Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1872-03-04
CHlcOT COUNTY, ARKANSAS.
A full, Fair and Candid Recital OF the
State Of Public Affairs Ia chIoot
The Negroes are Masters.
Letter from a eeRtIsman Of Posltlsz and
VsFaOIty, Who Knows Whereof He
Mrites-A HSrFibls story.
No Safety for Life or Property-GIaytoR's
B aok Bloodheunds are on the War
PATH and will have Bleed.
CHIooT COUNTY, ARKANSAS, |
February q, 1872. /
Hon. James Beck. washington, D. c.:

currences which took place at Lake
Village, our county seat, in Decem-
Der. Not having heard from you, |
take 1t for granted my letter has either
been miscarried, or your time has
been so occupied with more weighty
considerations as that you have not
been able to write. But sir, the state
OF our county is such that feel con-
strained to write to you sgain, to urge
this matter upon your attention, in
order that, If possible, it may be
brought before 1.-THE powers that be"
at Washington, so thas something
may be done for our relief. We feel
convinced that things cannot long re-
main as they are, for the state of affairs
Is daily becoming more aggravated
and aggravating, on account Of the
CONTINUED ENCROACHMENTS
of the same lawless bands who COM
mitted the afOrenamed outrages and
their vile and sneaking instgatOrs. l
must believe that a faithful and un-
vanished statement of our condition
to the proper authorities is all that is
needed to secure to Us our relief. l
cannot believe that President Grant,
or the thinking people Of the North
at large, would knowingly wink at
such Outrsges as have been perpetra-
ted upon the people OF ChicOt. Feel
ing, then, that your long acquaintance
with me will justify you in accepting
my statements as true, give you In
detail some Of the
OCCURRENCES OF THE PAST THREE
MONTHS.
In the fret place, for q faithful ae-
count of the first outbreak here, /
would call your attention to letter
written from Lake Village to Mayor
Mediil, OF Chicago, by a gentle
man who was at that tiLle trav-
cling in the South fer his health
o. E. Moore, Esq., a member of the
Republican party, and man who has
no property interest whatever in this
county. These statements 1 assure
you are fair and faithful, as far as they
60, and it will be u eless for me to re-
canvass the ground he has surveyed, /,
though the minute details OF all that
he has alluded to would present the
case In a more startling light. will
pass on to events OF a later date,
doubtless growing out Of these, and
the delay, indifference or total and
Willful neglect of the authorities in
Furnishing the offenders. After the
MURDER OF THE PRISONERS
by the iniuriated negro mob, they
took possession Of the town, threw
out their pickets to prevent, as far as
possible, either ingress or egress,
breathed the direst threats against the
village and its inhabitants, so as to
terrify what few people there were
who could not get away almost to
death, and sent out fOrsging and pill
Laying squads, one of which went in
mad haste to the residence of John
V. Sanders, one of the murdered pris-
oners, and after. taking what other
things they wanted, robbed Mrs. San
ders of one hundred and thirty dollars
in gold, which they had learned she
had in her posse s5iOn. Competent
witnesses can testify that the leader
of the squad-Wesley BrOwn-a cor
roner OF Jim MasOn's appointment
and ''a man after his own heart"
was one of the leaders OF the murder
ing mob, and one OF the detachment
that went to thesheriff and demanded
the key of the jail. In fact the sheriff,
MIR, Walker, himself has been heard
to say that he saw said Wesley Brown
in the squad who came to his house
for the key.
THE NEGROES HELD POSSESSION
of the town, already vacated by all
who could get away, until the arrival
of the detachment of troops sent by
the governor from Little Rock
some time afterWard. They then dis
appeared, and the people had reason
to hope that the arrest of the offend
ing parties, or at least of their leaders,
who were certainly sufficiently known
and identified, would be effected very
shortly. But no, there is a show of
something to be DONE" display Of
arms, the Haunting OF a glorious motto
by the governors guards" 'The
peoples refuge our only safety"-al, (,
doubtless, q mere artiice-a con-
tinuous lie to pGcify the feelings of
righteous Indignation and smothered
revenge already swelling ia the breasts
of
THE OUTRAGED AND OPPRESSED PEo-
PILE.
Not that we would cast the least re-
hection upon the troops themselves.
To their credit be it said, they have
acted like patriots and like gentle
men in expressing and showing
themselves Willing-yea, anXiOus-tO
arrest ard punish the parties, who's
ter sufficient investigation, they were
satisfied were implicated in the dark
deeds. and in behaving themselves
with the utmost propriety towards all.
The only indignity offered any one by
them being the telling and logging OF
negro by one of them for Insulting
and cursing. him. l will say moth
ing OF the fact that squad OF United
States troops were sent here by Gem
eral Emory and shortly afterward
suddenly ordered awayi nor of Gen
eral EmOry's having been himself or
dered to Washington Immediately af-
ter this, for doubtless you know as
much Of these facts as we do. But l
would cite you to some facts
CoNFIRMAToRY OF THE OPINION
now very prevalent among US, that
these troops were sent here merely
as q show-a promise OF jus
tice. whereas there was no real
Intention On the part of the author
tiles 10 punish the offenders.
The same Wesley Brown, before
mentioned, having 30 long run at
large, after the commission OF such
crimes with impunity, OF course feels
ssfe and even licensed to proceed to
other high handed measures. Soon
after he finds an opportunity. A
cOuDIe Of negro fellows in the lower
mart of the county get into q fight,
me kills the other; the murderer and
= partner who Is implicated, are ar
rested end brought to trial BY 3 ,nag-
istratf, In the vicinity. While the
msgistate Is proceeding with the trial,
said Brown dsshes up with q crowd OF
negroes armed and mounted Dolts
into the room where the trial Is being
conducted, and In the most uneere-
monious and
THREATENING MANNER
demands the prisoners from the mag
istrate, cursing him to his face and de-
cIarIng that as they had KILLED white
men for killing negroes, he reckoned
they could kill negroes for killing ne
0roes too. The frightened magistrate
attempting to explain that the
law should have its course, was In
dIqnantly told by Brown "We are the
law, sirl" And then again iI still
more threatening tones, he continued,
putting his hand upon his revolver,
aHere Is the lawI and we have it ia
our own hands," Think of that, sir
VET notice; though the sheriff is duly
Informed Of the whole affair by the
magistrate, not thing is done toward
fhe punishment Of the offender for it.
About this time however, after re-
peated entreaties on the part OF all
| the most influential citizens that he
would proceed to action in some way,
fha aheriff at last concludes to attempt
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