, 1874-09-04


Tho accounts OF disturbances in tho South arc
startling by their frequency. number Of caacs
OF yiolenoe has occurred within wceR or 3d.
About ton days ago the negroes Of pickcttsvt1lo,
Gibson County, Tonn., threatened rioe, aud
eyon tho sacklng OF tho town. sixscon Of tho
leaders wore lodged In Jail at Ttonton. On tho
morning OF tho 28th Of last month, masked men
to tho number Of about 100 rode up to tho jail
vhero they werc confined, compelled tho Sheriff
to deliver up tho keys to them, took ai1 Of tho
negroes ont, shot four Of them, and wounded
tho other two mortally. Tho other ton tho
killed thom. Tho origin of tho whole trouble in
this case waB In controversy botwoon white
man md negro about tho payment Of hAlf
dollar, at barbecue hold At Picketts-
yillo five wcoks before, Bince that timo
tho feeling botweon tho whitca and
tho blacks was anything but friendly. Tho night
preceding tho throatoued riot, "a two young men
woro riding along tho road milcs from Pick
ottsyillo, they wero fred upon by party OF
some thirty negroes. Ttis rnised suspicion
that tho negroes woro organizing with hostile In
tontionB. Ben Ballard, negro, confessed TINT
tho negroes had mot the night tue two young
men woro 1rod upon, and had organized to pro-
toct colored Colonel, by the namo Of Webb,
and also to kill one BaBsol Butler, who had dis
covered their plans to the wlites Billiards. con-
feason soon sproad. Two negroes testified that
tho colorad people had boon contemplating tho
extrpation Of tho wlitos; aud that IT was cur
rent1y reported that whatoyor tloy did would be
approved Of by Con. Grant. It IL no wondor,
after th1s that tho whites became alarmed.
Following tho Gibson County tragedy
oamo anosher,-the Coushatta massacre. Tho
most reliable account OF that checking af-
fair co,noa from i. +. Btephonaon. In Red
| River Parish, La., the negroes arc much more
numerous than Tho whitos. Tho white people Of
the parish had for aono timo ioared m outbreak.
It was supposed that this outbroak WAS instlgat-
cd by F. 3. E0gartoD, shorltt Of tho county; d.
T. Twitchell, Tax-Co}iector; olnrk Holland,
Register; Doweos, Howell, Willis, and othars,
nnoatly ofllce-holders. Tho lives Of number Of
whites had bcea threatened, and one white naan,
Mr. Wi'liams, had boen apBanitcd by two no.
| torioua and desperate negrooa. They fired on
ber Of wltito mon ondeayore1 to arrest theso no.
grooa mud in tho attompt one Of them waa ahot
Ut aud killed instantly by tho hlacka Tl.esa now
attempted to sayo themse1yes by flight, but the
whites fired at them and killed. both ot
them. Next day, between 0Q0 aud 400 negroes
IoI 4o
tho death Of tho two desparadoes. Thoy threat
cucd. it il said, not to leave whiso man, wom.
all, Or Child alive Ii, tho parish Tic inAabitantt
OF Coubhatta took tho alarm. They stationed
plckots along the roatIs loading to tho town. h
negro coming into town WAS halted by two youne
mon doing duty on tho road. Tho negro bud
aaol1 Of bucAshot on h!s shoulders, md iustoat
Of halting at tho signal given, no ran away
The two pickots wont into town to report villa
had occurred. Returning they mot Twltoholl
tho D!crifr, and two notosiously dosporat.
nogroea, oil armod. After ta!1ling with then
few monlonts, thoy turned around tt
10 back to their poatu, when they ,yero shot
by T~itcholl'a party antl QUO OF them seriously
II not 1nortally, wounded. During the nigh
Twitohell, Edgarton, Dowoos, HovolI, Holland
aud Villa (whitos), aud numborof negroes wor,
arrested and PLACED under guard. Tho prison
ers all promised to loayo the State II \ {:,sart
wero furnished as far o. Shreveport. This wa
agreel to. guard was furnished them, Ii
charge Of John Carr, man in whom tho pris
onora had Ill confidence. and whom they 70
quested to assume tho posItion assigned him
Mr. Carr started with tho prisoners at 10 o'clool
on Sunday morning. Lator party Of thirty o
forty mon started In pursuit, intending to lynol
the prisoners. Tho guard were oyortakeu, th,
J | n1laoneru tsken possession Of and Edas1toa