Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1871-10-05
gOlihfai.

9Olitifai.
DEMOCRATIC ANIMOsITY TO
FREE SCHOOLS.
Authentic Record of Outrages in
Mississippi.
The following statements are from
official records in the Secretary Of
States Office, jackson, Miss, and
shows the animus most strikingly oi
this Ku-Klux conspiracy there: .
J. Ebbert, Principal of the Aberdeen
Academy, Monroe county writes: You
are, no doubt, aware of the outrages
committed upon Huggins, our county
Superintendent of Education. L am
constrained to make this communica-
tion in view of the sad condition of onI
schools. Mr.. Higgins has left and we
do not know whether he will return OF
not The Board of School, Directors is
disorganized; large number OF schools
have been broken up, and Others have
received orders from the Ku-Klux to
discontinue. Every thing Is in ade-
mOraliZed condition, our school system
is bound to be broken up. Cannot
something be done Immediately to
avert this calamity.
Col. A. p. -Huggins, the Supt. of
Education referred to, was taken out of
his bed by band of Ku-KluX aSsassins
and whipped in a most unmerciful
manner and ordered to leave the county
on pain of death, at the hands of the
Klan. 9
J. S. Jones, of Union county, writes:
''Nr. Newsom, teacher of a colored
school, reports to me that a band of
disguised men numbering fifteen, call
ed upon him at midnight and ordered
him to discontinue his school,, or suffer
fearful penalty. Mr.. Newsom closed
the school," '1
From Chickasaw county, A. j. jam
isOn, Co. Supt., obtain the following
facts: "F. B. Emmens, and Cornelius
w. Bryde, both teachers of colored
schools, have been badly abused; The
latter terribly whipped by disguised
party; also, that three school houses
have been burned, one, of three, was a
church rendered for the use of the color
ed people as school house, the other
two houses were built by the eolored
people expressly for school purposes"
Mr.. Jamison, further, adds: 81 anl
unable to accountfor these outrages un-
less it be opposition to colored schools,
all the damage being to that class of
schools. In several neighborhoods /
have found it impossible to obtain
teachers for the schools, so great is the
fear of these disguised men,"
J. w. Bishop, of Loundes county,
writes: 'sTo give you each and every
case of unlawful disturbance against
free schools in this county, would swell
my communication to an unexpected
length. 1 can only say briefly, that
several of my teachers have been visit
ed by disguised men known as Ku-
Klux. All the teachers were white,
and all of Southern birth except Mr..
Farmer, who was obliged to leave the
county. Three teachers of scolored
schools were obliged to close their
schools. t
Justafter the demand of the Ku-Klux
that no more free schools should be
taught, ] visited white school taught
by lady, and found only four pupils
present. The children and their parents
were so badly frightened that eschool
was all-but broken up. requested
the lady to continue, which she did,.
The circumstances have been such that
in nearly every case the teachers could
do nothing but obey the demand of
the Ku-KluX and close school.
One teacher is a Southern gentleman
and Congregational minister. On
one occasion he went from home sever
al miles and preached to the colored
people. The x. X. called on him at
midnight and ordered him to close his
school, taught on his own farm and in
his own house; they also told him he
would not be allowed to preach any
more. He disobeyed the order and
continued to do what he thought right,
they visited him again, called him out
and said they did not propose to hurt
him but to notify him that he could
not preach any, but added perhaps he
might a0ben the election l0Gs oUeT. They
wanted him to promise them not to
preach or teach any more. He an
swered them by saying, whether [
shall obey God or man, judge ye." i
have not heard further particulars.
Several parties in the country not
teachers, have been violently treated
by the Ku-Klux. Other information
relating to the Ku-KluX and their in
timidations in this county could
be given, but at present l refrain from
doing so." etl
From Holmes county. s1The same
spirit that elsewhere breaks out in the
bloody acts of the masked aSsassins and
the dark deeds the midnight riders,
has only found vent here in decorating
the colored school houses with a COM
position of tar, paint, or lamp-blaek,
Insulting the lady teachers in the
streets and through the Post Office and
in inditing letters of advice or warning
to the county Supt.,s subscribing always
the cabalistic X. K. K" ofN
In Oktibbeha county. ''One teacher
was stoned and one school house burn
ed by incendiaries, a colored school
was being taught in it at the time.
In Warren county, one teacher was
threatened by letters from X. X. K.
and closed his school.
Supt. Wooley, of Choctaw county,
states that late in the fall of 1870, two
churches were burned in that county;
also school hOusein April and another
in May, were both burned by unknown
parties, and the schools broken up.
The county Supt. of Winston county,
Mr.. y. Bays, reports terrible state OF
affairs in that county. He reports the
burning of two churches used for
schools, and four school houses; also,
that band of disguised men visited
the house of Mr.. Fox and compelled
him to stop teaching a free school.
They then went on to the house of a
colored teacher, and falling to find him
they amused themselves by burning
his trunk and other property and car
ried away between twenty-five and
thirty dollars in money. VIM. Ken