The weekly clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1863-1882, 1876-09-06
The Weekly Clarion


Continued hom Fir.t Page.J \
nrmipg and nothing else; it was totally I
disconnected with any politics. There s
are two radicals who affiliated with that
party I'M the town, who joined Us in this 1
organization 0f men armed. Il
M excitement and disgust in the
county be-lme very intense, and the
gympitby tor the father Of the girl vas
strongly manifested, az of which was
greatly increased by the trium2hal eutry
Of tlis iIi-mItclel couple into the town,
AMI tha procession by them aud their
col0red a..lciats. throughout the streets
IL the place, including yisit 10 the
cemetery. all Of which seems % have .
aroused the Indignation OF the white 4
people % the highest pitch. IL beihg I
uuder.tJ1l that the father Of this girl |
hal armed himself sud intended % kill !
his daughter husband on sight, plans
fJr hi. destruction were arranged by the
negr1cs, which plans becoming known 10
the whites, tusy armed Themselves in OPP
petition and tor the protection Of this
injured parent. This event created an
intense excitement, which continued up
- NlA| AIIlA" 10 hlNN IN|fANNtHaAA AaAAA aA1Hs
There were but two witnesses, Stiles
and Neriucr, examined before the COM
mitieo, and their statements are utterly
variant.
There was upon the day Of the cleo
ton race collision, in which an old
colorel man, disconnected with the
quarrel, standing on the outside Of the
crowd, was shot and killed by parties
unknown, and, ~ he testified, greatly
90 the sorrow Of the white people, who
buried him with every mark Of respect
aud regret
This unfortunate death, and the
woundiug not seriously -o Of few
others, we're the only acts Of violence
which marked the election, and the
excitement, consequent upon it having
quctcl down. the election went on regu-
hrIy aud without further disturbance. 1t
was alleged by the witness, Mr.. Stiles,
(-ce page - that in consequence OF the
disturbance in which this old man was
killed, many colorcd men were intimida-
ted, left the ground, and refused to vote :;
aud although this is denied by Mr..
Ncrtncr at pages 2Ol-203, and 2O4, yet
the tact remains that the aggregate vote
Of tho county as compared with the former
elections was but slightly reduced.
Unite toUHig--Amitc county was the
scene Of great deal Of disorder and
alleged intimidation of voters. The
colorcd population in 1870 was GIT,
aud the white ! 1876 According TO the
testimony of Mr.. A. s. Parker, the
defeated candidate for sheriff, there was
n republican majority Of about 800 votes.
The disorders in this county were att, sted
by W. b. Redmond, whose deposition is
on page 10; II. T.. Hurst, at page SO /;
A. :. Parker, at page lO7.
Phrkcr's testimony, at page 1l3, and
Hurs's at page 30, concur in attributing
the chief disorders in the county and
breaches of the peace to the influence OF
one Colonel Frank Powers, whose resi-
deuce is in the State of Louisiana, over
the line.
Hurst says: "If Powers had staid
away from Mississippi, | don't think
there would have been IA much trouble
~ there hus BEEN aud proceeds to de-
scribe the reckless and dangerous charac-
ter of Powers, whom he considers "the
worst man and the chief cause of the
troubles in Amitc county, At page lOl
he says:
(By Mr.. B1yard.) How many men in
the State Of Mississippi are the chiefs and
ruling spirits of this condition OF affair
down ON the lower end Of Amite county
a. Well, 10 is not easy to say. lcould
not possibly tell you how many.
suppose il YOU picked ont ten or fifteor
desperate characters, the whole tEiug
would stop. Yes, will 20 further thar
that aud say that, ii jackson aud Pow
crs were arrested, this whole thing would
stop.
And i'm the neat reply he classes Powers
NJ the worst man and Noses jackson a.
the next
At page i13, Parker, in reply to {
question by Nh Bayprd "who this mar
Powers t.. and what effect he has had in
producing this condition Of things in the
county of Amitc, describes him as fol
lows
Colonel Powers, during the war, had
commanded regiment of cavalry that
was called 'Buttermilk Cavalry IN oul
neigublrbold. They were scouting and
raiiiug around the country, and he had
always q bad reputation for running cot
tOu through the Confederate lines. His
reputation was, 1 think, very bad. He
is a leader of what is called The Regula
tors, in the parishes Of East Feliciaua
and Saint Helena. There have been d
great many negroes killed through these
counties and they have killed some Of tn,
county officers ut Clinton, in the parish
of East Felicinna, and have run the resi-
away. Included in his organization were
some mcn l.om Amitc county, and they
were in sympathy viib him in getting rid
of republican officers.
"Ihe understanding was that, shosld
they want Powers ON our side of the line,
they would call on him. and he would
come prepared to assist them in doing
anything they might require to be done
an thus election day they sent for him
General Hurst asked Powers why he hac
come there, and he said they sent fol
him."
Further ON he speaks Of Powers az
"tho chief over the lane in Mississippi,
aud in reply to the question whether h,
believed "that it jackson and Power
were arrested and punished these thing
uoull cease. besays, Eyes, SIR | hav,
mo doubt ct it"
These two aud a eolorod man named
Strot.er were the only witnesses eTamin
cd in regard 10 the affairs Of Amt,
county, eud the only disturbance testified
to ON the day Of The election vas al this
precinct where Powers came but tn
fact was established subsequently by tw,
witnesses by the name Of Weber, VIII,
wcre summoned from the parish Of Eas
Fcliciaua, whose dispositions will b,
found at pages - OF the testimony
ono State SenstoF and the other tax
collector Of the State Of LoVisana, both
republicans. and from them we have tht
information that Colonel Frank Powers
is republican ofice-hoider by the
appointment of Governor Kellogg, and
has been acting with the republican
party in Louisiana since 1870. 1t would
I've difficult, therefore, to hold the white
people and Democrats Of Amite county,
IN Mississippi, answerable fir disturbed
and dis0rdcrcd condition OF affairs which