Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1874-05-20
CIVIL RIGHTS IN COFFEE COUNTY
How CoIOred School Teachers are Treated
rhe EukIuS Whipping aud shooting by
Wholesale.

rhe HukluN Whipping aud shooting by
Wholesale.
The Nashville Lni1n.al,d american, of
the 18th, says:
some twelve or fifteen cit izens of Coffee
county arrived in the city yesterday, hav-
ing been summoned to appear before the
Grand Jury Of the Federal Court to testify
as to what they know about certain out
RACES alleged to have occurred recently
an that county. From one of this party,
who claims to he one of the victims, aud
whose name is i. y. Coleman, reporter
OF this paper obtained the following state
ment:
On Friday night, April %, about eleven
O'Clock, several masked men went to his
house and demanded entrance The door
was opened and they enTuired of Mr. Sill
man, whose family alsooccured the house.
who was up stairs. They were told that
Mr.. Coleman was up there and in bed, aud
they then ordered him to come down.
Coleman replied that he would not come
down-that he knew from their garb that
they were kukluX and wanted to whip
him and perhaps kill him. One of the dis
guised party then said thatif he would not
come down they would burn the house
Coleman told them that they would have
to burn away and the sooner they got
through, the sooner the job would be lin
ished. They told Sillman that he had bet
j
Coleman was not gone within ten days
from that time they would return aud burn
the house down, and il they caught Cole
man they would hang him.
Then they left and went To house occu-
pied by VIM. Wildman, and inquired what
time it was. They were informed that it
was about II O'clock. The alleged kukluX,
after leaving this place, went to Benz.
Patton's, colored, four miles from Cole
mans house. Here they called for col
ored school -teacher named II. s. Parker,
who was boarding at Patton's. They were
informed that he was there, but that they
could not come in. They broke open the
door, using for this purpose a long rail
ration was leaning heavily against the
door, endesvoring to keep them out, and
when it gave way, he received q terrible
blow onhisshoulder with the rail. Parker
was, in the meantime, making his arrange
msnts TO escape, and after the ALLEGED llu-
.,lux had succeeded in eflactng an en-
rance and fuSr rs they stcppe3 into the
'oor ho was seen making his exit through
% back door. several shots were fired at
MIN, SoEle OF which passed through his
.tothing Patton was then taken out and
severely whipped for shcltering Parker,
receiving about twenty lashes. Long ga~hes
we're cut on his bac,, and the blood
rrickled down to his heels Patton
is "a wCll-tO-d0 colOrel farmer in Coffee
sOunty ana has endeavored TO advance the
educational interests of his race by build
ING school houses for them and boarding
Inc teachers. After Coleman received the
notification to leave, he came to Nashville
md appeared before the Grand jury. He
stayed here five days and then returned.
He thinks that he knows several Of the dis.
guised party and says that they have
walked 10 the wrong man this time.N
He is now ia the city for the purpose of
prosecuting the Investigation. Coleman
further says that the school directors prom
'-ed to protect Patton if he would board
The coored school teacher ana on this
rondiuon he consented TO take him. Par.
-ler left the county and now has e schoo
at Tracy City, in Grundy county. He ano
Potion are also in the city aud will 60 be
ore this Grand Jury.
our reporter was informed by another
resident OF Coffee county that n pnrty o
eight or ten men in disguise visited severa
residences about six miles from Pattonh
mousse, on the night Of April 2Sth, aud thai
they We're supposed to be the same crOWt
who did the other mischief They went C
20 house occupied by n negro named Elem
Rice, took him out and thrashed him
they thou went to auOtherman'S house II
search Of a negro named James Turner
nut did not find him. The next piac
they visited was Mr.. Readers, where the
procured a quart of whisky and the
rode off in search of Andrew Cunningham
'olored, but this Individual hud slnelJ
mouse" and vamoosed.
The reporter was told by Coleman tina
there would be large number of Coffe
county citizens here this week, all ofwhor
had been summoned to tell what the
knew about the alleged doings of tn
masked marauders.
The above statements are given for whf
they are worth, and just as they were mad
TO the reporter. As a rule, the Union an
american has paid but little attention
such reports of "ku.klux outrages," whic
are almost invariably exaggerated, al
tend only to injure the communities
which they are alleged to have occurre'
but in this case, as the interposition of Il
Federal Court has been invoked, matte
look rather serious for the suspected pa
ties.
50