The news and herald. (Winnsboro, S.C.) 1877-1900, 1878-11-05
THE ST. CROIX OUTBREAK.
TWO RACES ENG4GE IN Il CON TEST
OF CRUELTY.

Twin Specimens Of Barbarity--Lives
Lost and Eotates Destroyed. special
Casualties.
During the first week in October
fearful insurrection of the blacks
broke out in st, Croix, u small island
IN the West Indies. The laborers
became discontented with the labor
law and all the troops having been
removed from the " ,s>t end, an out,
break was the consequence. The
riot lasted only q few days, but
during that time over fifty estates
were dosolated. Troops restored
order, and number o. the ringlead~
ers were tried, confessed their
crimes, and were executed. The
women were the most violent, but
they will not be executed, as the
laws of Denmark forbid the capital
punishment of women.
SCENES OF HORROR.
A correspondent visiting the
scene of the disturbance draws a
sickening picture of the desperate
conflict that ragged for several days,
and the brutality Of tho contendiug
parties. He says
On my way through the country
stopped at Grove place, there TO
witness the remains of one of the
most horrible acts of cruelty and
barbarism ever known. On the
second night the mob arrived at tn
estate and found about nineteen Of
the estate laborers. The latter at
tempted to save some things and
refused to join the rioters They
were then shut up in an enclosure
used for storing the megrass, upon
which kerosene oil was poured, and
the whole was set on fire. Three
or four escaped and now lie horribly
manned III the hospital. The charred
bones OF tie remainder are silent
wltnt sse of the truth of tho story
This act of cruelty toward their
own people shows what little chance
there was for any who opposed them
after their passions had been fully
aroused.
CRUELTY OF THE WHITES.
The conduct of some of the white
people toward the negroes would
seem to indicate that human nature
IL much the same whatever the color
OF the skin, and that when once the
worse passions are aroused NIL the
effects OF our boasted civilization
have given MS no advantage over
the savage. On my way to West
End l met several bands of prison
ers on their way to town under the
escort OF soldiers or volunteers,
The negroes were tied to carts, and
though some of them were in the
last stages of exhaustion they we're
dragged along without the slightest
consideration for their condition.
Some were bleeding from severe
cuts inflicted by volunteers who, in
their search for fugitives, have act
ed in many cases like fiends. Blows
with their cutlasses and pistol shots
were ruthlessly and uselessly in
ficted on the defenseless prisoners
as they marched along. One case
OF cruelty is reported which, but for
its beirg we'll authenticated, would
be impossible to believe. It is to he
officially investigated, and so with.
hold for the present the name of the
guilty party. A manager on one of
the estates was helped by one of the
negro overseers for two days, the
negro assisting in saying many
things. The third night, when
things were comparatively quiet, he
went off, and on reappearing the
next morning was taken to task by
the manager for his absence. He
explained that he had gone to see
II any of his private property had
been saved.
"You lie." was the reply from the
manager "you went off to steal
you are as bad as the Others"
"Why, Massa," the negro replied.
Saint / helped yon and been with
you oil the time?" ~
A torrent of abuse and the aues-
tion, "Why should I not put an
ounce of lead in you3' was the man
ayers answer.
mo, Massa, you don't dare do
that, for I amt done nothing"
"Don.t dare :" cried the. then in-
furiated manager. swell, take thatl"
and suiting the action to the word