Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-12-31
= ncxrille aournsl.
xxoxvILLE, DECEMBER 81, 1874
THE vlCKsBURG MASSACRE.


THE vICKSBURG MASSACRE
The other Side OF the story.
Prom 1he Cincinnati Commercial.
That = false account Of the slaugh
ter Of c0Iored men In the neighbor
hood OF Vicksburg has been spread
over the country by those who art
sympathyzers with the agsressors
guilty Of needless and most wicked
bloodsl,ed, we are not at liberty te
doubt.
We have, from q source that com.
Esands confidence, q statement that
IL due the country. Our information
is that the active whites Of Vicksburg
had some time since determined to
"clean out" the present officeholders.
Three OF those officeholders were In
dicted by the last Grand Jury.
Crosby the Sheriff, was especially
aimed at. It was determined to put
him out OF Office. The papers insist
ed upon the Board OF Supervisors
meeting on Wednesday of last week
and required Crosby to give good
bonds. a meeting OF that body was
called, and 1t Is known that the inten-
ton WAS to require Crosby to give q
good bond.
But the citizens, headed by a hot
headed and irresponsible set Of men,
put out an incendiary circular calling
for meeting of the citizens Of the
county the same day the board Of
were to meet, and every
one knew full we'll thatit was the in
tentiOn that the Board should be COM
PEELED to do what was wanted or per-
sonal violence would be used. And
the county members failed to make
appearance but the citizens held
their meeting. 1t was attended
mostly by younger men and irres-
ponsible parties spelling for row.
During the session q committee OF
i've lawyers were appointed to re-
port IL all legal means to Dust. Crosby
lad been exhausted. A majority OF
the committee reported that all legal
means had not been exhausted. A
f,inority report was made by two
young limbs of the law, saying that
all legal means had been exhausted,
and that the time for action had come.
BY faction" they meant force, and
by force they meant rope. No con-
cealment was made in their talk
About hanging, etc. A committee
WAS appointed to wait on certain Of
fcials and demand their designations.
The meeting adjourned to await the
report. The officials who could be
found begged time to consult their
lawyers, but failed to reply in the
time given them. On the reassem-
bling OF the meeting in the afternoon,
and hearing the report OF the COM
they resolved to adjourn In a
body to the Court House and demand
esignation Of the officers. On reach
ing the Court House all the officers
He'd but Crosby. Ho signed res
ignation. No one concealed what
would have been his fate IL he had
not done 80. He would have been
hanged on the spot. AS soon as he
got out of the clutches OF the mob he
wrote letter to Judge Powers, OF the
Circuit Court, stating that he took
back his resignation, as he was
to sign 1t to save his life.
He was then out In the country on
his way to Jackson.
On the morning after this row,
Judge Brown attempted to hold
court, but the parties left In charge
OF the Court House refused to let the
Deputy enter the court room, and
80 court has been adjourned from day
to day since then.
On Friday n rumor got abroad that
Crosby was about to make good
bond by placing his Office In the
hands Of some person more accept
able to the people, and retiring leav-
ing all control to such deputy. Two
or three good parties agreed to take
the position, and arrangements had
been made with their friends to make
i bond that would be ample and be-
pond dispute. When this was heard,
Il meeting of the citizens in the city
was called, which resolved to frown
down any surh effort. The next
morning the papers contained notice
warning white citizens from going
on the bond, and this too, In the face
bfrepeated assertions that no charge
WAS made against Crosby except his
failure to give good bond. On the
Streets the threats were numerous
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