Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1875-01-01
Mayor 0Leary Makes a Clear
Statement OF All the Facts in
the Case-TediOus Work
Before the Com
miItee.
General Horace Miller, Who Com.
manded the White Citizens
in the HiOts, COrrOb0-
rates Mayor U'Leary's
Statements.
Unfair Play AIresdy Manifested
Toward the Whites-A Pro-
test-Result Of the Elec-
tiOn with the DEM
Ocracy.

<YIeEEBURG, Miss, December 81
The congressional investigating com
mittee arrived yesterday, and met tC
day in 1.-THE courthouse, the full commit
tee being present, with Chairman Con
ge' in the chair. Quite a number O
prominent citizens of the city were il
attendance.
Mayor O'Leary was the first witness
examined, who stated that the polict
| force of the city was not increased until
after the fight OF December 9TH, and thai
his proclamation, issued that day, ya1c
heretofore sent in these dispatches, was
published at eight o'clock in the morn,
ing. In reply to a question by Mr.. Con.
ger, lie said the proclamation was issued
because the one issued by GoverpO,
a Ames was unfair and calculated tn Ax.
cite the people. On Sunday, Decembe,
9th, Crosby, the colored sheriff. came Il
him, and told him that the colOred peo
pie in the country were very much ex-
cited about his being put out of office
ana asked hid to- assist him in preserv-
ing the peace, Thich he promised to do.
ABOUT thIee O'Clock next morning, DR.
ohannon S.nd two other gentlemen came
70 MS nodse, woke him up, and told him
lhaI armed bodies of negroes were
o-arcbing on the city; he told DR. Shan.
nOn to have the courthouse and fire-bells
| ruDg, so as to arouse the people; he had
heard 80 many such rumOTs that be
thought but little of them; but eight
O'Clock in the morning DR.. Hunt
came to him and reported
three or four hundred armed negroes
marching on the city by Grove street
said he then issued his proclamation or.
deriDg them to disperse and retire to
their homes, and sent Policemen Welsh
and Hays to meet the negroes aud read
the Proclamation to them; they ha
white h8ndkerchiefs on sticks; they re,
TUNED about half-past nine o'clock, and
repOrted that the negroes bad fired OIL
I them, and would not allow them to ap-
prOach.
By Mr.. COnger-Were they both sent
on the same road?
Answer-No; the negroes were report.
ed approaching on Baldwin's Ferry and
Halls Ferry roads; Welsh went on the
sormer, and Hays ~On the latter; they
isrsG tAae pcocsanIatio1l ETi on posters.
BY Mr.. Conger-Did they make an
official report?
Answer-Did not see them till after
noon, when Welsh reported that they
mad fired on him; also that the negroes
seemed to be fighting among them
selves, and were in confusion; after is
SUING the proclamation, the mayor rode
around town cautiOning the people who
had arms TO repair to the courthouse;
the company which had gone out on the
Jackson road returned, and reported
that they had fight, killing fifteen OF
twenty negroes, but afterward learned
that not that many were killed; he then
sent five citizens on a scout on the War
renton road, aud fearing an outbreak in
town, returned and told the police not to
leave their beats; the WarIentOn road
scouts returned and reported no enemy,
but about the same time received a re-
port of fighting on the Jackson road,
aud that the negroes we're routed, with
twenty five or thirty killed; these re-
ports were not official; while at the
courthouse, Peter Crosby, the colored
sheriff. was brought there under arrest,
by order of Colonel Miller, in command
of the citizens; he was kept there until
everything had become quiet, and then
sent to Jackson; the third fight occurred
on the Jackson road, near Pemberton
monument, aud lasted half an hour. but
WAS principally at long range; this was
the hardest fight Of the day; he ard that
thirty or lorty negroes had been killed,
and one white man named Brown, aid
another wounded; this was the last
fight, and occurred between nine and
ten O'Clock; Brown, the white man
killed, was coming into town from the
country, and did not belong to our
forces.
By Mr.. Conger-Were any persons
killed in the city that day?
Answer-No, sir; heard that colored
man had been shot in he jaw who re-
fused to leave the street when ordered;
heard that early in the morning five ne
groes took a gun from a white man on
the street, but did not see it; Mr.. Gren-
ella saw it.
By Mr.. Conger-At what time was the
second proclamation issued?
Answer-About noon, after the fight.
ing was over.
By Mr.. Conger-Were these fights in
the city limits?
AnsWer-The first one, on Grove
street, vast Just at the corporation line,
while the one at PembertOn monument
was half mile beyond the city limits.
By Mr.. Conger-Did you make any
disposition of the bodies Of the killed?
Answer-They were outside the city
Limits, but l went to Mr.. Newton,
county treasurer, 10 have them buried;
he said that il / would sign the paper to
the county undertaken be would, which
did.
By Mr.. Conger-Did you feel that you
had any more right to kill them outside
the city limits thau to bury them?
Apswer-My instructions to Colonel
Miller were to defend the city; did not
tell him where to go.
CRcss-EXAMINED BY Mr.. CoNGER.
Could not tell how many were buried,
but could tell to morrow from the Off
cisl books; the undertakers had heard
Of none left unburied; had heard Of no
colored men being killed since that day
except one named Mack, killed near
Haynes; the procession was fired into
and Vaughn, 8 white man was killed;
Crosby was brought to the courthouse
about the time of the first fight by order
Of Colonel Miller; did not call upon any
Of the county officers TO aid him in
the peace, because he be-
iieyed they were interested with the ne
groes in the movement; when he first
saw Crosby that day he was under ar
rest; no had no conversation with him
or any Of his deputies in regard to pre-
serving the peace; Crosby wss offered
his liberty, but suggested TO him that be
was safer in Jail than in the courthouse,
but was not taken there until the after
noon next day; he remained there until
the following week, when he was taken
out and sent to Jackson; had nothing
to do with putting him in jail, and
thought / had 40 right to restrain him
had heard OF seven negroes being killed
in the Grove-stTeet fight, thirty on the
Jackson road and about twelve or fifteen
on the CherTy-stTeet road.
To General Huulbut-Colonel Miller's
command was of armed citizens with
out any regular organization; Captain
COwan also acted rs an officer; / was
down on the levee when the bells rung;
Colonel Miller acted under orders from
me, but l was not present when the
command started out; they Were called
out on the spur Of the moment aud
were vsFiously armed, some on horse
back but mostly on foot; Colonel Baird
had no regiment; the armed citizens
were from Nlcksbnrg. About one hun