The Bolivar bulletin. [volume] (Bolivar, Hardeman County, Tenn.) 1865-1888, 1875-09-10
Bloody Riot at Clinton, Mississippi
over Fifty Persons Killed.

| en- even II the worst should happen.
Bloody Riot at Clinton, Mississippi.
Over Fifty Persons Killed
Elsewhere in this number of the
BULLETIN, will be found an account of
riot which OGcurre at YazoO City, but
We are called upon TO record one still
more fe arful, which occurred in Clinton,
on Saturday last. The facts in regard to
the matter, as near as we can CLEAN
them, are as follows
According to a wide extended notice
throughout Kinds county, Republican
meeting assembled at Clinton, last Satur-
day. Members of nearly all the Repub-
can clubs in the county were in attend
ance, and many women and children.
a barbecue was announced, and arrange
ments made to feed 5000 persons, and
nearly this number are said to have been
in attendance. At 1:3O P NJ the pro-
eession fled upon the grounds and speak
! ing commenced in ten minutes, Demo
cratic speakers being on the ground and
asking for division of time. In the in
terest of peace and good feeling the re-
| quest was granted, and joint discussion
fixed between Judge Johnston, Demo
cratic candidate for State Senator, and
Capt. 81. Fisher, editor of the jackson
Daily Times, johnson to speak an hour,
Fisher to follow IN an hour and a quar-
ter. and Johnson to close in quarter of
an hour. johnson made a liberal and
courteous speech, and Capt Fisher took
| the stand and congratulated the audience
on the suspicious opening Of the cam
paigs in the county, and expressed the
hope that the same good feeling wouIa
characterize all their meetings. He
complimented Judge johnson on the
conservative tone of his remarks, and
said he would be glad to see such meet
ings generally held. The Republican
party wanted peace and harmony to pre-
vail, and he should say nothing that
would not contribute to this eud. Capt.
Fisher spoke in this strain about eight
minutes, when he saw the outskirts of
the crowd leaving to go to the scene of a
difficulty, about fifty yards distant. The
speaker paused and urged the audience
to remain. But the excited words drew
most of them away, and he stopped
| speaking to await their return. In about
three minutes a pistol shot was fred In
the crowd, and quiekl another, and in a
moment fifty shots seemed to be DIS
charged. The widest confusion ensued.
| Men, women and children joined in the
stampede. In the course of fifteen min
utes exceeding 500 shots were fred.
Three white and four colored persons
were wounded. A large maj ority of the
blocks we're unarmed, and by five o'clock
! not a colored man was seen On the
/ grounds. Armed whites came out from
Clinton and took pc session. At the
same time the Vicksburg train brought
armed men from Edwards and Bolton.
Saturday night 500 armed white men oc-
cupied Clinton, and there was quiet.
Sunday morning at 5 o'clock the Vicks-
burgers, 200 of whom were there, com
menced Strengthening the negroes. All
they conld find were shot down. A
dozen or more were killed in cold blood
Armed bands secured the country and
the work of slaughter went on. 1t is
estimated that fifty men were killed in
this way in the county on Sunday.
Those not killed had to fee to the woods
and swamps for protection. A complete
reign of terror, possessed the country.
The following is the statement of State
Senator Caldwell concerning the origin
of the difficulty
Judge Johnston had spoken about one
hour to an audience of over 1000, all Of
whom listened attentively. The Judge
said he had never addressed crowd as
large as this that behaved so well and
gave him so much attention, and he
hoped that they would accord his oppo-
nent, Capt Fisher, the same courtesy
Capt. Fisher then assembled the stand
and commenced speaking, In about five
minutes some one called the speaker q
liar. paused for a minute before going
out On hearing some very rough re
marks 1 went out, When 1 got there l
asked what was the matter. A police
man said This man, Thompson, has
drawn a pistol on one of the colored men
who was in the procession, using certain
epithets. remarked, any young friend
for Gods sake don't disturb the meet
ing" ] soon saw the feeling was so
strong that called one some one else tc
assist me in preserving peace. No one
responded. saw a couple of men draw
pistols and l stepped up and told them
f that would not do and they put them up,
In few moments they had drawn
them again Then shooting began. L
saw Thomas fire the first shot and be
continued firing. By this time the firing