The Daily clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1866-1888, 1876-10-03
Report Of the Grand bury upon
the Riot iu NcrnnndO, on
Monday Hsth sept. 20.
STATE OF MISSISSIPPI

For the first lime in the history OF this
county extending nov through period OF
forty YEAR, "a Grand Jury Of DeSoto coun.
ty have found 10 necessary to investigate
and report upon riot of - serious charac-
ter growing To come extent out of political
differences. ln entering upon an inye-ti-
CATION OF tie unhappy occurrences Of Mon
day 18th inst, your Grand Jury, comp scd
as II j.. Of members representing both races
as well ~ both political parties, have
strivcu to lay asiCe NIL party prejudice and
to ascertain by the most patient labor the
true facts Of the case. Ia this attempt they
have examined under oath more than 80
witnesses Of whom perhaps one fourth
were white and three fonrths were colored
-oi the white. several were Republicans.
The blacks IL Is believed all belonged 10
that party Amid such multitude Of wit.
nesscs there were Of course discrepancies as
10 inimaterial points an some conflict ~ to
matters OF importance; but In the main
there was a concurrence aud almost uua-
Limity OF testimony that leaves but little
room for doubt rs 10 the true history Of the
occurrence.
Three days before the riot here had been
n Joint political discussion vi Plenenut Hal
In tits county, between Col. Van H. Man
ming, Democratic, aud Judge Thomas Wal
ton, Republican candidate Tor Congress.
There was present u very large audience
composed mainly OF whites. Judge Wall
tons speech on the occasion wa addressed
principally to the blacks. H. was deemed
by The whites highly iun1matory IN us
character, aud Ds calculated 10 SUR up the
pHJuaicc- aud iGcite the worst passions OF
The culored people. That this opinion WAS
not based wholly on party bias seem. 10 be-
proven by the fact that several lending col.
Ored men have testified before us In earnest
depreciation OF its tone and by the still more
pregnant circumstance that cx Chancellor
Campbell the Chairman of the Republican
County Committee, earnestly demonstrated
with Judge Walton upon the temper oi his
remarks, aud stated to him that II he per-
sisted In that course Of canvass he should
resign bis position on the county committee
aud take no further part IN the canvass.
Unable 10 exact from Judge Walton any
pledge To alter his course In this regard.
Chancellor Campbell did resign his position
lew hours before the unhappy occurrences
NJ fernando. We alludc TO the circtn.
stance, because we are informed that Chan.
celor Campbell has made it the subject of a
public address to the people OF the county
which Is already In type. Three days after
the speaking Mt Pleasant Hill the opposing
candidates met IN fernando. lt was the
first day OF the present term of this Court
Nhile the whites were assembled in the
courthouse listening TO the charge of your
Honor add to our own BODY, the col
ored pcople to the number of six or seven
hundred, began To pour In upon the public
square mounted ana marching IN organized
companies around the court house, and
shouting ana yelling SO loudly as almost 10
put stop TO the business OF the court.
Aiter ciloDing repeatedly around the
building they proceeded to the ground pre-.
pared for the speaking, and took complete
Hnd exclusive possession of the few seats
that had been prepared by some of the
whites for their own use AT the instance
OF the whites, Chancellor Campbell explain
ed 30 them that The seats had been prrpnrr1
by the white people for their own use, but
that they were willing Co share ca, m equal
ly with the blacks. lie, therefore, request
cd them to vacate one half of the seats. And
designated certain tree as marking the
division line. The great mass OF the blacks
after some hesitation, aCCedCd To this reaueat
aud withdrew beyond the tree, some of the
bucks positively and deGantly refused Ia
vacatc, just then the court having nd
jOurned the whites began to arrive aud take
possession OF the feats allotted them. One
white man advanced towards the blacks
who retained the seats allotted 20 the whitea
Nhif lhE - NNihliiE SUM hllu tNillilN 10 tllpm
TO give back. One OF the blacks rising mn
grasped the stick and attempted TO wrest il
from him, an angry scullle ensued, during
which the colored man was Knocked down
The sharp crack of q pistol Immediately en-
sued, aud this was followed hv several more
from the same direction. II has been found
impossible to ascertain by whom these shots !
were fired, but iour-titlhs Of all the wit. |
nesses, black aud white, examined by MS |
testified that they came from the cOlorel |
portion Of the audience, Il met not difficult |
Ia determine since the blacks, TO the num-
her OF coo To 200, were all massed on one
side OF a dividing line, while the 10 or 90 |
whites, who lmd arrived stood upon the Cd.
po,ite side. Ten or fifteen shots were fired
IA all. BY these two white men were shot
through llle clothing, In addition to Thomas
Nichol' dangerously and John W. Woods.
mortaly wounded, and since dead One
colortd man only was slightly wounded In
the leg, The entire firing occupied not
longer than one minute.
The widest scene Of confusion and ex-
element cnsued, but the officers of the law
headed by your Honor, and Sheriff Bvnum,
were promptly on the ground aud assisted
by the great body OF the people present OF
both races, commanded and enforced the .
peace. Too much praise cannot be award
y
the good citizens who SO strenuously and
MOLLY assisted you in preserving the peace,
While we regret the tair name Ofour coun-
~ has been stained by this unhappy occur
renee and deeply mourn the blood that has
been shed, and the life that has been sacri-
Heed, we feel that we have reason to be
proud OF the prompt energy oXerted by our
)flcers and the noble Selt-restraint display
ad by our people. 1t is pleasing and stri-
king contrast To the weakness, ineiliciency
ana cowaraiee too often displayed by
lihcers OF the law under similar circum-
stances under former administrations in
his State. We are satisfied that this UNI
fortunate affair was as unexpected TO the
great mass of the colored people as It. Ger
ainly was to the entire body of the whites.
We regret to say however, that circum-
stances are not wanting which seem to in
1lcate previous anticipation ii not prepar-
alton upon the part OF portion OF the coll
ored Clubs present. 1t was testified by
many witnesses that runners had been
sent out through the country after the
speaking at Pleasant lin urging the color
ed people 10 come to fernando I'm their
Clnb organizations prepared for difficulty.
The leader Of one of the clubs, an cx-
member of the Legislature and a colored !
man OF great influence, stated that tearing
that difficulty would ensue he refused To :
bring his club to fernando until he had ex-
acted from each member an oath TO leave =
his arms at home, aud being asked why he I
feared difficulty, he replied, that Ii was in
OF the representations he had
heard of Judge Walton's speech. We have