Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1876-07-13
THOMPSON.
"Crutchy" Frances the InfamOus-Her
His Testimony Before the Repub-
IIeEn Congregational Cons
mittee I'm ISRG.
A Sample or the Evidence i'm which
Memphis was Pound Guilty" of
RIOtoas Conduct by the
Congressional Com
mittee.

abetted, nor how many women, both
white and black, he has ruined. He
has played the part Of 8 90. Petween and
pIocuress, and piled nefariOus ttsde 81
q wholesale debaucher. or his utter de-
pravity there is no room to doubt, and
as little that he is capable of using his
vile tongue to the injury Of any one
~hot1 ne may regard his Hnemy. OF
his capacity in this regard, we have a
sample in the testimony he gave before
the congressional committee to investi-
gate the Memphis riots in 1865, which
we copy in the APPEAL to-day, as fol-
lows, from pages 1857 Of the report Of
the committee;
Question-Stste your name and resi-
dence? Answer-Ay name is Frances
Thompson; l live in Gayoso stteet, hsre
in Memphis.
Q.-What is your occupation7 Al
sew, and take in washing and Ironing.
9.-HaVe you been SLAYER A.-Yts,
sir.
Q-Where were you raised? Al
was raised in Mary land. All our people
but mistress, got killed in the rebel ar
my.
Q.-Have you been injured? Al
am a cripple. EThe witness used
crutches1. have cancer In my foot.
Q.-Were you here during the late
riots? Ayes, sir.
Q-State what you know or saw of
the riotiDg? A.-Between one and two
o'clock, Tuesday night, seven mon, two
of whom were policemen, came to my
house; l knew they were policemen by
their stars; they were all 1rishmen;
they said they must have supper, and
asked me what l had, and said they
must have some eggs and ham and biz
cult; made them some bisctit and
some strong coffee, and they all sat
down and eat; a girl lives with me; her
name is Lucy Smith; she is about six
teen years old; when they had eaten
supper they said they wanted some wo-
man to sleep with; said we were not
that SO OF women, and they must go;
they said "tha. didn't make q damned
bit Of difference;" one of them laid hold
of me, and hit me on the side Of my
face, and, holding my throat, choked
me; Lucy tried to get out of the win
dow, when one Of them knocked her
down and cheksd her; they drew their
pistols, and said they would shoot US
and fire the house if we did not let them
have their way with US; all seven Of the
men violated US two; four of them had
to do with me; and the rest with Lucy.
Q-Were you injured? Al was sick
for two weeks; lay for three days with
a hot burning fever.
Odd any one attend you? Al
had a cold before, and DR.. Ram bert at.
tended me after this.
Q-Were you robbed? A.-After they
got through with US they just robbed the
house; they took the clothes out Of my
trunk, and took one hundred dollars
that I had in greenbacks belonging to
me, and two hundred that belonged to
q colored woman that was left with me
to keep safe for her.
Odd they take anything else?
A.-They took three silk dresses of
mine and right nice one of Gucy's;
hey put the things into two pillow slips
and took them away.
Q-How long did the men stay? A
They were there perhaps for nearly four
hours; it was getting near day when
they left.
Odd they say anything? A.-They
said they intended to "burn up the last
Cd id niger"
Odd you know any Of them2 A
They were all Irishmen; there was not
al American among them.
Odd anything else take place?
A.-There were some quilts about that
we had been making. They asked US
what they were made for. When we
told them for the soldiers, they swore at
ls, and said the soldiers would never
have them on their beds, and took them
away with the rest of the things. They
said they would drive all the Yankees
Out Of the town, and then there would
be only some rebel niggers and butter
nuts left. I thought all the time they
would burn the house, but they didn't.
And this statement Of the brute
Thompson, so utterly at variance with
he truth, was in part corToborated by
he girl Lucy Smith, who, however,
tated that she was violated but once.
Violated" just after she had been /;
orced from occupying the same bed
With Thompson. Upon such testimony
Is this Memphis was stigmatizad by a
Radical congressional committee, from |
whose report, based upon this testimony,
We copy the following:
"Fhe browning acts Of atrocity and dia-
'olism committed during these terrible |
lights were the ravishing of five differ
Mt colOred women by these fiends in
uman shape, independent of other at
empts at rape. The details of these out
ages are of too shocking and disgusting
character to be given at length in this
spOrt, and reference must be had to the
estimony of the parties. 1t is singular
act that while the mob was breathing
engeance against the negroes and
hooting them down like dogs, yet
'hen they found unprotected colored
vOmen they at once conquered their
rejudices,' and proceeded to violate
lem under circumstances Of the most
centious brutality. The rape of Frances
thompson, who had been slave and
as cripple, using clutches, having a
ANGER on her foot, is one to which ref.
renee is here made. On Tuesday night
wen men, two Of whom were police
len, came to her house. She knew
lie two to be policemen by their stars.
hey were all Irishmen. They first de-
landed that she should get supper for
lem, which she did. After supper the
retches threw all the provisions that
ere in the house which had not been
into the bayou. They then
i'd hold of Frances, hitting her on the
de of the face and kicking her. A girl
? the name of Lucy Smith, about six
en- years old, living with her, attempt
to go out at the window. One Of the
'utes knocked her down and choked
sr. They then drew their pistols, and
id they. would shoot them and fire the
,use if they did not let them have
cir way. The woman, Frances
thompson, was then violated by four OF
e men, and 50 beaten and bruised that
% lay in bed for three days. They then
ok all the clothes out of the trunk,
Ie hundred dollars in greenbacks be-
Oging to herself, and two hundred dol s
re- belonging to another colored wo. ]
al, which had been left to take care
her child, besides silk dresses, bed
,thing, etc. They were in the house A..
arly four hours, and when they left
ey said they intended ito burn up the
1t God damned Niger, and drive all !
e Yankees out of town, and then there /
)uld be only some rebel niggers and /
tternuts left The cclOred girl, Lucy 6
NTH, who was before the committee,
i'd to be sixteen or seventeen years
1, but who seemed, from her appear 3
ce, to be two or three years younger, :
IS girl of modest demeanor and high
respectable in appearance. She cor
oorated the testimony of Frances
ompson as to the number o. men
~ int h. nd 80