The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1874-09-29
TENNESSEE TRAGEDIES

AN osTENSIBLY UNPREJUDICED NARRATIVE
OF THE TROUBLES IN GIBSON COUNTY, TEN
NEssEE-THE EFFORTS MADE TO BRING THE
KU-KLUxT TO JUsTIcE-THE TRUE CAUSE OF
ALL THIS BLoODsHED.
The Chicago Tribune contains the follow
ing letters, written to a gentleman in that
city, who vouches for their honest nara
ton: ...
TRENTON, TENN, Sept. Is, 1874.
DEAR BRoTHERiAND SISTER: In reply to
your inquiry, 1 viii try and give you his
tory of our recent troubles, stripped OF all
prejudice, and nearly unvarnished
as possible: On Sunday night, August %
two young men were riding to church near
Pickettsville Tor Gibson hen they were fired
on by number of negroes. Their animals
were wounded; but the young men dis
mounted quickly, jumped into cornfield,
and escaped. ought to remark that pre-
vious to this, a large number Of negro
meetings had been held in the country, and,
without noise, all the buckshot and powder
in Milan and Trenton had been purchased.
These proceedings had caused vague ru-
NOR to be set on foot that general insur-
rection was contemplated by the blacks.
After the shooting above referred to, num-
Der of men were deputized by a board OF
magistrates, and proceeded TO arrest negroes
home that night. When found they had
without exception arms and ammunition
| in plenty. They were taken from Picketts-
vile and regularly tried by bench of mag
istrates, and unanimously admitted that an
instruction was on foot, and that
| the intention was to organize the
night of the shooting, and first kill John
Moore "a brother of our nearest neighborl, a
Mr.. Hale, and negro who had divulged the
plot. They asserted that this year had been
a failure in crops, and from their share they
could not get sutficieucy to keep their tam
| lilies until spring. They proposed TO Kill
ev cry white man In the county, and take
possession of the farms. These confessions
were made without constraint, and in the
presence of fully 800 citizens. They also
said that this uprising was a general thing,
and they would be- taken out OF jail if put
In. The excitement produced by this con-
fession was fearful, nor was it confined to
ex-rebels, but all classes near the scene of
action armed, and taking the women and
children where they could be most easily
defended, prepared for a struggle that -.
IBELIEvED WOULD COME.
After the trial, the prisoners, sixteen in
number, were remanded to Ithe calaboose
till arrangements could be made to take
them to Trenton. At night. some masked
men presented themselves ana demanded the
prisoners but the guards refused to give them
up. They left, swearing they would have
them yet. Next day, twenty-five men were
deputized to take the prisoners to the county
jail. These guards were well armed with
both guns and pistols. On the road to Tren-
ton, masked men again made their appear
ance and renewed there demands. Find
| ing that nghting alone would get
| the prisoners, they disappeared and the
prisoners were duly handed over to the
proper authorities. Up to this time the very
letter and spirit of the law has been obeyed
] through the midst of the most intense ex-
element. Next day trial was ordered
| generally sided with the negroes, and people
were convinced that, through fear of the
government, nothing would be done, fol
they did not propose to even investigate
| Believing, as we all did here at the seat OF
war 1--WE are within four miles,, that turning
the negroes loose in this manner
was equivalent to admitting thst we
were afraid to do anything with them
| flor they constantly asserted thai
they would be released). the most seriou:
apprehensions were entertained as to the re-
suit. Our best citizens were afraid of mol
law, and feared just what did follow. The
night following the examination, some
eighty masked men rode up to the Jail and
demanded the keys. The jailer replied that
he did not keep them (the sheriff keeps
them). Sheriff Williams, hearing noise in
the street, as in duty bound got up, and, go.
ing to the men, commanded them to dispense
] They replied by demanding the keys. The
sheriff refused, and again commanded then
to dispense. Some of the men then cooked
their pistols, and, holding them to the sheriff,
bead, swore they would blow out his brains
if he did not give them up. The reply wa
III give his own words, "Shoot aud b