Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1874-12-18
THE VICKSBURG MASSACRE.
The Plain Truth About That Very
Ugly Transaction.
From the Cincinnati Commercial, Dec. II,

FROM the (lNclnnutl commercial. DeC II,
That false account of the slaught-
er of colored men in the neighbor-
hood of Vicksburg has been spread
over the country by those who are
sympathizers with the aggressors,
guilty of needless and most wicked
bloodshed, we are not at liberty to
doubt.
We have, from a source. that com
mands confidence, statement that is
due the country. Our information is
that the active whites of Vicksburg
had some time since determined to
"clean ont" the present officeholders.
Three Of those officeholders were in
dicted at the last term of the Grand
Jury Crosby, the Sheriff, was the
one especially aimed at. 1t was de-
termined that he should be put out of
Office. The papers insisted upon the
Board of Supervisors meeting on
Wednesday of last week, and requir-
ing Crosby to give good bond. A
meeting of that body was called, and
it is known that the intention was to
require Crosby to give a good hond.
But the citizens, headed by a hot
headed and irresponsible set Of men,
put out an incendiary circular calling
for a meeting of the citizens of the
county on the same day the Board of
Supervisors were to meet. And every
one knew full well that it was the in
tention that the Board should be
forced to do what was wanted, or
personal violence used. So the coun-
ty members failed to put in an APP
pearancc. But the citizens held their
meeting. 1t was attended mostly by
the younger men and irresponsible
parties spelling for a row. During
the session a committee of five law
yers were appointed to report if all
legal means to GUST Crosby had been
exhausted A minority report was
made by two young limbs of the law
saying that all legal means had been
exhausted, and that the time for ac-
ton had come. By "action" they
meant force, and by force they meant
the rope. No concealmentwas made
in their talk about hanging, etc. A
committee was appointed to wait upon
certain officials and demand their
resignation. 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
reasscmbling of the meeting in the
afternoon, and hearing the report of
their committee, they resolved to adj
journ in body to the Court House
and demand the resignation of the
officers. On reaching the Court
House all the officers fled but Crosby.
lie signed a resignation. No one
concealed what his fate would be if
he had not done so. He would have
been hanged on the spot. AS soon as
he got out Of the clutches of the mob
he wrote a letter to Judge Brown, of
the Circuit Court, stating that he took
back his resignation, as he was COM
PEELED to sign it to save his life. He
was then out in the country, on his
way to Jackson.
The morning after this row Judge
Brown tried to hold court, but the
parties left in charge of the Court
house refused to let the Deputy enter
the court room, and so court has
been adjourned from day to day since
then.
On Friday rumor got abroad that
Crosby was about to make a good
bond, by placing his office in the
hands Of some person or another ac-