National Republican., 1878-12-03
MISSISSIpII.
The Truth About the Recent Port Gibson
Affair.

The Truth About tho Recent Fort Gibson
Affair
In the tclcgraphic columns OF THE Ma
TioNAL REPUBLICAN of the 2sth ult. the Rp-
pended dispatch appeared, which is reprinted,
with the accompanying explanation, for the
purpose OF giving tho public some definite and
truthful idea of the facts in tho case;
PORT GlRSOS, Miss. Nov, 27,-DT. Buck. shcriT of
Claiborne County, having received Information he
fore daylight this morning That Harrison Page Il ne
gro pcrAio, who nssJussiHuIcdthC Chguccry Ccrk
UT the county two year ago, was at his house. three
miles rom town, went out with his deputies 10 ar
IE TE r9sT 3 Sy 9HS G EIc hS 9'R@'' Srr Lum M T @
house, ihr sheriff Oh iurvlus IN I'll" door. wa,
shot IN the bowels. igCc, and arm. Wud l. In dying
condition. Thomas lldrWuDri, TnuthvT uvp vpTty, wa,
knocked into M old cistcrn aud len Tor dead but
he has since revived, and is not seriously hurt, LII
formation Of the state Of Gllnirs Was sent ~ town.
and posse !"h!riHtely lea 1ur the sccnr. Charlie
WCilmnm, one Of tHr pSsC while riding near Pages
house, was shot n tho face, arm, lcP, and hand.
lie Is slill alive. The assassin Page, escaped, but
suycIal ui hi uccomplCu' were killed.
In tho iist place, there never was \ particle
of evidence elected tending to show that the
Chancery clerk of Claiborne County was assas.
sinatcd, aud therefore there can be no reason
to even suspect that tho foul crime was pGrpc.
tatcl by Harrison Pago. On the contrary, as
will be seen from the following account of the
sad affair, which was published ut tue time and
never cOutradictcd, Mr.. J. T. BrscoC untimcly
death resulted from the accidental discharge OF
his own gun while in his own hands.
Tho flCts are! On the 9th day Of Decrm.
Der, 1876, Mr.. Brscoc, then Chancery clerk,
started out duck hunting mounted, and armed
with double barrel breeCh-luahing shotgun.
A short time after he was found dead on the
public highway, about two miles from Port
Gibson. His horse aud dog were IN the vicin
ity, and his gun was lying beside him with one
barrel discharged The unfortunate mans
face was SO burned with powder that hc was at
first mistaken for negro, showing that the
weapon with which the fatal wound was in
nicted must have been in close proximity to
the victim-muCh closer than he would, armed
aud mounted AS he was, permit u cOwardly
assassin to approach. His remains were con.
vcyed to Port Gibson, and for several hours the
people mOurned the untimely accidental death
of poor BriscOc for he was highly esteemed by
his neighbor. No suspicion OF assassination
was at first INDUCED Ur suggested, but later in
tho day the rumOr Of assassination was cirru.
lated aud suspicion was directed to Harrison
Page, who was never known us u Desperate, but
who had committed the objectionable OflCnsc,
having limited education, Of being Il leading
Republican of tho county. 4 great hue aud
cry was raised, aud on the evening of the 10th
a crowd Of armed men, probably 200 marched
in military order into tho town of
Port Gibson, and after holding meeting there
proceeded 20 the houses of Harrison Page aud
his father and made search, but unsuccessfully.
Page and others fled for their lives TO the
sw"mps, ami for several days the hunt was