New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-09-24
From Mississippi.
AUSTIN, TrNICA COUNTY, MISS,
Suntenher 1874

A<''''"'
DEAR SIR: About three hours ago | was
sitting down reading your very valuable paper
to some of my uneducated cOlOred friends
who are anxious to know the news generally,
and while thus engaged, noticed clipping
there printed, regarded as a correct statement
Of the difficulty" in Austin between the
colored and white citizens, as stated In the
clipping of the Vicksburg Herald, all OF which
statement is untrue, and l respectfully beg
of you space in your paper to correct the
statement and state the affair as 1t was.
About two months ago this difficulty
happened. About that time DR.. Guy r.
Smith was clerk in the drugstore OF L. w.
Askew & Co., and the night when this affair
occurred, G. r.. Smith said that he was very
| tired, and went up stairs in his own house,
| and on the same side next to the residence
of Mr.. Whitaker, the man that was shot by
Smith, and raised the window Of his bed
room and then laid down. Mr.. Whitaker,
whose house is hard by that Of Mr.. smith,
was sitting in his door talking and laughing,
as he usually did. Smith, being tired and
wearied, hailed to Whitaker in this language:
"What in the HI are you keeping up so
id much talk about; now, by Cd want
you to shut up; you id niggers talk more
than white men, who have something to
talk about" Whitaker replied that he was
in his own yard, and had right to talk as
long as he was not disturbing the peace.
Upon this Smith grew enragcd and said to
Whitaker, "Do you talk to a white man
that way, you ID black son -; so say
ing he rose from his bed, gathered his re-
volver, descended the stairs, came out of his
yard into the street, went to Whlaker's
gate, entered Whitakcr's premises, and adj
vanced within ten steps of Whitaker, cooked
his revolver and said: "You id black son
-, l will learn you how to talk to a white
man; so saying he Immediately fired his re-
volver at Whitaker. The ball cutcrcd Whita-
ker's left side, penetrated him, and killed his
son, who was asleep on the floor, knowing
nothing Of the transaction. Whitaker, how
ever, fortunately escaped being killed, as the
ball passed through him not iujuring him in
ternaly. This is a true, unrrciudiced state
ment of the affair. Aud remember, Mr.
Editor, that it was not giGl kiIled, but IL boy.
1t may be that those who left Austin in fright
did not know girls from boys in that conflict
and bad affair. 1t was also stated that the
colored people tried to hang Mr.. Smith. This,
too, is untrue, from the fact that Mr.. Smith
was not arrested that night, nor not until
three days thereafter. The affair was so
shocking to the people from the manner in
which it was done, and that they, the people,
had been living in state OF quietncss so
long that they really forgot their duties as
citizens to even arrest Smith. Consequently
Smith staid at home that night, aud early
the next morning he left Austin atoot for
the canebrakes, where he staid and was fed
by some of his comrades. The people, how
ever, came to their right minds, and set out
to look for Smith. They found him by sur
rounding thick canebrake after the eXrira-
ton of three DAYS. Remember that these
were colored men, too, that captured smith,
and could have killed HIM in any way they
saw fit, but they did not. They brought him
before Mayor WOodson, who is ec ogfcio
justice of the peace, and prejudced to the
colored people, and on the lookout for No. /.
He had preliminary hearing, however. be-
fore Justice Woodson, and bound over to
the next court or district court and few days
ago his, Smiths attorney, Gen. j. Il. Chal-
mers, applied to Geo. W. Merriman, a colored
magistrate in Austin to sign a writ of habeas
corpus upon which to take his client, Smith, to
fernando before Judge Fisher, in order that
he might get his client out on bonds. That
clipping, Mr.. Editor, stated that Judge Fisher
heard the case all through, which is also I'M
true, from the fact that Whitaker did not
know that Smith had been taken to fernando
for new hearing, and he, like the whole
people, was surprised to see Smith at liberty,
and sought to find out something about it.
The sheriff, NJ. J. Manning, was at that time
f absent in New Jersey, consequently the peo-
, pie went to the deputy sheriff to know of the
affair, and how came Smith to be at liberty
| "nune of yes ID bizness.' This was was
the reply of Michel Deering in my presence
The BOYS then asked me what did think o.
. the case generally. told them thought il
, strange. told them that if they would take
f nv advice it would be for them to keel
within the law and public sentiment, stating
all that was requisite at the same time but
for bad words, they made Michel Deerins
, leave the crowd. The colored people re-
, ceived no satisfaction, however, from the
. officers. They then went to Smith ant
, arrested him, and put him again in Jail. Their
the white people commenced persuading the
colored people to let Smith go, he having
given bail, and that it was lawful that hi
y should 60. The reply Of the colored people
was, "You show the bond and we will lie
him go at once" They then began to threaten
| the colored people with soldiers ,and they made
y nothing at that; so they concluded to go ii
, arms and bully Smith out, which they did
Y and the colored people fell in ranks and cap
; tured Smith from them again, and put him il
: Jail. Then you see that the whites got de
, ieated in their game, and being frightened
e they all to a man, and some Of the coloret
4, people, one l may mention in particular
Capt. Edward Carter, County Superintend
, ent of Education, left the State and stopped
in Helena, Arkansas, and there they state
Lot - ~, If mi