The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1871-03-30
SturgeS Account OF the Meridian
R1O1.
From the Washing ton Chronicle.
The MHrfdImm Massacre

1 The Meridian Massacre.
The New York Tribune prints a letter
/ from Mr.. William Sturges. to whose expul-
I SION from Meridian, Mississippi, recently,
| kilograms have alluded. Mr.. s. states that
! he went to Mississippi purely on business,
that he sought no effice; that on July 8 go
| he was appointed Mayor OF Meridian; aud
| that the Kuklux made a number Ofineffec
/ tual efforts to remove him. A large num-
Der OF Democrats signed a paper for his re-
tention, however; and, until the 9Th inst,
| the Kuklux failed to Dust him. Mr.. Stur-
| ges says that three weeks ago about one
| hundred Alabamians came to Meridian,
| armed principally with deuble-barreled shot
guns, for the ostensible purpose of arrest
Ing one Daniel Price. originally an Alabam-
! ian, who was Federal appointee, but who
was removed when the Kuklux came into
| power.
They arrested Price and another man,
bound them and took them to hotel, after
which they were not heard of and Mayor
Sturges believes they were murdered. At
the request of Mayor Sturges, Governor
Alcorn sent troops to Meridian, and il was
the intention OF Mayor 5. to arrest the
prime movers in the outrage. BY mistake
these troops were recalled before the arrests
were made. Again. the Mayor SAYS:
Joseph Williams was killed and three other
men, only n few nights before he left I;
killing and whipping being the order of the
day.
The much talked of meeting which "pro-
voked' the massacre, was one called by j.
A. Moore, William Dennis and ID. w. Tyler,
three leading colored Republicans. It was
called in the interest of peace. Speeches
were made at this meeting regretting that
better feeling did not exist, and begging the
white men to aid them in putting down the
Ku Klux.
The meeting on Monday is thus describ-
ed /:
On Monday the Ku Klux called a meeting
of the citizens of Meridian. Some spoke,
and one reiterated after another: 1.-The pre-
sent incumbents must be swept from the
face of the earth," &c. They adjourned;
and no sooner had they adjourned than some
one made an affidavit that the negroes had
uttered incendiary speeches. They were
arrested and tried. i think there was no
evidence against them. / saw the guns nu-
merously carried toward the court house.
L apprehended rious difficulty; indeed
it was apparent. L went to the court house.
The guns were brought there. The killing
was premeditated. After staying for a
time. l saw passing back and forth, max
ing. as / conceived, preparations for the
murder.
went thence directly TO my brothers
house, where had some guns. went into
the garnet, intending to make as vigorous
defence as possible. In a few moments /
heard report after report which told me
that the numbering which feared had COM
menced. Immediately afterward heard
the cries of mOurners and the wailing of
widows. The Ku Klux cavalry were march
ing through the streets. Their numbers
were great-probably 500, including infant
ry | heard A. 6. Horn, the editor of the
Mercury, as he passed my brothers house,
say. ssWe must get that id rascal"
In relation to the killing of Justice Bram-
lette. Mayor Sturges says the colored men
could not have done it, for they were not
armed, while the Kuklux all carried arms |
After the massacre had com menced, we are
told that General Dennis, colored, was shot |
and thrown from the two-stOry window on
to the brick pavement below, and, as that |
did not kill him, they then cut his throat. |
After they had killed j. A. Moore they |
went and burned his house, and so they con-
tinued their heliish barbarities."
The Mayor thus describes his own mar
row escape:
They surrounded my brothers house. |
They were all armed with double barreled |
shot guns. Many good citizens of Meridian |
plead Tor me, as well as many in the Kuklux |
columns. who were in them not from choice, |
but from necessity. They appointed COM |
mittee after committee to walt upon me and |
to inform me that must leave by 10 O'Clock |
next day. Their principal commanders |
visited me. l wanted to know the WHY'S |
and wherefores, but they said they came |
not to argue any question of right-the |
verdict had been rendered. They treated |
me respectfully, bur said that their ultima
tum was that must take Northern bound |
train. yielded. At about II 80 o'clock at |
night, perhaps 300 came and escorted me to |
the cars.
He concludes by urging that martial law
be proclaimed.