Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1877-05-04
The Mississippi Assassination.


Southern States is the instant and COM
plete cessation of political disturbances,
murder, violence aud lawlessness which
has followed upon the -s,oppage OF leder-
al military interference. The next day
among the Herald dispatches was one
from Jackson, Mississippi, giving the fol-
owing account OF the bloody buichery
which took place lasl week ia kemper
County of that State.
On Thursday evening last John W. Gully,
promine Mt citizen OF Kemper county, was assassin
sted BY an unknown party. The murder created
intense excitement, and every meaus was resorted
to to discover the perpetrator On Saturday two
colored men made affidavit that Benjamin Rush,
a white man, was the guilty party and that Judge
Chisolm, who ran for Congress; on the republican
ticket in the Third district at the last election bis
son, and Gilmer. Rosenbaum and man
named Hopper, all white republicans, knew of and
instigated the crime. Judge Chisolm and his son
were arrested and imprisoned at De Kslb and
Mrs. Cbisolm and daughter insisted on sharing
their confinement. On Sunday Judge Chisolm
sent to Scooba for Gllmer for whom a warrant
had been issued. Gilmer cane and on arrival was
arrested but just he arrived at the jail he was
set upon by mob and killed. The jailer was
then overpowerel by the mob, who immed atcly
attacked J Judge Chisolm, MORALLY wounding him,
and killing his son. Miss Chi ,olm, in defending
her father, shot and killed DR.. Rosser, and Mrs.
Cbisolm severely wounded young Gully, son of
Mr.. Gully, who was asssssinated. Miss Chisolm
was also seriously wounded. Rosenbaum and
Hopper were carried into the woods by the mob
for the purpose Of extorting from them the where
abouts of Rush, the alleged assassin of Mr.. Gull
". When last heard from, some weeks ago, Rush
was in Arkansas. 1t is supposed Rosenbaum and
Hopper were hanged. A horrible state of affairs
is reported as existing throughout that section.
The people are wild with excitement and other
hangings will probably follow.
Whether the Herald still holds to the
opinion expressed in its editorial of Tues
day in regard to the benefcence of the
"stoppage OF federal military interfer-
ence" In the South we do not know. Mil
itary interference by the federal govern.
ment stopped in Mississippi when Gov
ernor Ames was compelled to leave that
State. There is not now and probably
has not been for months a federal soldier
ia the State. Yet the murders of last week
and the scenes attending them are as brut-
al at least as any that occurred during the
administration of Governor Ames.
Some of the ''independent'' organs
make haste, we see, to make it appear that
this massacre was the result of private
feud and not mixed up with politics. The
TO do with politics. Such papers are not
as honest even as the democratic pa
pers which admit tina. political causes
were at the bottom, though they
throw the blame as matter of course
upon the reconstruction policy The New
York World says ''there seems reason to
suppose that party iealousies and hatreds
had something to do with it, and it may
probably be set down. therefore. as an
atter-clap of the mischievous reconstruc-
ton policy and Of the disastrous reign in
Mississippi of Ames and his associates"
How much politics had to do with the
murder is related in letter to the New
York Times and published in that paper
1t is headed "A letter from One who
Knew Them" and is as follows:
To the Editor Of the Ee,c Fork Times:
Mr.. Gilmer and Judge Chisom, who were killed
yesterday in Mississippi | met in Washington
this winter, while they were witnesses before the
Senate Committee Privileges and Elections.
Their testimony will be found in the printed re-
port Of the investigation of Mississippi. They
were not carpet-baggers in any sense. but rcpua-
bic gentlemen, the latter q man of means, owning
some 10, 900 acres Of land there, and the former,
believe, a lawyer. Both were natives of the
South and in the Southern Army, but were repub-
lican from principle, and the latter in sympathy
with the Hayes Administration. They were inca
pabe of waylaying anybody, and this massacre |
AN sure is a cowardly assassination of true men
who were peculiarly obnoxious on account of be-
ing Southern-born men. Sympathizing with the
republican party in that State, Judge Chisolm was
candidate for Congress in the last campaign, and
stumped his Congressional district lie was not
allowed TO speak but in few places without inter-
ruption and at the fear of his life. On the day of
the election he was not allowed to vote in his own
town. the bull-dozers visiting his house and shoot
ing into it the day previous. lie was counted out
by the democrats. He dreaded going back to
Mississippi on account of the state of feeling
there. and hoped for better state of feeling from
Mr.. Hayes course, which would enable him and
his family to live in peace. He has had TO change
his clothes TO visit his office in the evening, to
avoid the assassination which has at last come.
MONDAY, April 80, 1877. F.JH.
1t was because these men were repub-
licans and testified before the Senate
Committee that they were butchered.
They were not carpet-baggers but natives
of the South; not black men but white:
murdered because they were republicans
and testified TO the violence and fraud per-
petrated In Mississippi by the democrats.
The Times comments cdilorially as fol-
lows: