Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1877-07-13
The ChisoIm Tragedy.

The investigation directed by the WASH
ington authorities into the murder of the
Scotchman Mcclellan in the Kemper coun-
ty (Miss.,) massacre, which was made at
the request of the British minister, on the
suppositon that he was British subject,
only makes more plain tho cold-blooded
character of the slaughter. The report on
the investigation was completed and pre-
scented to the Secretary of State last Satur-
day. The evidence confirms all the facts
thus far published and shows that the kill
ing was not the result of any sudden out
burst of popular passion or frenzy, but was
a deliberately planned and cold-blood muir
der the purpose Of those perpetrating the
crime being 90 remove the victims of
their conspiracy in order that they might
not be witnesses against them for offences
for which they were indicted in the State
and Federal courts. The parties directly
concerned in killing aud those who aided
and allotted them aud who constituted all
the actors in the tragedy, did not number
over finy persons. OF this number twenty
one were indicted for offences against the
election laws in November last, and of
ly family. During the Presidential cam
paign a large number Of outragas were com.
mitted upon Republicans, black and white,
in Kemper county, and for these offences
twenty-one persons were Indicted as stated
above. Indictments were found against
them in State courts and also in Federal
courts. The trials in the State courts were
TO have been held prior TO the massacre, but
the indictments were all stolen from the
clerks office, and in consequence they
could not take place. The trials in the Fed
eral Courts were TO take place in May last,
and the witnesses against the parties to be
tried were Judge Chisolm, Rosenbaum,
the Hopper brothers and Gilmer. All these
indicted were Democrats and the witnesses
were Republicans. 1t was to prevent these
trials that the conspiracy was Matched, its
deliberate purpose being to kill all the par
ties named above as witnesses, and the as
sassination of John w. Gully on the 10Th Of
April was used as a pretcxt for the action
of the conspirators against Judge Chisolm
and his friends.
Tie report states that Mcclellan, who WAS
with Judge Chisolm as a friend in the Jail
while the mob had surrounded il, vas call
ed down by The sheriff, who did not pretend
TO protect the prisoners, and rs lac came
down, Mcclellan gave his gun to young
Chisolm. When he got to the bottom Of
the stairs the sheriff locked the gate or
door, 50 that Mcclellan could not return,
saying "that they Qhe mob wanted him, :"
Mcclellan to be out of there. After vanly
trying TO return, Mcclellan went ont. AZ
Ter he had turned the corner, and while
walking towards his shop, several Of the
mob fred on him, three bullets penetrating
through his back to his chest and bowels,
aud he fell forward dead. Mcclellan was
born in Scotland, but had lived in Missis-
sippi for 20 years he always claimed
10 DO British subject, but enlisted
in some 10 days troops early in the rebel
| lion, and was subsequently, refused protec-
ton by the British consul at Mobile on the
ground that he had thereby forfeited all his
claims. As question Of fact it is clearly
established that Mcclellan was not a citizen
of the United States, aud that he never vol
unfairly renowned his allegiance to the
British Crown. Whether he forfeited his
| rights rs British subject by reason of his
connection with the Confederate military
service is for British authorities TO deter
mine. a copy of the testimony will he fur
nished the representative of Great Britain
| by the State department. Nothing more is
heard of any action by the state authorities
| against the murdereTs, and there is no good
| reason TO believe that any will ever be at
tempted.