Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1871-12-14
NEGRO PAsTIMEs.

How They VoudOO the Villages of
7 MiasIssfppi - The difference Be
tween Black and White.
From the Mobile Register, December 81
We have been permitted to see let
ter received yesterday by Messrs Dunk
lin. Duffee 4 Co., by which we learn
that a serious disturbance occurred at
Starkville, Miss, on the 4th Iinst. among
the negroes in that place and vicinity,
who are noted as being exceedingly i'm
pudent and turbulent. Two large gangs
of negroes marched into town, fully
armed and equipped, swearing ven
geance against the inhabitants. IL ap-
pears that the United States Commits
sioner, Dr. Ellis, had issued warrants
for the arrest Of number of negroes,
charged with some violence or disorder
a few miles north of the town. Some
resisted the arrest; others submitted,
and were brought to town and committed
TO Jail. The two negro gangs, or clubs,
as they style themselves, were from the
vicinity of the disturbance, and came in
ayowedly to release the prisoners, After
being in town a short while some ot the
gang got into difficulty with young
man named Robert Ellis, and shot him,
inHicting a dangerous wound. Several
negroes then seized and hurled him to
the ground, shooting at him several
times while down, but failing to hit him.
Mr.. Powers. the sheriff while endeayor-
ing TO quell the disturbance, was also
shot, receiving painful but not danger
GUS wounds in the head, neck, and both
hands. While down, young Ellis, who
appears to have been quite plucky, shot
one of the negroes through the lungs,
who will in all probability, die. Armed
men from West Point and different parts
of the country came to the assistance
of the people of Starkville. The in.
habitants were taken by surprise, and
1 consequently unprepared, but with the
assistance of those who came to their
rescue, they managed to keep the ne
eroes down and prevent further mischief.
/ During the melee three negroes were
wounded. The next day the United
States Commissioner and Marshal or
dered out a posse and started in pursuit
of the rioters. They succeeded in cap
turing two Of the prominent actors IN
the affair, but the chief of all the mis-
chief, and perhaps the worst negro
character in the county, escaped, after
making desperate resistance to four OF
the posse, wounding one of them, Mr.
Rainey, of West Point, severely in tbs
thigh.
l. When discovered, the desperado wa,
in his cabin, ensconsed under bed
which he had fortified by rolling up box
es around it, Behind this he fought des
pesaiely, discharging his double-barrelet
Shot gun, then his navy six-shooter a.
the party; after this he made despe
tate rush for the door escaping unhur
in the darkness, though ffed upon ,
dozen or more times. These and othe
deeds Of violence are constantly beinl
committed through the South, and ye
no notice is taken Of them by the bes
government under the sun, but whei
one Of the wards of the nation" i
summarily and justly strung up as Of
example to the others, the cry and how
Of Ku-Klux resounds throughout th'
North, and yet a pretext is thus made
that We are not yet sufficiently recon
structed. Suoh state Of affairs can no
last long. v