The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-09-22
RACE TROUBLE IN TALLAHATcHTE
COUNTY.
Caused BY the Interference of Me-
sPOe~ 40 PreVemG the Arrest ~
Persons Of their Color for Illegal
Registering.
Mem phis Appeal ]

, Memphis Appeal
For the past few days Tallahatchi,
county has been the scene of much excite
ment, the white citizens being in constan
: dread of violence and murder from III,
: negroes of that section and Coahom,
county. We have madea careful inquiry
as 10
THE CAUSE OF THE DISTURBANCE,
and are enabled 10 give the following
facts to the public: Monday and Tues
day, September 9th and 9Th, two negro
men from Coahoma county and n negro
boy aged seventeen registered as voters
at ShotwelPs Mills, in the county of ITALIA
hatchie. The next day, the fraud being
discovered, and warrant for the arrest
of the three negroes who had illegally
registered and in open violation of law
made oath as To their qualification, requi-
site age and citizenship in Tallahatchie
county, was applied for and issued by
Justice FrlersOn. Two young men
named Buford and Evans were deputzed
to arrest the three negroes, whom the
officers saw at a distance in company with
three others of their race. The negroes
| fed, but
BUFORD AND EVANS PURSUED THE FU-
GITIvEs,
firing at them during the chase. Despite
the shots the negroes fled to Trenton
which is located in Coahoma county, and
there endeavored to excite their friends
to vengeance. They succeeded by some
means or other in arousing the desired
excitement, and by next morning an
armed band of seventy-six negroes had
assembled with the declared intention of
killing the white people, pillaging their
property and burning their homes. The
chief purpose of their arming and organ
izing was to arrest young Buford ID
Evans, but to accomplish this they would
spare neither human life nor the destruc-
ton of property. BY one o'clock Friday
afternoon
THE ARMED NEGROES
reached Justice Frierson's store, which is
thirty miles west of Harrison, and. near
Cassidy's bayou. Their conduct at the
store was of the most fragrant character,
obscenity, fearful oaths and excessive
threats of murder being generally and
most emphatically INDUCED in. They
cursed the Justice of the peace and every
other white person they met, telling them
they had come to arrest Buford and Ev-
ans, and would kill every white man,
woman and child in the county, if nece&
sary to accomplish their purpose. A
prominent white Radical named L. j.
Stewart, who is treasurer of Tallahatchie
county, endeavOred to pacify the negroes.
He used his best efforts to do this, and
promised the negroes that he would ar
rest Buford and Evans, if they would go
home, lay aside their arms, and await
the legal result of the affair. For this
Mr.. Stewart deserves the credit of every
one. for he was unwilling to see body
of armed negroes, although members of
his own party, engaging in mob law and
Gefying the legal authorities. Finally
THE NEGROES WERE PACIFIED,
and assented to the condition Mr.. Stewart
offered, which was that he would arrest the
young men, Buford and Evans. He then
went 20 arrest Buford and Evans, and the
negroes retired few miles in the direc-
ton of Coahoma county. Mr.. Stewart,
for some reason not known to us, did not
arrest the two young men, and he re-
turned to Frierson's store Saturday. BY
this time Il number Of white citizens had
armed themselves and assembled there to |
oppose the negroes, should they continue
their lawless conduct and seek to burn, |
murder and pillage rs they had vowed !
they would do in the event they failed to
arrest Evans and Buford. The negroes
hearing of the fact that the white citizens
were in arms, and not knowing that
Stewart had failed to arrest Bnford and
Evans, retired to Trenton, and appar
entity disbanded. However, early Sun
day morning the negroes had reformed |
in a larger body, the greater number OF
their party having come from the neigh |
borhood Of Jonestown, Coahoma county, /
where Senator Alcorn has settlement. |
Learning this fact, Mr. Stewart, in COM
pany with two other white men, Jerry
Robinson and Adams, hastened to Iren- |
ton for the purpose of pacifying the en-
ragged negroes and inducing them to dis
band. Hardly had the three white men
reached the negroes ere the latter began
to abuse Stewart, taunting him with
rough words, besides shOwering abuse,
curses and threats upon him. They
threatened to murder him on the spot,
and would listen to nothing lac had to say,
because he had not complied with the
promise To arrest Bu:ord and Evans. To I
the other white men, Robinson and Adams,
they had but little Ia say, but expressed
deep indignation against Stewart, some u
the negroes he NJ
ANXIOUS 70 HANG HIM.
Although a Radical, and now holding
office to which that party elected him,
Mr.. Stewart was unable to appease the
infuriated negroes, who were so DESTROYS
of hanging him, consequently he and his
two companions left Trenton, where the
negroes were assembling in large force
and expressed the determination to over
run the entire county. The news OF
their arming spread over the county, 4,
causing general excitement and arousing
much indignation among the white people
who determined to protect their homes
and property, which are in imminent
danger. Men were organizing all over
the county, and preparations being made
to meet the negroes, who are reported to
be assembling in large numbers from
Coahoma and Tallahatchie counties.
The whites in Tallahatchie had perfected
a strong organic ton by yesterday morn
ing, ten men having been detailed from
as many clubs Several gentlemen came
70 this city Yesterday for ammunition,
and returned on the afternoon train to
Harrison In addition to the above de-
monstrations on the part of the negroes,
a horrible plan for the sacking Of Harri-
son, and the
MURDER OF THE WHITE PEOPLE
has been detected by means of letter
which was accidentally lost by some Rad
IoA