Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-10-25
SOUTH CAROLINA.
The Recent Cowardly Attack
Upon the Negroes at
Cainhay.
The Whites Make an Onslaught,
and the Negroes Retreat In
Good Order.
Special Dispatch to the Evening Journal.

Special Dispatch to the Evening Journal
NEW York, Oct. ls.--The N0w
Times Charleston dispatch says:
'sThe following account is from an
and creditable eyewitness,
and may be relied upon as substan-
TALLY correct: The steamer PocasiA
left Charleston at 8 o'clock yesterday
to convey number of democratic
and republican speakers and their
friends to the joint discussion, or
"divided-time' meeting, which had
been announced to take place at Cain
hay, about twenty miles from tlMs
city. Fearing that trouble might oc-
cur, it was arranged between Sheriff
Bowen and the democratic leaders
that neither party should bring arms
on the boat.
The democratic speakers, Jervey
and Sicker, and OConor, the demo-
cratic candidate for Congress were
accompanied by about two hundred
members Of the Butler Guards and
other white men who carried 10 rifles.
but were well supplied with pistols.
Sheriff Bowen, w. j. Mckinley,
and c. Gaillard, republican speakers,
had just fifteen of their friends with
them.
No trouble occurred during the
trip ON the river, and the steamer
reached Cainhay at noon. Here the
Charleston party was met by party
of negroes, and proceeded quietly to
the place of the meeting. where they
found three or four hundred colored
men assembled. They had come
from all parts of the parish, many
from wild remote districts, and most
of them were armed with old shot
guns and musIcts. These they plac-
ed upon the ground, or against trees.
A large number of them laid in the
corner of an old building near the
speakers stand. This they did with
no purpose Of secreting their weap-
ons, as has been claimed, but SO that
they could easily lay their hands on
them when the meeting closed. The
guns and muskets were all the pri-
vate property of the freedmen.
There were no militia rifles among
them, and the statement that there
was a militia company on the ground
was not true.
The meeting was opened with the
understanding that each party should
be allowed two hours for speeches.
Before the regular proceedings,
Sheriff Bowen earnestly requested
| the people to listen to the speakers,
and be orderly and quiet.
! .1crvey, the well known democrat
of Charleston, was then introduced,
and spoke for nearly an hour with
out interruption or disturbance OF
any kind.
lie was followed by Mckinley. for
the republicans, but had only spoken
a few words, when he was startled
by number of negroes crying.
"Look out" Mckinley looked
around in the direction indicated hy
the blacks, and then, in very excit-
ed tone exclaimed, pointing to Z
number of white men who were ap.
preaching the arms in the old house
"Those men have got guns. They
are going to shoot me and the rest OF
you" lie then jumped from thu
stand.
The cOlorcd men were greatly
alarmed by his words and ran from
the meeting place in all directions
taking their arms with them. Ten
or q dozen Of the whites secured 8
number Of the guns in the old hous,
. and pointed them towards the ae
groes.
Sheriff Bowen. seeing this deM1
! stration, called on O'Ccnor to kee]
his men quiet. O'Conor tried to d
, so, asking the white men to lay dow
5 their arms. Instead Of doing thi,
, however, they went to the other eal
I of the building and formed q lins
: and then, without moments warn
. ing, one of The white men discharge,
h his gun, and decrepid old negr
I tell dead.
y! Upon this the blacks fled benin
8 trees and bushes, and opened run
: ming fire upon the whites. Tn
blacks displayed most remarlabl
+ GOODNESS and took up q favorable pt
!, sition, instead of running wildly an
/ aimlcssly about as they did ct Wick
8 burg, Ncwgass. Coney and Hambur
b massacrcs. 1t was this eoolness ~, ~
:. saved them from slaugh&1rI
u The whites, finding they i,
0 tended to fight, gave up ne conte:
n and retrcatcd rapidly to fc yillag
3 The negroes then disperscd in ali q
Q rections, taking their woMnded Wi
e them. On this account 1T will be in
d possible to report thcirAoss. 1t is ~
Q doubted, however, that a number
II them were more or less dangerousl
It wounded.
q Upon reaching the village, a nun
II bcr of whites who were members
d rifle club, and could secure arm
j. stationed themselves in a large ou
1t house, and made preparations to me
d any attack which might be made u
II on them. None was made, howcve
=, In the evening the boat returned
N Charleston, and reported what hs
Is occurred. There was a great deal ,
ny of the Palmetto Guard, number
ing eighty men, well armed vii
breech loading rifles, left for Il
a. scene of disturbance. They we
a with the avowed intention of pr
- tecting the whites of Cainhay, b
" there is no doubt that their real d
70 sire was TO avenge their wound,
~ friends.
:" 1t is not expected that there W
;e be any further organized disturban,
M for the negroes have dispersed Al
IN many of them will doubtless Sc
~ safety in the woods and swamp
"A but the whites swear that somebo,
be will have TO suffer for yesterda!
lr work. AS gentleman OF this ci
= expressed it. "by this time next wee
a. There will be at least half doz,
IN niggers less in the parish