The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-09-08
The Clinton Riot !
The Beginning. the Results. Casualties.
Incidents, &c.

For several weeks it has been under
stood that there would be Radical mass
meeting and barbecue at Clinton, on
Saturday last, 4th inst, to which every
body, however, was
to be present, irrespective of party or
race. 1t was largely attended by negroes,
there being fully two thousand present,
who had gathered from every sec
ton of the county Besides half dozen
or more white Radicals, there we're prob
ably twenty other white men. 1t is said
that as the negroes marched through
Clinton that they were singing songs to
the effect that they were going to bury
Clinton and kill Democracy that day.
THE GROUNDS.
The barbecue was given in a grove
about three-quarters of mile west OF
Clinton. 1t is bounded ON the north by
the Chiffon place, on the south by the
railroad running through cut about
twenty feet deep, east by public road,
and the west by very small branch down
a steep hill. From the Chiffon place to
the railroad it is about eight hundred
yards, and from the public road to the
branch about nine hundred yards. The
speakers stand was very nearly the CEN
ter of this grove, probably little south
and west of the center. We are thus
particular about the grounds SO that our
readers may fully understand the whole
affair.
| THE SPEAKING
had progressed considerably. Judge A.
r. Johnston, Democratic-Conservative
nominee for the State Senate, had con-
cluded his address, and Capt. Fl. T.
Fisher, editor of the Daily Times (Re-
publican), had been speaking probably
ten or fifteen minutes. A party of eight
or ten young gentlemen having sent to
Clinton for bottle of whisky while
Judge johnson was speaking, and not
caring to hear Capt. Fisher,
LEFT THE GROUNDS
to take social drink. They walked
down the hill, crossed the little branch
(Which was about 250 or 300 yards from
the stand) to the west side, about ten
feet. Here there was twenty or more
small cotton wood, or willow, trees, but
no underground whatever, and the limbs
of the small trees were from ten to fifteen
feet above the ground. On the east side
of the branch, we will say, there is an open
place extending to the foot of the hill.
This opening is not more than twenty
yards wide.
THE oRIGIN-ONE ACCOUNT OF THE
DIFFICULTY.
When they stopped and were drinking,
half a dozen or more negroes headed by
one who claimed to be sort of commit
teeman approached them. The leader
said that they could not drink there.
They replied that they had left the
grounds on purpose not to violate the
rules, and that they were now far enough
away. They were then ordered in an
insulting tone to go further. They
declined to do so and one of them raised
the bottle to his lips. The committee
man jerked it away from him and was
Immediately knocked down by the gen.
tleman from whom he took the
bottle and the fight was commenced
by the negroes who accompanied the
leader, firing into the party of gentlemen.
THE oRIGIN-ANoTHER STATEMENT.
Another statement, made by colored
man and corroborated by several white
persons, is that difficulty commenced
near the stand, by remark which was
made by white man, on the speech of
Capt. Fisher, that was resented by a col
ored man. A fight between them ensued.
The companions of the white man bore
him rapidly away down to the branch.
The colored man and number of others
of his race, pressed down upon them
the colored man swearing that the "dam
white man should not hit him and live"
Charles Caldwell, ST., (the State Sena-
tor attempted to interfere and stop the
difficulty, without avail The white man
was pushed across the branch, the negro
still pursuing, leaped over the branch,
and was in the act of graphing the white
man when
THE FIGHT BEGAN.
The white men drew their pistols and
returned the fire, and two of the negroes
fell dead side by side. One of them was
the leader of the party. The white blood
was up. They jumped the branch,
crossed the open place, and charged the
retreating negroes. The negroes returned
volley for volley, and without effect. A
number of negroes were wounded, but
how many, is not and probably will never
be known.
THE STAMPEDE
As the charging party mounted the
hilltop, the whole mass meeting broke
and ran, leaving wagons, horses, mules,
chairs, hats and coats. They scattered
in every direction, as if regiment of
cavalry was coming over that hill.
THE RETREAT.
When the whites reached the top of
the Hill, they found that in the excite
ment of the charge they had
emptied their pistols, and had no