Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1876-08-30
Republicans have so volumiaously

that the company Wa otpanizei TO kill the whites
lie refused 90 Join. he also attn ued that on the
9th Of Judy De- Siw Louis schiller take the tram
for Cn,umhin, and on the next morning he saw
schiller return 90 Hamburg with a large tin can.
4 number ct Doc. Adams company were waiting
NJ the deput tlrce OF the number took the can
and sent il 20 John Williams house. Judge Blunt,
one OF the three who took the can, apon being
questioned said that Il contained cartndgcs. The
deponeut sand further, that, sinee the not Tom
Carroll one OF the company, told him that before
o'clock of the day OF the riot all the nmmuni-
ton, measuring fifteen quarts OF cartridges, mad
been carried up 70 the armory ana dlstmouted
among the men 10y Doc. Adams and Others
Here was a band of desperadoes
preparing for conflict. The testi-
mony further shows the intention
of the negroes. They have been
represented by President Grant
and his yoke-fellows as "docile,'
''inoffensive," peaceful, ""industri-
ous," prosecuted" men. Let us
see the testimony:
Frank TAYLOR rolorei, affirmed that in June
last hc was asked by Attaway 10 Join his company
and on asking what the company was for, Attaway
said Ito kill out the whites"
Edward Rumley affirmed that previous 10 me
riot he observed on different occasions armed
bands Of negroes patroling in and out OF Ham
hurc That thcv ronllnittcd all kinds Of depreda-
tlons, stole cattle and destroyed fences, and also
that after the fight and pending the inquest
Charles Turner, the foreman Of the jury, told HIM
that they were going 20 put the white men in jail
and keep them there until after the election.
Jerry Whitlock, colored, affirmed that on the
4th Of July he heard Attaway make threatening
remarks against Henry Gotsen. who was riding
by and that pending the inquest, he heard Ir,
ner. the foreman OF the jury, say that they had
cot the white men where they wanted. They
would put them in jail and keep them there till
after the election
"Geoi-r Henderson. colored, affirmed that on
the ith Of July he and Jerry Meruwether, also
colored were asked in Hamburg 10y Attaway TO
ION n company he was getting up 20 XIII out the
whites. Neither himself nor jerry Merriwether
would Join.
.Jcrry Merriwether, colored, corroborated the
statement made by Henderson.
Aaron F. TyCr affirmed that on the 9Th of July
Adams company had passed his house IN Hamburg
and scrsped their bayonets on his fence; he re-
monstrated with them and they cursed and threat
ened him. A day or two subsequent portion or
the same company. armed, stopped him while he
was gong home fIom Augusta, He asked what
right they had 70 stop him. and they replied that
no matter what right they had they would do as
they pleased threatening and curslng him.
"Wm. +. Flint, the Waterman on the Charlotte
| Columbia and Augusta railroad bridge, amfms
4 that on the morning Of the Sth John lhomas' one
/ of Adams company, passed him on the bridge
with large pistol in his hand. That he said that
! Adams had been arrested but the boys were not
1 t-Olng 10 allow INN 70 DC urea. Inc AtIbuth'
further overheard Doc. Adams that afternoon
give orders 10 his men in tho armory to fire upon
the Buffers as they came round the corner from
Prince Rivers office. The Buffers did not, how
ever, come that way Hearing these things, he
warned several persons, among whom was MI
Frank Kramer that difficulty was brewing.
George Kramer affirmed that he had been fire.
quently halted and insulted and Threatened 10y
armed negroes in the streets of Hamburg NJ night
these negroes having no authority to perpeirat'
such outrnges. -.
Prank Kramer confirmed the testimony Of hi.
brother, George Kramer, and also the testimony
of VIM. Z. Flint"
Here are abundant preparations
made by the "docile and persecut-
ed" negroes for boodshed. Let US
see who were the aggressors:
"Affidavits we're then submitted from W. p
johnson, W. p Roger J. b. Mckinney, Georg'
Dom, John Sullivan, Vim. Cooney, VIM. Allen
e. +. Coffin, Robert Virgil, II. II. Bliss, Waller
Matheny j. c. kirkpatrick, +. b. Cunningham
| Leopold Myers and, II. W. Habersham, showing
that the hostilities and the firing were commenced
by the negroes from the aTmory, and that young
Nh. Merriwhether had been killed by the negroes
before the whites fired shot"
"Afidayits from Il. j. Butler, Chas. +. Wurn'
burger. Nina and Eda Lipfcld, Is. Lipfcld, j.
Lipfeii. John shaw, W. W. woodward r. j., NJ
! ." and J I. Cutler, Jas. Smith, stephen Ashton,
! NJ a. Ransom, Z. L. jefferson, r. \. Chafee and
J. w. Huckabee, proving nliois IN the eases OF all
those charged specifically with the crime Of mur-
der. and most of those charged with being aiders
. and abettOrs.
The testimony shows that the ne
groes were a band of thieves and
murderers that they he'd no right
to bear arms under the militia laws
of the State: that they threatened
to kill the whites; that they had
1 for long time so threatened, and
had committed lawless acts that
in this case they defed the sum-
mons of a magistrate, and went to
their armory, fully prepared to shed
blood, and that they fired the first
shot and drew the first blood. I'm
der such circumstances their dis
Judgement was necessary as a meas
ure of public safety. The trial will
undoubtedly show a deliberate con-
spiracy and plot on the part of the
negroes. The South Carolina Re.
publicans are already very nervous
over the prospect of the certain de.
velopments. They must justify the
desperadoes in their acts or recede
from their position that the Ham.
burg riot was Democratic plot fol
campaign purposes.
AS to the malicious charge:
brough against General NJ. C. But
Ter, of Edgcfield county, by tn,
Northern press, to the effect tina
he is an "assassin" and murderer,
and urged the destruction of tn
negroes at Hamburg, they are re
J futed by no less an authority thar
Judge II. j. Mackay, one of tn
most prominent Republicans c
, South Carolina. He said, at Haye
and Wheeler ratification meetin
on Aug. 2, at Rock Hill, s. c.:
81 can not concur with the speaker who has a.
= dressed you in denOuncing General NJ. G.. Butl
, as the author, or in any degree the promoter,
that great crime l have considered all the ey
s dence thus far disclosed upon the subject; ha'
conyerscd it'll Republicans of both races who we
= and while they all believe that General Butler W
: IN or near Hamburg at the time OF the massacr
one Of the guilty parties 20 that deed Of bloc
r such belief OF conclusion their part Is not su
r ported by any testimony which would not be /
u stantly consumed TO ashes under the rays Of jut
n cial test
t AS to the parties who are allie.
e ed to have shot several negroes aft,
n the company had surrendered, nor
n are the most DESTROYS that the
;, shall be brought to justice than Il
n Democratic citizens of South Car
e lima. Shooting of these men W,
, certainly quite as lawless an act