Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1874-05-12
COFFEE COUNTY TR0H,sLRs.
Alleged Eu-Klux Demonstrations
Against Colored Teachers.
Whipping and Shooting, but Nobody
Killed. Federal Grand
Jury Takes the Mat
ter in Hand.


Some twelve or fifteen citizens of Coff; e
county arrived in the city yesterday, having
been summoned to appear before the Grand
Jury of the Federal Court to testify as to
what they know about certain ''outrages'
alleged to have occurred recently in that
county. From one of this party, who
claims to be one of the victims, and whose
name is p. Y. Coleman, a reporter Of this
paper obtained the following statement:
On Friday night, April %, about eleven
| o'clock, several masked men went TO his
house and demanded entrance. The door
was opened and they enquired of Mr.. Sill
man, whose family also occupied the house,
| who was up stairs. They were told that
| Mr.. Coleman was up there and in bed and
they then ordered him to come down.
| Coleman replied that he would not come
| down-that he knew from their garb that
they were Ku-Klux and wanted to
whip him aud perhaps kill him.
One of the disguised party then
said that if 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 SOON
| er the Job would be finished. They told
| Sillman that he had better move his family
| from the house, for if Coleman was not
/ gone within ten days from that time they
would return and burn the house down,
and II they caught.C coleman they would
hang him. VA
They then left and went TO house oc-
cupied by VIM. Wildman, and inquired
what time it was. They were informed
that il was about IL o'clock. The alleged
Ku-Klux, after leaving this place, went to
| Papf paffOn,S .oiorod fo,,r ilae from
| Coleman's house, Here they called for a
oolored school teacher named II. S. Parker,
who was boarding at Patton's. They were
informed that be was there, but that they
could not come in. They broke open the
door, using for this purpose a long rail.
Patton was leaning heavily against the
door, endeayoring 70 keep them out, and
when it gave away, he received a terrible
blow on bis shoulder with the rail. Parker
was in the meantime, making his arr; II e.
ments to escape, and after the alleged Au-
Klux had succeeded in efiecting an en-
trance and Just as they stepped into the
door, he was seen making his exit through
a back door. Several shots were
fired at him some of which passed
| through his clothing. Patton was then
taken out and severely whipped for shelter
ing Parker, receiving about twenty lashes.
Long gashes were cut on his back and the
blood trickled down 70 his hseis. Patton
| is well-tO-do colored farmer in Coffee
county and has endeavored to advance the
educational interests of his race by build
| ing school houses for them and bo4Fdiag
the teachers. After Coleman received the
notification to leave, he came to Nashville
and appeared before the Grand Jury. He
! staid here five days and then returned. He
thinkz that he knows several Of the dis
guised party and ssys that they have
''waked up the wrong man this time"
he is now in the city for the purpose of
prosecuting the investigation. Coleman
further SAYS that the school directors prom
ised to protect Patton if he would beard the
colored school teacher and, on this condi-
| tinn, he consented to take him. Parker
| left the county and now has a school at
Tracey City, in Grundy county. He and
Patton are also in the city and will 20 be-
fore this Grand Jury.
Our reporter was informed by another
resident of Coffee county, that a party of
eight or ten men in disguise visited several
residences about six miles from PattOn's
house, on the night Of April 18th. and that
they we're supposed TO be the same croYd
who did the other mischief. They went TO
q house occupied by a negro named Elem
Rice, took him out and thrashed him.
They then went to another mans house in
search Of negro named James Turner,
but did not find him. The next place they
visited was Mr.. Readers where they pro-
cured quart of whisky and then rode off
in search of Andrew Cunningham, colored.
but this individual had "smelt mousei
and vamOOSed.
The reporter was told by Coleman that
there would be large number Of Coffee
county citizens here this week, all of whom
had been summoned to tell what they know
about the alleged doings Of the masked
marauders.
The above statements are given for what
they are worth, and just as they were made
To the reporter. As a rule, the UNION
AND AMERICAN has paid but little atten-
ton to such reports of .-ku-klux outrages,'
which are almost invariably exaggerated,
and tend only to injure the communities in
which they are alleged to have occurred,
but in this case, as the interposition Of the
Federal Court has been Toked, matters
look rather serious for he suspected
narfipS