Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1874-08-13
THE AUSTIN RIOT.
Whites and Blacks Fighting ir
..-.sn Mississippi. gs. -g a.
A General Army of Whites and Blacks
the Origin Not Clearly stated.

MEMPHIS, Aug. ia special dis
patch to the Appeal from Helena, Ark.
was received at $50 this morning, and
says: AT II O'Clock last night, three
ladies andtwo gentlemen arrived here
from Austin, Miss, in skiff, and re-
port considerable fighting going on
late yesterday evening. The COM
mander Of the post, whose name we
did not learn, dispatched a scout of
twenty-five men on the road to Cold
water Station, on the Mississippi and
Tennessee railroad, and captured the
packet of twenty negroes, who were
stationed about twenty miles from the
town, and brought them in as pris-
oners and disarmed them, one of them
as they were being put into the Court
House yard, tried 10 make his escape,
when he was fired upon and killed,
and in melee which ensued, another
negro was wounded but not fatally.
LATER.-1n the evening large
body of negroes advanced
from the South and at
tackled the town, driving
in the white skirmishers
to the Court House, where
the main body of whites were sta
toned, a charge was made by the
whites and the negroes were repulsed
with a loss Of several being killed and
wounded. The fighting was going on
when our infOrmants left, and they
were fired upon as they crossed over to
Ship Island.
MEMPHIS, Aug. IA second dis
patch from Helena says: Major
Horn Chalmers, of fernando, has just
arrived here for the purpose of charter
ing boat to take men to the assistance
of the whites in Austin. He says a
courier from Mayor Woodson and Aus
tin reached fernando at daylight,
stating that 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 o'clock, and in company
with volunteers from this city, will
start at o'clock for Austin. DR.. Smith,
who is, unfortunately, the cause of the
trouble there, reached here last night,
Some three weeks since he was attack
ed in the streets Of Austin by a negro,
and drawing his pistol, fired at the
negro, but missed him and killed a
little negro girl standing by, which ex-
asperated the negroes to such an extent
that they collected mob and took DR..
Smith to the woods to hang him, which
they would have done but for the en-
treaties of Mayor WOodson and the
Doctors wife. Since that time DR..
Smith has been a voluntary inmate
of the Jail to prevent being mobbed,
until Friday, when some friends came
and carried him to fernando, and on
learning which, the negroes collected
in large numbers and notified the
Mayorthat unless he was brought back
and put in jail, they would burn the
town.
MEMPHIS, Aug. IA third dis
patch to the Appeal from Helena,
says kilograms are being received from
the vicinity of Austin, asking for men,
arms and ammunition, and stating
that unless the whites, who are sur
rounded in the court house are not
speedily relieved they will be forced to
surrender orsbe captured. The steamer
A. J. White has been chartered to
leave at o'clock, and will carry a
large number of men, we'll armed.
Another dispatch TO the same paper
says the negroes surrounding Austin,
were charged upon on the sOuthside
this morning, by body of mounted
whites, who killed four or five and cap
tured 20 negroes. The blacks number
about 700. Thewhites have about 200.
DUH pdlUiSS pCCIldS
ments. At the presentthe whites have
the best of the fight. The negro hands
on the plantations opposite on the Ar
kansas side are armiDg and marching
ON Austin in large numbers.
MEMPHIS, Aug. IA special to the
AUdl0nche from Helena, dated noon,
says: In the tight at Austin last night
eight or ten negroes We're killed. Re-
Inducements are coming in TO the
whites from the hills and the negroes
are being reinforced from the sur
rounding country. The whites have
Austin barricaded and will probably be
able to keep the negroes off, but they
need assistance in provisions and am
munition. Several officials from Tu-
MICA county have been here since yes
terday morning and have telegraphed
to Governor Ames, at Jackson, for as,
sistance, but up to this time have not
heard a word. This special also states
that the whites have taken the o. K
Landing some three miles belOWAustir
and only landing in that vicinity al
the present stage of the water, and uhi:
is corroborated by officers of the H. G.
| wager, which arrived here tonight
and who saw body Of armed white
men there as they passed.
News by Steamer.
MEMPHIS, Aug. 12.-Captain James
Lee, of the steamer st. Francis, which
arrived from below this morning, says
after the negroes, who had Austin sur
rounded, were repulsed yesterday, they
disappeared and the story soon circu'
lated that they were numbering wo-
men and children, that were left un-
protected on the surrounding planta-
tons, which caused the men who had
been defending the place to start for
their homes to protect their families.
Austin was soon left without any de.
Tenders, except one or two white men
and the negroes came in and took pos
session and proceeded to break open
saloons and stores and help themselves
At last accounts they had committed
no acts of violence towards the few
whites who were unable to get away
but as they were becoming drunk, fears
were entertained that they would burn
the village. Messengers were sent te
Captain Lee, asking him to land there
but he had a large number of refugees
on board, some of whom the negroes
had threatened to kill. DR.. Phillips
the late Republican member of the
Legislature, being of the number anc
they begging not to do so, he passed