New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1877-05-12

'front.', Desldes several shots that pene-
trated from the rear.
1t is believed that no shots were fred
at G1r. Rosenbaum, and he was lodged in
jail with Mr.. Hopper and Judge Chisholm.
The crowd now surrounded the Jail, yeII-
ing and cursing, and clamcripg for the
blood of Judge Chisholm. Tie sheriff
and his deputies, with two or three excep-A
tions, surrendered to the mob A Mr..
Mcclellan, Scotchman and an unnatu-
ralized citizen, who was placed on guard
outside the jail refused to yield to the
mob, and declared that he would defend
the prisoners to the last. Several guns
were leveled upon him, and he fell dead,
riddled with bullets
At the demand of the mob, the sheriff
or jailor now unlocked the jail, and sew
eral men rushed in. The prisoners and
the family of Judge Chisholm and two
or three guards we're upstairs, and the
stairway being narrow, none were willing
to go boldly up, but several crept up and
raising their guns 80 as not to expose
their persons, fired random shots toward
that part Of the room which Judge CHS
holm was known to occupy. One Of these
random shots hit and shattered the arm
of his little son Johnnie, who was stand
ing near his father.
At this juncture DR.. David Rosser, one
| of the leaders of the mob, turning to his :
comrades, called upon them to rally and
cease acting like towards, but to come on
like men and follow him. Followed by
four or five others he rushed boldly up
stairs, and as soon as he had reached the
upper landing he turned and leveled his
gun upon Judge Chisholm. Miss Corne-
liza Chrisholm had seized gun belonging
to one of the guards and handed it to her
father. Judge Chisholm and DIR. Rosser
fired simultaneously. Almost at the same
instant the latter fell dead, having re-
ceived full charge of buckshot in his
face and head. The Judges little son,
Johnnie, also fell dead, shot through the
heart and horribly mangled. The follow
ers of Rosser were panic-stricken, and
after his death was reported no one would
venture upon the stairs. The mob then
demanded fire, and declared its intention
to burn the Jail Light wood was pro-
cured and the cry of fire was raised.
Judge Chisholm now turned to the sur
viving members of his family and said:
"Come let usgo, it is better that I should
be shot to death than that we should all
stay and be burned" With his wife and
daughter clinging to him he started down
stairs. As soon as they came in sight of
the mob several shots were fred, and the
arm of Miss Cornelia was shattered at the
wrist, a load of buckshot took effect in
one of her lower limbs, and she was
struck in the face with pieces of splinters
and splattered shot. Just as he reached
the hall below the Judge was struck in the
right hip and lower bowels-ten buckshot
having been lodged in his lower ahdo-
men-when he fell to all appearances in
a dying condition. This ended the firing.
l
Judge Chisholm fell, and were not mo-
Tested Mrs. Chisholm took her husband
by the shoulders, and, with the assistance
of her son Clay and Mr.. Mosely, con-
J veyed him to his home. Fifteen or more
OF the mob followed for some distance
and made several attempts to shoot, but
Miss Cornelia, with her face and clothes
covered with blood, and with her shat
tered arm dangling at her side, threw her
self between these infuriated demons and
her father and implored them for heavens
sake and their own sake not to pursue
their bloody work any further, that her
father was dead and to spare at least his
body to those who loved him.
, These are some Of the circumstances Of
the riot which was shocking beyond de.
scripion, and in all aspects brutal and
barbarous-a disgrace upon the State and
a reproach to American civilization.
} No man, so far as I can ascertain, be-
lieves that Judge Chisholm or any of the
other parties arrested had anything TO do
with the brutal assassination of John
Gully. The most that the friends of Mr..
} Gully claim is that these parties furnished
the money with which Ben Rush came
from Arkansas to perform the deed. 1
saw Mrs Rush, and showed me letter
from her husband dated Russetville, Ar
kansas, April %, in which he speaks of
|, his efforts to secure home there for her
and the children, and he never wanted TO
| see Kemper county again, etc. The let
ter was postmarked, "Russetville, April
%" and feel satisfied in my own mind
that Ben Rush has not left Arkansas, and
that he had nothing to do with the assas--
sination.
After Judge Chisholm had been lodged
in jail some of the rioters seized two coll
ored men, George Fox and D. Hampton,
who lived five miles from De Kalb and
who happened to be visiting with somo
colored people who hive in the Judges
yard, and by placing lines around their
neck tried to extort from them confess
sion that they had seen Ben Rush and
knew of the conspiracy to murder Mr..
Gully, etc.
1t looks as though the entire proceed
ing was preconcerted plan to murder,
and because it was attempted on the Sab
bath, in open day, only shows how little
respect is had for the forms of law in
Kemper county. Against Judge CHS
holm, whose destruction seemed to be the
chief object Of the riot, there is very great
prejudice in the county on account Of his,
political course in the past He could
easily be punished in the courts if he were
guilty Of any offense against the laws of
the country. The fact that with public
sentiment against him, he has defied his
enemies before the courts is evidence Of
the purity Of his life and the integrity Of
his character.
To the very great credit of Governor
Stone, he went voluntarily to the scene
of confusion, and his actionss indicate
that he intends to proceed with some
vigor in upholding the laws and vindicRt-
ing the honor OF the State The law
abiding and peace loving people Of the
entire country are looking to Governor.
Stone and the Judiciary Of the State TO do
their whole duty. The future peace and
prosperity of Mississippi will be for good
or evil in accordance with the manner IN
which the trust committed to these high
public officers is performed.
We learn from reliable authority that
the report of an affidavit being made by
two colored men charging Judge Chis-
holm, GilMer and Others with completely