The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1874-08-13

melee at Somerville, died yesterday.
He and his brother Albert, who died on
Sunday from wounds received in the
same fight, were buried in one grave.
PROGRESS OF THE RIOT.
MEMPHIS, August ia special to
the Ab6sal from Helena, Arkansas,
received at $3.50 this morning, says; At
eleven o'clock last night three ladies
and two gentlemen arrived here from
Austin in a skiff, and report considera-
BILE fighting. Late yesterday evening
the commander of the post, whose name
we have not learned, dispatched scout
of twenty-five men on the road to Cold
water station, on the Mississippi and
Tennessee Railroad, and captured a
picket of twenty negroes, who were sta
toned about two miles from town, and
brought them in as prisoners and dis
armed them. One of them, as they
were being put in the Court House yard,
tried to make his escape, when he was
fred upon and killed, and in the melee
in another fight which ensued, another
negro was wounded, but not fatally.
Later in the evening large body of
negroes advanced from the south and
attacked the town, driving in the white
skirmishers to the Court House, where
the main body of the whites were
stationed,
THE WHITES REFUSED.
A charge was made by the whites on
the negroes, but was repulsed with the
loss of several killed and wounded.
The fighting was going on when our in
| formants left, and they were fired upon
as they crossed over to Ship Island.
TROOPS ON THEIR WAY TO AUSTIN.
Major Horn Chalmers, of fernando,
has Just arrived here for the purpose Of
chartering boat to take men to the as
sistance of the whites in Austin. He
says courier from Major Woodson, Of
Austin, reached fernando at daylight,
stating the town was surrounded by
about one thousand negroes, and asking
for help. About two hundred men from
fernando and vicinity will be here at 2
o'clock, and in company with volunteers
from this city will start at four o'clock
for Austin, ,HI'.. tG rt..s. r
| ,r. TROUBLES OF MR.. SMITH. i
DIR. Smith. who is the unfortunate
cause of the trouble there, reached here
last night; some three weeks since he
was attacked in the streets of Austin by
a negro, and drawing pistol he fired al
the negro, but missed him and killed q
little negro girl who was standing by
which exasperated the negroes to such
an extent that they collected a mob anc
took DIR. Smith to the woods to hang
him, which they would have done bu
for the entreaties of Mayor Woodsor
and the Doctors wife. Since that time
he has been a voluntary inmate Of the
jail to prevent being mobbed, until las
Friday, when some friends came anc
carried him off to fernando. On learn
ing which the negroes collected in large
numbers and notified the Mayor tha
unless DIR. Smith was brought back anC
put in Jail, they would burn the town.
THE WHITES SURRENDER.
A third dispatch has been received
from the vicinity of Austin, asking fo
men, arms and ammunition; stating tina
unless the whites, who are surrounded il
the Court House, are speedily relieved
they will be forced to surrender, or b.
captured. The steamer A. ]. White ha
been chartered to leave at five o'clock
and will carry large number of mer
we'll armed.
MORE FIGHTING.
Another special to the A46SaI say
that the negroes surrounding Austin OF
the south we're charged this morning BY
a body of mounted whites, who killeC
four or five and captured twenty ne
groes. The blacks number about sever
hundred, while the whites have abou
two hundred. Both parties are expect
ing reinforcements. At present the
whites have the best of the fight. Tn,
negro hands on the plantations opposite
on the Arkansas side are arming, anC
marching on Austin in large numbers
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