Of March / went with
nv wife and little daughter to Fitchburg;
in; Estill county. the scat Of the Red River
IrouwOrks, on business. We were &C
uuainted with about dozen colored people,
most of whom had been students in Berea,
and two whites. On the fifteenth, after at
tending to my business, visited my former
acuuaintances We took dinner with q
colored family. former residents OF Berea,
aad toward night the woman rode out with
my wife from the hOtG where we were
stopping. At night l attended PRAYER
meeting at TIE colOred ciIurch-the only
church in the place-and as was return
ing. alone. was met by two men, who, when
they had passed NEE called out roughly.
s:HOld on: you are the man we want to see. "
l replied, " don't want to see you. and
passed on. They rushed up. crying. Sur
render. surrender" ran, and they fired at
me. At the same time two or three other
MEN sprang from the roadside and fired.
After lnnning about thirty steps in the
darkness / stumbled over pile OF cinders
ceased, probably supposing l had been hit.
Along the streets and ut the hotel met
crowds who had heard the firing and
thought it was an effprt'to rob me. re-
tired without informing my. wife Of the &C.
currence. About two or thHe o'clock we
were awakened by confusion in front of the
hotel, and heard voices calling "Open the
door," i looked cautiously out and saw by
the light of furnace fires twenty or thirty
men in line. some or all with gyns. Sew
eral were soon at our door shaking it vio-
shan't be hurt NV Wife said, "Oh, what
shall we do?" Gray" said l; Jesus will
take care of me-" Knowing that resist
ance would be worse than useless, opened
the door. There stood the landlord with
light, and half-dozen men who seized me,
dragged me down stairs and rushed me.
barefoot, over the cinders, the leader
shouting, ''fall in; file left, double quick"
Meantime the leader pounded me with his
fist, uttering the most terrible curses and
oaths.
In reply to some threats Of theirs, said:
~ love Jesus. and he will take care Of me-"
eyes," said they, ''you Methodist hypocrite,
You'll see how Jesus will take care of you
when you are hanging twenty feet high" l
said, "You may hang me, but you can not
harm me-" About quarter of a mile from
town they halted at a large log. The leader
then seized me by the hair, another by the
feet, and stretched me over the log, and two
strong men began to whip me with large
'hichory whips. After they had struck sew
eral times II counted thirty nine blows),
cusatiOn against me was that I was a
Northern man, with Northern principles;
that associated with ''niggers," and had
come to establish a 'nigger" school.
told them that l was formerly from
Michigan, and held Northern principles,
but had no intention of establishing col
ored school. They said, ':.You must give
up your principles" replied, II can not"
''Then we will whip them out Of you"
''This," said 1, ''you can not do" Then we
will hang you" said, This will not kill
my principles" They added a dozen
lashes, theN took me to spring. and at my
request let me drink. They asked me if I
had a family, and if ! wished to write
to see them again would" The
officers retired for consultation, and de-
to give me ten more lashes and
an hour to leave town. As my business
was done, and we were expecting to go at
daylight. l promised to leave within the
time. "Now. boys" they said, 4'give it to
him." Il folded my arms, and they gave
me ten lashes about the shoulders. was
very thankful that could receive the
blows in new place. Having sworn most
awful vengeance if I should ever reveal
their names, they let me 80. It was so dark
I could not distinguish any faces. While
was gone from the hot my wife entreated
in vain for some person to follow after me.
Though there were twenty or thirty dodgers
1T the hotel, and many of the cOmpany's
hands within easy call, no one seemed in
clined to do anything about it.
w. w. WHEELER.