Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1874-09-11
THE TENNESSEE HORROR.

Clinton Reporter.
THE TENNESSEE HORROR.
The Events Leading to the Fearful
Tragedy-Ehe Negroes Declared to
Have Confessed Intended Rapine.
Murder and Robbery.
The following statement relative to
the Gibson county disorders is con-
densed from three column article in
the Memphis Appeal, of the Goth ult:
Since last Saturday night great ex-
cltement has existed among the citi-
zens of Pickettsville, located on the
Louisville railroad, six miles north
east of Humboldt and eighty-eight
miles from this city. Indications are
that the entire negro population of
Gibson county intended to inaugurate e
secret hostillties for the purpose of
numbering the whites, who have been
very much alarmed for their personal
safety, and are still fearful of future
Ill from ther ignorant yet malicious
foes.
For five weeks past there had been
an uneasy feeling i'll view of the threats
OF the negroes, and more than one
runor of rloting was spread about,
though not generally believed. Last
Saturday night about half-past eleven
o'clock, while two young men named
Monroe Morgan and james Warren
We're riding along the road, about three
miles from town, they were fired upon
by crowd of thirty or forty negroes.
The young men abandoned their
horses, one of which was wounded,
and took to the woods. The negroes
pursued. yelling and shooting. The
young men managed to escape, and
returned safely to town an hour after
ward.
Morgan and Warren gave their state
ment of the unexpected assault, and
their escape, and added: We then re-
turned to town, and found several cit
izens assembled, great excitement pre-
valllng, and people constantly coming
In to know the cause of the firing. We
related the affair, and then sentinels
were placed on duty to guard the
town.
The firing of the negroes awolze the
citizens of Gibson, who forthwith sciz-
ed their weapons and met together for
the purpose Of defending themselves.
as they suspected the fact that the ne
groes were attempting to murder the
white people. An informal meeting
was held, and men sent in search of
Morgan and Warren, who were be1iev-
ed to have been killed, this fear being
made all the stronger by the fact that
they were not fOunn until sometime
after the shooting was heard, though
their horses were caught by those in
search of the young men. Judging it
to pursue the negroes, they
returned to town, shortly afterwards
the missing young men came in. After
arranging necessary precautions
ag unst surprise, a parry Of citizens, in
command of an offic9r of the law,
proceeded to the house Of negro
named Ben. Walker, who Was seen
with gun the day Iruvicus- Another
fact which made their fears all the
stronger was that only one negro was
in town on Saturday afternoon, upon
which days there usually were large
present. 1t was about three
o'clock when the party reached Walk
er's house, where they surprised and
a negro named Ben. Ballard
The prisoner being led 4 short dist
ance, was asked to mako Il full confess
sion of the shooting that night, the
reason of the organization among the
negroes. its purpose and aims. This
he did, the substance Of hls confession
being as follows:
The colored people met Saturday
night to organize temporarily, which
was done by electing Winsley Shields
Captain, the object being to protect
Col. Webb, colored, from feared ku-
klux outrages, and after that to return
to Kill a negro nam 4 Burrcn Butler,
who had revealed their plans to the
whites. After firing upol the white
men that night, they dispersed and
proceeded home. While symDathizing
with the negroee, Ballard professcd TO
have taken no part III the assassin-likc
proceedings. He said that Il few nights
previous, Dan Williams, Tom Cooke,
jim Cooke, Bob Love, Dick Shaw and
Nelson hcGhce, the latter being lead
er, VISITED his house and wanted him
to go To negro meeting, to bo held
hall Il mile froIl town. McGhce had
been to see him that morning before,
and said the object Of theic meeting
was TO devise plan for the assassin-
alton Of Burrell Butler, the negro 81
lu,led to above: They were to give
his wife slight whipping, each of the
thirty to bestow twenty-five lashcG
upon her bare back. lie says that he
refused to attend the meeting or to
participate.
Having obtained the ab owe facts, the
party at once proceeded to arrest Nc
Ghee, the ringIeader, who was sur
p.ised in bed shortly after daylight,
and was made captive. After proceed
ing q short distance the party told
Nelson it was no use to deny his COM
plicity in or knowledge OF the atteinp-
ted assassination and theintended out
break among the negroes IN that
county, their purpose being TO muir
der. The prisoner then admitted his
guilt, and said that the following ne
groes were the head men and ndringlead-
ers engaged in the attack the night
before: Tom Shelton, George Greene,
Steve Bryant, Bill Ivey, Bob Love,
Dan Williams, Dick Shaw, Jarret Bur
row, Dug Jamison, Hays PEBBLES,
Leon Jordan, Charlie Scott, Medium
McDinnie, Albert Reagan, George
Hess, Bob Baden, Felix Lipscomb,
George Hicks, Gus Cummings, George
Green and Winslow Shields. In addi-
ton to these several other negroes,
whose names he did not recollect,
were engaged in the affair They met
and organized by electing Winslow
Shields captain for that night, with
the understanding that Joshua Webb
was to be elected colonel when the
squad reached his house. He said
they fired on Morgan aud Warren