Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1877-05-18

killing of Republicans in kemper county
Miss. De Kalb. the scene of tho tragedy
he describes as "an unsightly little hamlet
standing on the hill in the midst of barren
sandy fields and patches of scrub-oak, tn
prominent features of which are two rud
unpainted churches with more than hal
the glass broken out OF their windows, {
miserable tumble-down frame courthouse
with neither paint without nor plaster
within, bright new Jail of boards painted
white, and dozen one-story stores Of tht
cheapest and meanest construction, half o
them closed and rotting down, and all much
dilapidated. lie proceeds:
"llalf day spent in hearing the nara
tives OF citizens of both political parties
who witnessed the doings of the mob on
Sunday and of the desperately wounded
judge and his heroic daughter, who were
among the victims. enables me to construct
an approximately correct account of the at-
fair. must preface it by reference to
the personal feuds and bitter political ami
mosities prevailing in the county. There is
a negro majority in kemper. and after re-
| construction 1t was controlled by a small
clique OF native white men, tho leader OF
which was Judge Chisolm, a man of con
siderable ability and of great personal cour-
age. lie had been a Judge of Probate un-
der the Coniederacy. and when civil gov
ernment was re-established he obtained the
Office of sheriff. In this position he virtu-
ally ruled the county for seven years. until
the political revolution of 1875. The other
Offices were filled by the men he told the
negroes to nominate. They were all natives
no carpet-baggers coming into the cOun-
ty. The Republican local administration
was intensely unpopular. Taxes were as
high one year as S32 on the 81 900, and
a debt was contracted OF S27 900, prolessed-
lv for the building of school houses, which
the Demociat' say were not built. and for
the support of schemes which they allege
were Of no account. Over LOG, 600 acres of
land were seized for taxes, and are still held
by the State, no purchasers having been
found. When Judge Chisholm took Office he
was, according to the report of his enemies,
too poor - get credit for a saddle-horse,
and when he left it they say he was worth
$50. 900.
Among the active Democrats of the coun-
ty were the numerous members of family
named Gully, the chief of which was John
W. Gully. There was ill feeling between
Chisolm and this man, but no personal en-
counter ever grew out of it. One of the
warm partisans of the judge, named Benja-
min Rush, formerly clerk of the Chancery
Court, had quarreed with Gully years ago
about business matter (they had been in
Partnership. and in 1873 an impromptu
duel took place in the main street of De
kalb, 10 which Samuel Gully, brother of
John W, was killed. and Rush was severely
| nd Cd . k4
Gilmer, another of Chisolm's adherents.
who kept store at Scooba and was State
Senator, shot Democrat named Dawson.
Ills clerk fired at the same time, and be-
tween them both they killed him. Although
it was shown that Dawson entered the store
with pistol in his hand for the avowed
purpose OF killing Gilmer. mob of Demo-
Gratis invaded the town one night, and, fail
| ing - find Gilmer, took his goods out of his
store and made bonfire OF them. Arrests
| were made, but there were no convictions.
The same year Benjamin Rush was waylaid
and shot and severely wounded by some per
son lurking behind church in De Kalb
As result of the campaign OF 1875,
Judge Chisolm and his friends lost their
Offices. In 1876 the Judge ran for Congress
and was defeated. The cam- aign was a
heated one, and the Democrats, banded to-
gether in well-disciplined clubs, broke up
some of the Republican meetings by march
ing to them in large bodies and holding
meetings of their own in the same places to
intimidate the rcErO;s. On one occasion a
Democratic Procession paraded in front of
ChisOlm's house, and some men in it fired
pistols in the air. according to some &C
counts, and at the house, according to
others. After the election ChisOlm procur
al k., I'D taf,, g ,rttv
Democrats by the United States Grand Jury
at jackson, under the intimidation clause
OF the Enforcement act. This added fresh
fuel to the fire CT hostile feeling long cher
ished against him in the county. In De
cember last an attempt was made to assas-
sinate John W. Gully. lie was waylaid
and shot by some unknown person. Sus-
pcinn fell upon Rush. Shortly afterwsrd
Rush lett the State and went to RUSSELL
-ille. Ark. No one has seen him in kemper
county since.
Last Thursday evening. the 26th. as John
W. Gully was returning home to his plant
alton. few miles north of DE kalb, he was
a>Sassinated by some person in hiding by
the roadside, who sent u charge of buck
shot through him and robbed him of his
boots and money. Intense excitement was
created by the murder. 1t was believed that
Rush had returned and had committed the
crime, but as no trace of him could be found.
the revengeiul feelings of the relatives and
friends Of the murdered man centered on
the powerful personal and political friends
oi Rush. A story flew about from mouth to
mouth that the Gullys had some evidence
that ChisOlm and Gilmer were accessories to
the crime. Ii cannot be ascertiined, how
ever, that there was the slightest ground for
this report, and it probably grew solely out
of the suspicious Of the Gullys. John W.
Gully was buried on Saturday, and about
two hundred and fifty men attended the fu-
neral 80 much engaged was this throng
in planning the scheme OF vengeance which
was executed next day. that there was diff
Guilty in getting anybody to fill up the
grave.
On that day a warrant was sworn out for
the ares, of Judge Chisolm. Gilmer, &.
Rosenbaum "a friend Of Gilmer), tho De
Kalb postmaster. but living in Scooba. and
two brothers named Hopper, one a merchant
and the other saloon keeper in De kalb.
All these men were Republicans There
seems to have been plot to get them to-
ether and murder them all. The sheriff
arrested the two lloppers and ChiSOlm and
placed them ail under guard IN Chisolm's
house, and despatched deputy to S,ooba
for Gimer and Rosenbaum, but they had
heard of the warrant and were met coming
to town to give themselves up.
About 10 clock that morning Sunday
armed men began to ride into De kalb.
First, small detachments came, and alter
ward large body, numbering about 100.
Before noon, over 200 men had congre
gated. They were sober, cool, and deter
mined. Tying their horses to the gsllows-
like hitching bars around the courthouse.
they surrounded Judge Chisolm's house
and insisted that the sheriff should take the
prisoners 10 the jail This was done, and a
guard of six men. selected by the sheriff,
was placed over them. Then the mob hung
two o! ChISOlm's negro servants up to trees
with bride reIns, and tried to make them
confess that they had heard something to
implicate the Judge in the murder but the |
poor fellows knew nothing, and were finally |
allowed to run to the woods.
At three o'clock in the afternoon. Gilmer |
and ROscnbaum came into the village with |
the deputy sheriff, dismounted and started |
to walk down the main street to the jail. |
They had not gore a dc zen reds before n
shot was fired ut Gilmer from the crowd OF
armed men hanging about the store doors. |
lie ran down narrow passage to the rear !,
of the buildings only to find himself pcnned |
cape was impossible, and the deienceless |
man was killed like a rat in trap. Two |
balls were shot in his head after he lay dead |
on the ground. When tho firing began |
ROsenbaum clung to an acquaintance IN the |
crowd, named Hull, and begged for protec- |
ton. This man interceded Tor him, and he !
was allowed to escape dnharmed.
When Judge Chisolm went to jail all the /
members of his iamily-hiS wife, daughter |
Is years old. n son Of IL. and two younger |
hoys-knowing that his lite was in danger, |
and hoping that their presence might soften
the hearts of the mob. went with him.
After they were locked in, the daughter .
Cnrnolm found that the guns OF the SIX /
guards were not loaded. and that they bad |
no ammunition, Under pretense OF going |
t. procure food Tor the family the courage
uus gIrl left the jail. passed through the |
crowd ot angry men, and returned home,
where she hastily socreted a powder flask. -
bag of shot and some newspapers for waG
ding under her dress Then taking some