The Wheeling daily register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1864-1878, 1875-09-08
The Mississippi RHdieal Riot
Another Account from Radical

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notice throughout Hinds county, Re-
publican mass meeting was assembled ut
, Clinton last Saturday. Members
OF nearly all the Republican clubs
in the county were in attendance,
with many women and children.
A barbecue was announced and ar
rangements made to feed three thousand
persons. Nearly this number were in
attendance. Every precaution was taken
to have an orderly and successful meet
ing. The Clinton authorities had ap
pointed many special police, and the
! regulations prohibited the sale OF intoXl-
eating liquors. At half past +. NJ,
/ the procession fled upon the
| grounds. and Democratic speakers
/ being ON the grouhd, ard asking for Il
/ division of the time Ia the interest Of
peace and good feeling. Their request
was granted aud II JOINT discussion was
/ fixed between Judge johnson, Demo
| cratic candidate for State Senator, and
! Captain IL. Fisher editor OF the Jackson
! DGily Times, johnson to speak al hour
| Fisher TO follow in An hour and quar-
| ter aud Johnston to close IN quarter OF
AN hour johnson made liberal and
courteous speech, after which Capt. Fisher
took the stand and congratulated
/ the audience Oh the auspIclous opening
Of the campaign i'll the county, and cX-
pressed the hope that the same good feel
| ing would characterize ull their meetings.
lie complimcntcd Judge Johnston on
I the conservative tone OF his remarks,
and said he would be glad to see such
meetings generally held. The Rcpubll-
I can party wanted peace and harmony 10
prevail. and he should say nothing that
would not contribute To this end. Capt.
Fisher spoke IN this strain for
about eight minutes, when he saw
the outskirts OF the crowd leaving
To- 90 II the scene of the difficulty about
| 30 wards distant The speaker paused
and urged thc audience to remain, but
excited words drew most OF them away,
and he stopped speaking to await their re
turn. In about three minutes i pistol
shot was fired in the crowd and in Il mo.
mcnt 30 sho.s seemed TO be discharged.
The widest, confusion existed among
mcL, women and children. Horses
broke loose from their hlchirgs and
Joined in the stampede. In the course
of IL minutes five hundred shots were
fired. Three whites and four colorrd
men were wounded. \ large majority
of the black, were unarmed, having
been cautioned against carrying
weapons to the meeting. The difficulty
WAS wholly unsousht by them, and they
fought only in self defense.
BY five o'clock not Il colorcd man was
to be seen on the grounds, and armed
whites came out from Clinton and took
possession. At the same time the Vicks-
burg train brought armed men from
Edwards and Boston. On Saturday
night five hundred armed white men Uc-
cupled Clinton, and there was quiet
SUNDAY morning at dayhreak the
Nic.s burgers, two hundred of whom
were there. commenced slaughtcring the
| negroes. All the culorcd men they
could find were sho, down. a dozen or
more were shot down in cold blood.
! Armed bands were organized and Scuur-
ed the country, and the work of laughter
wr.t on there 1t is estimated that fifty
men were killed in the county on Sun
dav. Those who we're not killed, had 10
ll.c To the woods and swamps for prutcc-
t:on. \ complete reign Of terror pos
scsscs the county. The colored men for
two DAYS have been hourly arriving, and
reporting new ou,ragc-. The civil uu-
thoritie> are utterly powerrs, t. stop the
murauling bands. Gov. AmrS has issued
mn order commanding the rioler, IT, dis
pcr>c. The city is full of coorci
refugees vino dare not return Ia their
homes. They ask nothing but utprolcctlon.
Governor Ames is doing all within his
power to prevent further b!ooL,hcd No
sheritls posse il sufficient. The follow
ing Is the statement OF
State Scuator Caldwell
concerning the origin of the difficulty
Judge johnson had spoken about one
hour to IN audience of over 1000 per
sons, all of whom listened uttrntiycIy
The Judge said he had never addressed
crowd as large as the present
one that had behaved 50 well. and given
him 50 much attention, and he hoped
thct would accord hls opponent Captain
Fisher, the same courtesy Capt Fisher
then asccnded the stand and, commence
ing speaking, in about five minutes some
one called him liar. Mr.. Hendricks
said 10 me, There is going to be row
out there" meaning on the outer edge Of
the crowd lpauSed for a minute before
going ont, but on hearing some very
rough remarks | proceeded To- the spot
indicated. When l. got there | asked
what was the matter, and policeman
said this man lThompson) had drawn
pistol on one OF the cOlorcd
men who was marching il
tn" procession, using certain oppro-
blouS cpilhcs. | remarked. My Young
friend Tor Gods sake don't disturb the
meeting soon SAW the feeling Wa, 80
strong and determined that | called
upon some of the other white men to
assist me in preserving peace. No
one responded | saw Neil Wharton
and Thompson white, draw their piS.
tols, and stepped up TO Neil, telling
him that that would not do | did the
same with Thompson. md they pat their
weapons back in their pockets, but N "
few moments they had them drawn
! saw Thompson fire III" first
shot, and continued firing. By this
time the firing had become general. Tn"
colored people soon concentrated at this
point, when the aggrrssors ceased firing
and dispersed. Then | supposed the
trouble was over. Soon, however
| heard reports Of guns at
each end Of tie Speakers stand
which continued and seemed to be- spread
ing in every direction east OF where
was. saw two colorcd men wounded;
one seriously, and the other was ahou,
dead ! saw several other coiorcd men
wounded more or less | have since earn
cd of the death ot Chns. Chiffon, Martin
SlvIy and Frank Thompson, white, anG
Alexander Wilson, Louis Hargrow, 4 >"n
of Samuel Anthony and another boy