Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-10-31

and leave on the following Wednes.
day.
Twenty-six schools were interrupt
ed about this time, and three school
houses were burned.
The members of these bands, so
far as known, are all democrats.
their victims invariably republicans !;
and their outrages inspire such terror
among the colored people, that to
use the language of the witness, they
dared not even go to town" Wit
ness believes that if an election had
been held in Monroe county before
the Government sent troops there
few months ago, scarcely freedman
in the entire county could have been
induced to cast his vote.
The next witness is Cornelius Nc
Bride. He opened colored school
in 1870, about three miles south of
Sparta, In Chickasaw county. In
March last there was a raid made by
the ku-klux over several counties in
that part ofthe State, and number
of schools-houses were burned but
having commenced his school with
the general consent of the white
people Of the neighborhood, witness
felt secure, and continued teaching.
On Thursday night, during the last
week in March, the house where be
was boarding was surrounded by ku-
klux. One hundred and seventy-five
lashes were administered, and they
threatened then to hang him. These
men charged him with laboring ito
make the niggers the equals of the
whites" saying, cd d-n you,
don't you know that this is a white
mans country ?" They informed
him that they were not going to al
low such thing as a colored school
IN the county. Witness had voted
with the republican party and had
advised colored people to vote so,
but had never taken an active part
in politics.
March 3O.-Corneius Mcbride,
teacher OF u colored school in Chick
asaw county, was taken out at night,
received one hundred and seventy
five lashes, and compelled to leave
the neighborhood to save his life.
Ho is a well-educated and respe ctable
man.
Witness thinks the prevailing hos.
tility to the free school system is not
on account of its cost. but because it
enables the colored people to get an
education, which most Of them could
not get under pay system. The
present system is spoken of as "a id
Radical free school system"
Witness believes half the white
men in Chickasaw county belong to
the ku-klux khan. Those who whip
ped him told him there were 5,000,-
600 Of them in the United States.
The sympathy of men of standing
and property with the ku.klux is
plainly exhibited 10 their readiness
to 90 bail when any Of them get into
trouble.
Witness testifies that the colored
people in the part of the couny where
he lived are in great fear of the ku-
kluX, and would not dare to vote in
an election.
Hon. o. c.. French, of Natchez,
member Of the State Legislature, and
chairman Of the special joint commit
tee appointed by the Legislature to
inquire into the causes and cir UNI
stances Of the riot which occurred at
Maridlan in March last, testities that
the riot grew out Of the incursion of
bodies of men from beyond the Ala
bama line, who, with their abettOrs
in Meridian, were accustomed to per-
petrate outrages in that vicinity. In
some Of these incursions as many
as from 100 to $50 men came
into the town and stacked arms in
the street. On one occasion they
carried away three colored men, who
were never afterwards heard Of
Seven persons were killed in the
riot, among whom were William
Dennis Cor Clopton,) who has been q
member of committee sent to re.
present the condition of affairs to the
Governor of the State, and Warren
Tyler, q colored school teacher.
Dennis was wounded in the court
room, where the riot commenced A;
thrown from a second-story window,
and afterwards carried into the
sheriff office, where his throat was
cut.
Judge Bramlette was shot in the
court at the outbreak of the riot.
- Krizer, a colored member of
the board OF Supervisors, was shot
and lost an arm, and another member
of the Board was killed.
J. Aaron Moore, (colored, member
of the Legislature from Lauderdale
county, was wounded in the riot, and
holly pursued to take his life, but es-
capped. His house was burned, and
he has not since dared to return to
his home.
A colored church in Meridian was
burned the same day.
On Tuesday night, March eth. (the
day after the riot three colored men
were taken out to the woods bv a
body of Alabama ku-klux and MUIR
dered. The same party SHOT wo-
man near the State line on their way
back to Alabama,
The declared object of these raiders
from Alabama, and their coadjutors
in Meridian, was to make the latter
place "too hot to hold" certain re-
publican officials, especially Mayor
Sturgis, whose offence was said To be
that he associated with coIored peo-
pie too much, and attended their
meetings"
The State Superintendent of Edu-
cation informed witness that from
twenty to twenty-five colored school
houses had been burned during the
past year.
Geo. B. Pickett, lieutenant u. S.
A, stationed at Aberdeen, Monroe
county, tesifes that be believes there
are three hundred ku.klux orpanized