The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1872-10-17
The Arkansas Horrors.

= oh cuHDI6U 10 6enO q St0t6.
ment OF the impending troubles at that
point. Inc town OF Osoeola contains
some 6OO inhabitants, five dry goods
stores, seven retail groceries or nron.
shops, and several dozen trading resi-
dents OF various kinds. These are what
are left by the tornado which swept over
the place two weeks ago, and DESTROYED
some twenty houses, including churoh
and three store-houses, with their con.
tents. Osceola is the County seat of
Missouri County, Arkansas, and is on
the missouri River, ninety miles above
this city. The surrounding country is
swampy, and the settlement, except an
occasional cotton or farm plantation Of
several hundred acres, is rather a wild
region. Except by river, there is no
communication with the place from this
city, and 1t has neither railroad nor tele-
graph station, though there is a regular
landing for steamers. The inhabitants,
except those who own farms, are of an
iliiterate type, such as generally reside
IN nowly-settled country. For the past
six years, the County officials have been
9! the stripe of the followers of ex-Gov.
Clayton and his doctrines. Their eleva-
tion to ofttce was entirely due to the me-
groes and ignorant whites. Property
and landowners have hnd no vote in the
election OF officials, and split in the
dominant party in the State gave the
Liberals some hope OF changing the
political situation, and eventually secur.
ing less hated set Of County officials.
The principal leaders of the faction were
Murray, the Sheriff of Missouri County.
and Fitzpatrick, the County Register.
The latter is bold, bad, erratio man, of
violent prejudices, carpet. .bagger from
Kentucky. and confirmed Radical.
In public discussion of local politics,
some six weeks ngo, he denounced She
rim Murray, whom he afterwards shot
and killed in an alteration, which
brought great denunciation down on
him: He was a Liberal or ..brindle
tall" and popular with the people.
Fitzpatrick was an extremist, with only
negroes for associates, and considerable
feeling was engendered by his killing of
Murray, which was by some regarded in
the light OF self-defenoe, that official
having commenced the assault that re.
suited In his death. Fitzpatrick was
soon released under bonds to appear at
the succeeding term of court.
A short time since Colonel Gouse.
Liberal candidate for Congress-, visited
Osceola to speak on the political issues.
Fitzpatrick met him and asked to be
permitted to 'divide time" Gouse de-
clined 10 recognize him, and was COM
PEELED to leave the place. because Fitz-
patrick declared he would break up his
meeting by getting mp an opposition
meeting a few hundred yards distant.
Bad feeling was increased by this cir
oumstance, and some threats were made
by both factions. Last Tuesday was the
appointed time for the County court to
be held. Judge Palmer, OF Helena, was
appointed special Judge in the absence
Of Judge Stephenson. who had gone off
to aettle the Pope County trouble, in
company with W. 81. Clayton. brother
to Senator Powell Clayton, and prosecut-
ing attorney for the circuit; also several
members of the bar. He arrived ut
Osceola by steamer from this city early
on tuesday morning. It was soon pal
pable that trouble was brewing, and
when the Judge opened court he found
that all the jurors and witnesses were
armed.
During the morning session of the
court party Of armed white men, some
twenty In number, marched into the
place and stacked arms in store They
o'oseoA ennc Ihoy ueSlIeu 10 prOCecC CQo
court and jurors from attack or intimi-
dation by bodies of armed negroes whom
Fitzpatrick was known to have lurking
in the neighborhood. An armed party
OF negroes, carrying flag, also marched
through the town aud drew up in front
of Fitzpatrick's Office. The latter took
their colors and placed them over his
house. He conferred with Judge Pal
mer, and stated that he was anxious to
have his trial for the murder of Sheriff
Murray at the present term of court
Upon opening the court on Wednes-
day morning. Judge Palmer found nei-
ther Jurors nor witnesses forthcoming.
All were under arms, and had joined the
contending factions, the whites, under
their chosen leader, Bowen, taking posi-.
ton to the North Of the town, and the
blacks, under Fitzpatrick, stationed one
mile South Of the village, both on the
river banks. Judge Palmer, Attorney
Clayton. Sheriff Driver, and several in.
fuentiel friends, met the belligerents
under flag of truce, and read the Riot
Act to the lenders of each. Fitzpatrick
promised to disperse his band, 1872
strong, and oil the blacks. The other
side disclaimed being rioters. During