The New York herald., 1872-10-29
Governor HaGey's Commissioners In
vestigadng the 0sceola Riots. }. !
FITzPAVRlCK'S RECOGNIzANCES FORFEITED.
How the Secret League was OrganS
lied and Brought Out.
TWO DEAD NEGROES FOUND.
Supposed to Have Been Murdered and
Thrown Into the River.

OscEOLA, Ark, Oct. %, 1872.
Having perfect access to all sources Of lnforma.
tion-white. black and Ofcial-I have yet been
able to learn OF only four cases OF death from
volcnce-that Of Sheriff Murray, and one by ac-
cldcnt among. the whites, and one negro killed.
some distance north from town, and one in the
south part OF the county All parties assure me
that there had never been any olentdsturbances
in this county up to August last, when Judge Fitz-
patrick came to the county with an appointment as
President OF the Board OF Registration his pocket
from Governor Hadley.
Negro parades were not common, and no
negroes had paraded the streets with arms In their
hands until september 3, the day before Sheriff
Murray died, when Fitzpatrick appeared before q
colored justice, J. o. Blackwood with seyenty-fve
armed negroes at his back and more In
reserve, and demanded to be admitted to
ball in the sum OF $4,000, with which
demand the Justice complied. The next occasion
was on the 25th OF September, the day which Ganz.
the liberal candidate for Congress, had appointed
for speaking at Osceola, and on which the Repub-
lican County Convention met wnen as Fitzpatrick
admits, six hundred negroes were present, Of
which number at least one hundred were armed
with guns, and the remainder, as l am informed,
nearly all carried pistols. OF these one squadron
paraded the streets In procession the number Of
very nearly four hundred, by actual count; and
FITZPATRICK HIMSELF ASSERTS
that the crowd OF white men on that day did not
exceed twenty-five, and he has not pretended that
they were armed. The next demonstration Of
armed force was on the week OF the Circuit Court.
On Monday October 7, the Judge, M. l..
Stephenson, did not appear On Tuesday the Bar
selected John Q. Palmer as temporary Judge in
pursuance OF a law OF this State. BY Wednesday
an armed body of negroes, more than three hum
dred strong, swarmed into town and spread terror
among the Inhabitants An armed body OF whites
appeared IN the north part OF the town, professedly
volunteers to aid the Court and civil authorities
In preserving the peace. Judge Palmer, being
unable to proceed with the ordinary business ofthe
Court, ordered the Sheriff to read the Riot act and
disperse the rioters. Deputy Sheritr Driver pro-
ceeded with small posse ofcitizens TO Fitzpatrck's
command and attempted TO read the Riot act to
band and dsperse II the whites would do the same.
The white band on the Riot act being read TO them.
promptly retired, although It seems they did not not
wholly dfsperse. The negroes, who had up to this
time been mainly at the south OF the village, now
became holder and instead & Of disbanding, % aa-
strati0ns Judge Palmer then instructed the
Sheriff to TAX his posse and
DISPERsE THE RIOTERS
at all hazards, arrest such as he could, and meeS
forcible resistance with force. Deputy Driver pro-
ceeded 10 execute this order at the head OF an
armed posse OF near one hundred men. The col
ored force remained together and rctreatcd along
near the timber belt above mentioned TO point in
they made stand under cover OF the timber, and
fired on the SheriTs party, and so commenced
tne patte oi me urr,caae e Ilmpcr wnereln some
not man was killed on either side. One negro
was reported to have been wounded and one white
man, Polk Whitley, was mortaly wounded by the
accidental discharge or u comrades gun the night
after this boodless battle. The posse, with the
Deputy Sheriff at their head, followed up the nsur-
gent party, securing the south part of the county,
arresting some OF the more obnoxious insurgents
ana Inducing others to restore their arms to their
Sheritf's protection some parties
TOOK OCCASION TO RECOVER STOLEN CATTLE,
which c0lored justice, Dan Hicks, had taken
under his judicial protection in defiance OF all law,
and in this reclamation one OF the two negroes
at Mason's Landing. Some forty negroes were
arrested by the sherin's party during this raid,
taken before Justice Rozeil and 1ned for rioting,
Those who could not pay their fines obtained
suretes among the citizens here. and in weeks
time the jail was empty The other negro killed
was one of squad whom his employer was trying
to dissuade frOln coming to town. The darkey
stumbled and he missed his aim, when the white
man shot him. Most Of the leaders Of the inaur-
gents ied southward into Crittenden county, and
II Is from that quarter alone that trouble is ap-
pretended. IL is in the south part OF this county
that Dan Hicks, Justice OF the Peace, sways the
sceptre oil dominion. Here he
ORGANIZED THE SECRET LEAGUE
$40 strong, which formed Fitzpatrick's army, an
drilled by W.T.. Harris, colorcd successor to Fitz-
patrick as President OF the Board of Registration.
These, with Major Davis, Joe Russell and few
other c0lOrcd leaders, are the leaders In all the
mischief to which white men like Fitzpatrick may
choose to incIte them. Commissioner Richards,
VINO has confined his inquiries mostly to colored
men, and mainly with reference to the disposition
and temper OF the lcaguers, has sent word to the
he has no present apprehension OF violence. One
Mitchell has been appointed to vacancy on the
Registration Board The ,, work @ q registration ls
il diligently. prosecuted. can be thoroughly
completed before election day. Some Of
friaktc fhf aftfa In nf hin
mounted guard, Bill Johnson, and others equally
active, are home; but, as they goodnaturedly say
aaey no aoe o1
broken quiet prevails, yet there is spirit OF nerv.
GUS anxiety and distrust, and II wquld seem as 4
some imprudent act might lead to scenes ol
violence.
as forfeited and he is liable to arrest that ac-
count as we'll as under the Riot act Ills return
would be very likely to renew the scenes OF vio-
theatre since August last, and which had no pre-.
cedent in her previous peaceful history II Is said
the negro killed at Masons Point bore the name Of
made no arrests. Two more deputics-G Gilmore
and H.. b. Best-are on the ground, and
1t has been stated that in the night
at the Hurricane Timber the mounted whites
carried a Confederate nag but q white repub-
sures me that 1t was three-barred federal battle
nag. He further declares that the whites through
out that diilcuty conducted themselves with com.
mcndable moderation, and on every occasion
acted in concert with him In restraining the law
less from acts OF violence and In restoring good
understanding among all parties. Other white re-
publcans confirm this statement. This morning
the dead bodies OF two negroes were ioand noating
in the river mile and half below here cor
oner's inquest was held, when 1t was proved tnas
the bodies were those Of Benjamin Elilan anu VIII
liam Washington. These men were OF fitzpat-
rick's armed band. They came IN on sunday
morning alter The fight and gave themselves up,
and were taken into custody and started Tor
Osceola from stonewall Landing, fifteen miles be-
low, and are supposed to nave been murdered on
the way. Verdict accordingly This is the worst
and almost the only act OF lawless violence on the
part OF white men during all these troubles and Is
equally condemned and regretted by all parties.
TIE BROOKLYN COMMON COUNCIL.