Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1875-09-16
The Mississippi Massacre.
HOW A REPUBLICAN NEE l.
ING WAS BROKEN UP.
Clinton Occupied by Southern
Chivalry."
Terrible Slaughter of COlOred
People.

MEMPHIS, September THE follow
ing report of the riot at Clinton, Miss.
was received from Jackson tonight:
According to wide extended notice
throughout Kinds county, mass Re
publican meeting was assembled al
Clinton last Saturday. Members o.
nearly every Republican club in the
county were in attendance, with many
women and children. A barbecue was
announced, and arrangements made tC
feed three thousand people. Nearly
this number were in attendance. Every
precaution was taken to have an order.
ly and successful meeting. The Clinton
authorities had appointed many special
police, and made regulations forbid
ding the sale of Intoxicating liquors
At 1 P. NJ. the procession filed on the
ground, and speaking began ten min.
utes thereafter. Democrats were on
the ground and asked for division OF
time. In the interest peace and good
feeling their request was granted, and
JOINT DISCUSSION -f
was fixed between Judge johnson, the
Democratic candidate for State Senator
and Capt. II. Fisher, Sen., of the Jack
son Daily Times. Johnson was to
speak an hour, Fisher to follow in an
hour and a quarter, and Johnson to
close in a quarter of an hour. johnson
made liberal and courteous speech,
and Fisher took the stand and con-
graduated the audience on the auspi-
cious of the campaign in the county,
and expressed hope that the same
good feeling would characterize all
their meetings. He complimented
Judge johnson on the conservative
tone of his remarks, and said he would
be glad to see such meetings generally
held. The Republican party wanted
peace and harmony to prevail, and he
should say nothing that would not
contribute to this end. Captain Fisher
spoke in this strain about eight min
utes, when he saw the outskirts Of the
crowd leaving to 60 to the scene of the
difficulty, about fifty yards distant.
The speaker paused, and urged the au-
dience to remain, but excited words
drew most of them away, and he stop
ped speaking to await their return.
THE BATTLE COMMENCED.
In three minutes a pistol shot was
fired in tbs crowd, and quickly anoth-
er, and in a moment fifty shots seemed
to be discharged. The widest confu-
sion ensued among men, women and
children. Horses broke loose from
their hitchings and joined in the stam-
pede. In the course of fifteen minutes
exceeding five hundred shots were
fired. Three whites and four colored
were wounded. A majority of the
blacks were unarmed, having been
cautioned against carrying weapons to
The difficulty was wholly
one-sided, and they fought only in self
defense. By P. NJ. not colored man
was seen on the grounds.
ARMED WHITES
came out from Clinton and took pos
session of the grounds. AT the same
time the Vicksburgh train brought
armed men from Edwards and. BallOu.
On Saturday night 500 armed white
men occupied Clinton, and there was
quiet. On Sunday morning, at day.
break, the Vicksburgers, two hundred
of whom were there, commenced
negroes. All the cOlOred
men they could find were shot down.
A dozen or more were
KILLED IN COLD BLOOD.
Armed bands organized and secured
the county, and the work of slaughter
went on. 1t is estimated that fifty
men were killed in this way in the
county on Sunday. Those who were
not killed had to flee to the woods and
swamps for protection. Complete ter
ror possesses the colored men. For two
days they have been hourly arriving
and reporting new Outrages. The civil
authorities are utterly powerless to stop
the marauding bands. Governor Ames
has issued an order commanding the
rioters to disperse. The city is full of
colored refugees, who dare not return
to their homes. They ask nothing but
protection. Governor Ames is doing
all within his power to prevent further
bloodshed. No Sheriff's posse is suffi-
cient. ....-. .-...