Dallas herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1849-1873, 1871-03-25
fhs rseabi.. a, meridian.

the rFeabies al hefiaian'
salariay sVsniRg, the ilh lns'p
a5oal 7 oel0Ck, = nrs broke 0a, a
Meridian, Miss, ia the store Of I,
stansrs, resalIiRg 10 lhs deslrae
liuR oflhs eRlire blOek On Frohl,
begweea I.es and lOhRsOh streets,
Harlbau 4 BrOs store aud ss0es'
TheO. Ssarses' baildiRgs, kassn'
baum 4 Gally's store and stock the
old HeaTy nauss, mOsI Of lhs ss0ek
losI; Mrs' N. h, chadwiek's store
house, MeCaskill, Rry's shoe shop,
Hands saloon, house owned by Dr,
BrOaeh, uhoe6upied, and the old
Tennsbaum builling, Total losses
about sI5, 900, with SIS 900 insured.
The firs originated in the garnet Of
slargss' slore, where there had
tesh 40 hre during the day, and
Was doubtless ineeBdiary,
There Was considerable plahder'
Ing by negroes daring the hre, aud
= tuFbulsat negro named Billy
Cioplon, who has gang u; so-eall'
ed negro militia at his command
who WAS paradins them IN arms on
the street preylou' 10 tho nre, eI'
pressed great srulIation at ,heslghi
OF rebel property burning. The
Gazette Gays:
lie drew pis.ol on man who
demonstrated, aud would have Kill
ed him but Tor the interference Of n
fri,ndly negro. While marching
up the street in front Of tho IRE,
with pistol in hand, eursing rebels
aud slvaling over their misfortune,
he was suddenly aud very uneS.
peutedly knocked down, disarmed
aud leil 10 colored comrades who
carried him out Of the crowd, when
he boat u hasly retreat for home.
About this time, while the fire was
raging, and our citizens struggling
10 arrest il aud save little of their
property, the bell nj the African
Church pealed forth the usual sig
nul for the negroes 10 repair there
This WAS moro than our people
could stand. aud company WIS ut
once formed and marched 10 the
residence uf tho Sheriff, where Il
tender was made of he posse, anda
request made Tor the arrest OF Billy
Clvplon. Tho sheriff sent his dcpu'
ty, Mr.. Belk, in charge or the posse
aud arrested CioptJn and placed
hlm under guard IN the courlhodsc'
The turbulent threats vi the negroes
and their white allies called tho clti-
zens together again Sunday alter
noon aud evening, when ono hun.
dred men volunteered To rindica-e
the majesty III the law and crush
Iawlessness, no matter from whence
il might come. The town was well
policed Sunday night, and asIr"ng
guard OF citizens kept over Ciopton
to zee tia the WAS neither rescued
nor niolusted.
A squad Of armed negroes were
disyered and sent home, and Mon
day morning large meeting of the
e,tlzuns was held in the interests oi
good order. In the afternoon the
examination OF Clopton and two
others, Aaron Moore and Warren
Taylor, came on before Justice
Bramlettc, and the evidence showed
tnat violent incendiary threats had
been nude ut the negro gathering
Saturday. Tyler insuitingy con
lrudrled the testimony of u Mr..
BrantlUy, who Threatened him with
his cano and advanced toward him
within eight or ten feet.
At this juntture, says the Gazette
Gen. Patton, City Marshall, caught
BrantIey aud held him. While he
was thus he'd, Tyler drew pistol
and commenced firing ut Brantley.
AT tho first fire Judge BranlCttG
was shot through the head an / ini
stantly killed. The room wns
crowded with white and black who
were attending the trial, and IA
great excitement was prevailing, an
indiscriminate firing commenced,
in which William Clopton and II
negro named Gus Ford were killed,
and several persons, white and
black, wounded. After firing sov-
eral shots, Tyler jumped out of the
window and ran up tho street. AS
soon rs it was known that he had
killed Judge Bramlettc, he was
pursued, and on refusing to surrer-
der, was instantly killed Tyler
fired number Of shots at the par.
ties in pursuit of him, and resisted
his capture until the very last.
Judge Bramlette was ~ man uni.
vcrsally loved and respected. he
had been Judge of Probate and was
at the time OF his death Justice OF
the Peace, and member Of the
Board Of Aldermen Cloptoh aud
Tyler were turbulent and disorder
ly negroes, who have been stirring
dp strife in this community for the
last two years. Their greatest de-
sire seemed to be to stir up enmity
between the RACES and do all the
mischief in their power.