The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1874-08-12
4 WAR OF RACES.
Fighting between Whites and
Blacks in Arkansas.
several Pcrso ms Kill ID.

SCvCHah CrSOAB HAftA 1us
MEMPHIS, Aug. n.-A special to the Appeal
from HeIena, Ark, this morning says =
Last night three ladies and two gentlemen
arrived from st. Augustine in skiff They
report considerable fighting yesterday evening.
The commodore of the port despatched twenty
five men on the road to Codwater station on
the Mississippi and Tennessee, and captured
picket OF twenty negroes, who were stationed
about two miles from town, brought them in
and disarIned them, One of them tried to
escape, but was fred upon and killed, and in
the melee which eusued auother negro was
wounded.
Later in the evening large body of ne
groes advanced from the south and attacked
the white skirmishers, driving them in to the
court house, where the main body of the whites
were stationed They charged and the negroes
were Iepulsed with loss of several killed and
wounded The fighting was going on when the
informants left, and they were fired upon as
they. crossed over to Ship Island.
A second despatch from Helena says that
Major Hoone Chalmers of Hernandez has just
arrived there for the purpose of chartering
boat to take men to the assistance of the whites
i'll Austin. He says courier from Ma or
Woodson Of Austin reached Hernandez at day
light, stating that the town was surrounded by
about 1000 negroes, and asking for help.
About 200 men from Hernandez and vicinity
will be here at two o'clock, and in company
with volunteers from this city will start at five
o'clock for Austin.
LIT. SnlUD, VINO Is tno unfortunate cause OF
the trouble, arrived here last night Some
three weeks since he was attacked in the
Streetsof Austin by negro, and drawing a
pistol fired at the negro, but missed him and
killed little negro girl standing by, which
eXasperated the negroes to such an extent that
they collected mob and took DR.. Smith to
hang him, which they wsuld have done but for
the entreatieS of Mayor Woodson and the
doctors wife. Since that time DIR. Smith has
been voluntarily an inmate of the jail to pre-
vent being mobbed, until last Friday, when
some friends came and carried MIN to Herman
dez on learning which the negroes collected in
large numbers and notified the Mayor that
unless he was brought back aud put in Jail
they would burn the town.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Aug ia third despatch
!. to the Appeal from Helena says that tele-
grams are being received from the vicinity of
Austin asking for men, arms and ammunition,
and stating that unless the whites, who are
surrea Tase2 in the court house are speedily re-
leved they VIII be forced to surrender or be
captured.
One steamer. the "A j. White, had been
chartered to leave at five o'clock and will carry
large number of men well armed.
Another despatch to the same paper says
that the negroes surrounding Austin were
charged on the south this morning by body
of mounted whites, who killed four or five and
captured twenty negroes. The blacks number
about 700, ana the whites have about 200.
Both parties are expecting reinforcements. AT
present the whees have the best of the fight.
The negro hands on the plantation opposite on
the Arkansas side are arriving and marching
On Austin in large numbers
Austin Bnrricadca.
| MEMPHIS, Aug. ia special to the Avail
| anche from Helena, dated noon says: In the
| fight at Austin last night, eight or ten negroes
| were killed. Reinforcements are coming ia to
| the whites from The hills and the negroes are
| being reinforced from surrounding counties.
| The whites have Austin barricaded and will
probably be able to keep the negroes off, but
they need assistance in provision and ammuni-
ton. The special also states that the whites
| have taken o. X. Landing, some three miles
| below Austin, and the only landing in that vi
| cinity at the present stage of the water, and
| this is corroborated by officers I'll. Q. Yerger,
| who arrived here tonight and who saw a body
| of armed white men there as they passed.
| --latest.
MEMPHIS, Aug. 11.-The excitement here in
reference to the riot in Austin, is increasing.
| The telegraph operator at Helena reports that
negroes have been passing there on the Missis-
sippi side all day, marching on to Austin. The
steamer White left this p. IN. at O'Clock, with
about 800 men and supplies.
About half are from Mississippi, among them
| some 20 negroes, who say they want this tool
ishness stopped. The remainder of the force
| are from this city. Large numbers of men have
| also started for Austin by land, and ii the
| whites can hold the court house till midnight,
| rsnforcemeutS in sufficient numbers will have
arrived to relieve them.
| taul Reeves, shot in the melee in Somerville,
| died Yesterday He and his brother Albert who
| died Sunday, from wounds received in the same
fight, were buried in one grove.