The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1875-09-15
THE YAzOO CITY RIOT
An Authentic Statement Of its Origin.
and Of AL the Faots Con-
nected with it.

esteemed citizen Of Yazoo City. who wa
F not connected with the recent riot, bu
:, was an eye witness, the following state
5 ment of facts, under oath, which, at th
request Of the Committee, we have has
tened to lay before the public:
TAzoo CRY, Sept 7, 1875.
Having seen published accounts Of til,
s riot in this place on the 1st inst, anc
viewing none that have seen as full anc
correct, in the interest Of right and jus
tice to all will submit the unvarnishec
facts, as witnessed by myself, Of the
whole case. AT about nine o'clock, Mr.
Drening, Col. McCullum, Mr. Branson
and myself entered the Wilson building,
for the purpose Of hearing a lecture de-
. livered by Col. Morgan upon the political
color line, white people and Democrats
having been invited by the Colonel to
hear him. On our entering the hall we
found the Republican club organized and
transacting club business, with a very
full meeting in attendance, roughly esti-
mated at about two hundred ne
groes, and all the leading active white
Republicans in the city, except Capt
Bidwell, numbering, l think, but six or
seven of those leaders. The three
gentlemen mentioned above, with some
four or FIVE others, constituted the entire
! Democratic element in the house. The
business of the club being through in a
/ few minutes, Col. Morgan was called upon
to address the meeting He had pro-
ceeded with his speech but very short
time, when he challenged contradiction.
| Robertson, a colored man, declaring
himself then, and at all times, a Repub-
lican, at once seized the preferred oppor-
tunity, and took issue with the Colonel
The Republicans cried out clown"
Mr.. Dixon, Democrat, stood up and
told him to 90 on che had the right to the
floor by invitation" One cries clown"
again. Mr. Dixon steps out and towards
Robertson, looking at the one who cried
out ''down, and inquired t'what he had to
do with it." Order was here restored,
but in few minutes Robertson was on
his feet gainsaying what the Colonel
stated Republicans cry ''down;" Mr..
Dixon OH the other hand, says cup and
say what you please" several cry out "put
him OUT" Mr.. Dixon quickly steps out
and forward by the side of Robertson,
with his hand on his pistol, but partially
drawn, (exactly as he had done at the
first interruption, several Republicans
doing the same) not intending to draw,
nor use, as the sequel shows, and as
patent at the time, unless he was fired
upon denounced with bitter terms those
who cried "put him out, and de6ed them
to attempt it, stating to Robertson he
should not be inundated, and to saw
what he pleased. Order again restored.
The Colonel continued, but soon closed
his remarks. His closing statement was
that at the last election, the Republicans
had carried Yazoo county by 1900 ma
jority. Thank God we had judiciary,
and that it would be difficult indeed
to induce that judiciary to believe
that 1900 majority had been fairly
overcome Mr. Drening replies, Then
we are prejudged, and that if the county
goes Democratic the election is a |
fraud" The Colonel did not answer, but
states, ''Not only have we this immense
majority in each Supervisor district, as at
tested by the fact that we elected all FIVE
of the members composing said board. /
True, interposed Mr.. Drening, You
elected all five and not a single one COM
petent" Col. Morgan rejoins, ''Not a
single one competent? Mr.. Drening
answers, 81 think not" Morgan replies,
"Why there is Capt. Bidwell, man of
education, and fine business habits, is he
not fit for member of the Board of |
Supervisors p Mr.. Dixon replies, Hes |
a thief" A negro full halfway across the
room, and not in view of Mr.. Dixon,
hallooes out in most insolent and insult |
ing tone, That's all you know about it.
You are liar, or you know nothing |
about it." All those expressions have been
used to show the replies by various persons |
present. The exact words did not catch, /
but the tone was most Insolent and insult |
ing. At this Mr.. Dixon steps out and !
INQUIRIES, On YOU, who are you" and |
starts in search of him, with his hand up |
OH his pistol, as before stated, his eye
fixed directly before him, looking for the
person who gave the insult, got about the |
place where he sat, intently serutinizing
the countenances. Whilst standing thus |
a Republican to his left side and |
rather behind him, clandestinely slipped
his pistol forward and within from two
to three feet of his, Dixon's body, and
fred. When this occurred, my eve be-
ing fixed intently upon Dixon, saw the
flash stream out in close proximity to
Dixon's body with the simultaneous re-
mort though | could not distinguish and
identify the person whose hand held this
pistol at the moment, yet L could see
exactly the spot from whence it came !;
and all agree, SO far as | know, that the
first shot was fired by Radical hand
Mr.. Dixon, of course, promptly returned
the fire. The firing at once became gen
eral which was continued very lively |
for about one minute; at least from forty
to sixty shots being fired. One mighty
scramble and rush for the doors and win
dows was made simultaneously with the
firing, and the house was pretty well
empty by the time the pistols were. Mr..