The Middlebury register. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1850-1882, 1874-09-01
A Reign OF Terror in Tennessee.


Der Of negroes at Picketsville, ellison
county, six miles from Humboldt, threat.
ened a riot last Saturday and Sunday on
account Of some supposed wrong done
them, and manifested strong desire to
kill two or three citizens and fire and sack
the town. Yesterday sixteen of the ring
leaders were arrested, taken to Trenton
aud placed in Jail for safe keeping.
About one O'Clock this morning be.
tween - and 100 masked men entefed
the town, and riding up to the jail de.
lDanded and compelled the Sheriff to dc.
liver up the keys thereof They then
took the sixteen negroes from prison. and
after killing four and MORALLY wounding
two on the confines of the town, rode off
with the remaining ten and are supposed
to have killed them, as nothing has been
heard of the party since they left. Con.
siderable excitement exists among the ne.
groes and the whites are taking steps to
defend themselves in case of an outbreak.
The Appeals special from Humboldt
tonight says that the excitement in Glib.
son county is subsiding, and no further
bloodshed is anticipated. Women and
children were coming in during the day,
and the widest excitement existed
throughout the county, owing to rumors
OF armed negroes marching on Picketts
vile, and of their having murdered two
women. On tho other hand, the negroes
were terribly alarmed, and many fed to
the woods fearing the fate of those taken
from Trenton Jail last night
The origin Of the trouble was at bar.
bccuc near Pickettsvllc some five weeks
since in a difficulty between white man
named j, O. Hill and Webb,a colored
man. about the payment Of City cents
Since that time the negroes have made
numerous threats OF violence, On Satur.
dag night last two young men named
Monroe Morgan and James Warren we're
riding along the road, some three miles
from PicketsviIlc, They were fired upon
by some thirty or forty egroes hid in the
woods, The young men abandoned their
horses, took to the woods and escaped to
the town,
Tho citizens, who had become alarmed
at the firing, and in view Of the reports
that the negroes were organizing armed
companies, suspected a negro named Ben
Walker OF being one of the shooting par.
ty, when a constable with posse proceed.
ed to his house, where they captured a
negro named Ben Ballard, who confessed
that they met Saturday night aud OF gan.
lied to protect Col, Webb (cololed) from
the Ku.Klux, and alter that TO kill Bur.
rell Butler for divuging their plans to
the whites, but after meeting and firing
on Morgan and Warren they separated.
He also gave the names of large number
engaged in the plot for assassination aud
murder.
When Billiards. confession was made
public the greatest excitement spread
throughout the country. Citizens gath
cred at Picketsvllc and meeting was
called, at which it was decided to summon
posse and arrest tho negroes who &C
cording to Ballard, were the ringleaders
which was done and they were brought
to Picketsvllc. Saturday night band
of masked men rode into the town and de.
manded the prisoners, but Marshall Du.
gan refused to give them up and the
masked men left.
On Monday the prisoners were ar.
raignad on the charge of shooting and in
citing to riot One of them James Bur.
rows, turned States evidence and related
a story of the origin, purposes and expec
tatons of this extensive organization
among the negroes Of Gibson county
which was corroborated by Nelson Nc
Chez (colored), who also said it was ru
, mored for some time past that President
Grant would sustain the negroes in what
ever course they took against the whites
, and acting on this belief the colored peo
T pie are determined to extirpatc the white,
, so as TO obtain their lands, &C., but there
} is no agreed upon time for the outbreak
This measure for tho murder of the
whites was agreed to all except Burrcl
Butler of Pickctsville, and because of hi
opposition they intended to kill him Sat
{ urday night for fear he would tell thu
, whites. Burrows also gave the names OIL
several other persons who were to be
killed Saturday night, and told where tn,
negroes met in railroad cut, and organ
lied by electing Wesley Shields captain
F until they reached the house OF Col
WEBB, who wss to take command. They
also expected TO meet a company from
Humboldt under John Rcgan. which fail
cd to come.
Their object in organizing thoroughly
was to shoot Ku.klux, who they under
stood were raiding through the country
and prosecuting negroes.
After examinations the prisoners were
committed to Jail at Trenton. and the re-
suit has been announced The lynching
OF tho prisoners causes much Indignation
here
A special from Trenton gives the fol-
lowing additional particulars regarding
the slaughter of colored prisoners After
the masters, numbering about one hun
dre1 had obtained possession of the pris
oners, they tied them together and march
ed them of on the Huntington road, about
half mile from the town. Six of the
number were then cut loose and ordered
to escape, and as soon as that command
was given full volley was fred upor
them, killing four and wounding the 9TH
err two, one mortally. The remainder
were carried up the river two miles and
killed. Their remains were collected
and arc being taken care Of
There is intense indignation through
out Tennessee against the murderers o
the negro prisoners at Trenton. The pres
of Memphis denounce them for the COW
ardly butchery. A Bluff City battalion
of the state guard have rendered thei'
. service, to the governor to bring the in
human butchers to punishment
MoRg TRouELE-A Fresh Barren o.
SCANDALS THREATENED. --Nev lork, Aug
27 Henry G. Bowen to-day appeared