Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1873-08-23
PERRYVILLE, ARK.
The Bloody Work Of Names e. Co.
How and Why he Adjourned
the Supervisors Court.
A Regular Battle-War Times Revived
Negroes Mustered into Service
Sad Scenes,
One Man Wounded and Another Killed
The Women aud Children
In the Woods,

On Thursday morning last we pub
lished dispatch announcing the exist
ence of "a state of war; in Perryville,
Arkansas. Below we give the full par
tieulars, from Mr.. Charles G.. Reid, ir.,
in letter to the Little Rock Gazette.
He says, writing on the twentieth. "In-
! formation was received at this place late
Monday evening that a little war had
broken out at Perryville on that day
Mathews shot, others wounded, and a
thousand other conflicting reports. For
the purpose Of elicitiDg the facts and
learning the origin of the trouble, Mr..
Watson of the Empire, and myself,
started to PerTyville on yesterday morn
ing. We arrived there in the morning
about half-past eleven o'clock, and COM
menced to interview the situation. Sit
ting on the courthouse steps were Sheriff
Hambright, Treasurer Jones and one
other individual. In front of Weddell's
grocery were several darkeys pitching
quOits.n Their arms consisted of shot
gums, rifles, etc., which were leaning
against the house. esquire Weddell and
a number of armed men were in and
around the grocery. Everything was
STILL AND QUIET AS DEATH.
We were evidently not welcomed by the
party in possession, and remained there
at least a half hour before we could
elicit an expression. Finally we en-
tered into conversation with Hambright
and others. Hambright, Jones and
Weddeli stated that on Monday, at
noon, ,,after the court had adjourned, Nc
Csbe attacked Jacob Smyers about an
article he had written in the Gazette a
few days ago. Smyers stated Mathews
wrote it, and he had allowed him the use
of his signature. Mathews was then as
saulted by McCabe in the courthouse
hall with large club. Mathews was dis
armed at this time, and made his escape
from the courthouse and ran to his store,
hotly pursued by McCabe, striking at
him with his club, and it struck
the door-facing. McCabe entered the
door and Mathews shot at him with a
pistol, missing him, but powder-burnt
his face. From this they assert
A GENERAL FIRING
took place, in which Mathews was
wounded and escaped to the bushes.
Hambright says that he endeavored to
command the peace, but he was cursed
by both sides, and told to go away and
not interfere, which hewas compelled to
do. We then called upon Mr.. Haddock,
(the clerk at his housekeeping every
thing around the courthouse as we found
it. HaddOck stated he was in the clerks
Office during the fight, and could not
give detailed statement of it. He said
several balls nit the courthouse, one en-
tering the window-casiDg of the clerks
office. After having been very kindly
treated by Mr.. Haddock and his estima-
ble lady, we called upon Mrs. Mathews,
for the purpose Of hearing something of
her husband, who had been wounded
the day before. We found her looking
pale and ghOst-like; the very picture Of
misery and despair.
MRS. MATHEWS
could give US no information, did not
know nor had not learned what had be-
come of Mr.. Mathews. In fact, she
seemed very little inclined to talk. Mr..
Price, brother TO Mrs. Mathews, and
Mr.. CLARK, who was present, said they
had hunted the woods out for him, but
could fiHd no traces of him; that they
were afraid to search any longer for him,
for fear they would be killed. They
stated further that on Monday evening,
a short time after the fighting, Ham
bright and squad of men came to the
house and searched it through for
Mathews, stating that they had a writ
for him. About this time
SUPERVISOR HOLMES
and one other person rode up 10 the gate,
dismounted and came in the house.
After exchanging few words with Mrs.
Mathews, Mr.. Holmes had a short in
terview with US. He said Ito use his
own language briefly as we cam that
'gang of desperadoes, headed by Names,
MctIabe and others, had broken up
the court the day before, by their
threats, intimidations and violence.
The same parties had prevented the
court proceeding with business two
terms heretofore. That a violent pre-
meditated attempt had been made to
take Mathews's life on Monday, engaged
in by George w. Names late clerk,
Jesse r. Names, l. ]. Pigg, Marion
McCabe and others. That Mathews had
sworn out warrants against all the par
ties, which were placed in the hands
of the constable. That he had sum-
mOned some one hundred and fifty men,
with their arms, to assist in making the
arrests, and for the purpose of protecting
stated that
A WRIT WAS ISSUED FOR HAMBRIGHT;
that be was just as bad as any of them,
and that tie people had turned out to
arrest them all, and assist in the execu-
ton of the law; that il they made no
resistance none of them would be hurt,
but if they did resist, they intended to
have them at any hazard. About this
time a body of about forty or fifty armed
men came marching down the road in
regular order Of infantry. They halted
for moment at the gate. At this
point we were little over q quarter of
a mile from the courthouse, west. The
squad here divided, portion taking the
brush and filing through the woods, so
as to enter the square on the southwest
corner, the remainder of the squad NOV
ing slowly and cautiously down the
main road, Supervisor Holmes and our
selves following. About the time we
reached Hambright's house firing COM
meneed from the direction in which the
squad hRd gone that left the main road
a few minutes before. What imme-
diately occurred at the courthouse
square We do not know, as we were too
far off too see well. The squad ahead
of us got there without firing. A scene
here followed which We shall not soon
forget. For little while the
GOLD WAR TIMES" WERE FULLY RE-
NIVED,
screaming and terrified women, crying
and frightened children, flying in every
direction, panic-stricken. In few mo-
ments the squad returned from the
firing, but they would not impart any
information. The darkies and all their
friends but the two Weddels had disap-
peared, evidently upon the first approach
of the constable's troops, but not know
ing the exact condition of affairs, and
feeling il would be prudent to remove