New-York tribune., 1879-10-18
A STORY OF INDECENT OUTRAGE.

The Mississippi plan of removing Postmasters who
are obnoxious. because they Republicans. differs
somewhat from the South Carolina method. illus
trated in the Blackville case, but appears TO be
more effective The following account of theevents
connected with the closing of the Post Office at
Grenada. Miss. in December, 1876. has been gath
cred from official reports aud from other trust
worthy sources. The occurrences To be related
lost sight of amidst the other exciting events of
that period.
On the 2oth Of November 1876. Special Agent
Snail OF the Postal Service received instructions
10 investg gate the burning OF the Post Office at
Grenada. Miss. the night of October 81, Of the
year. and also To inquire into the truth Of
plants made by the Postmistress, Mrs. Price of n
digniues and outrages committed upon her and men,
bers OF her family because they Republicans.
Agent Small az once went 10 Grenada where be
spent two days pursuing his inquiries. In order 10
get az the truth. he did not make himself known as
Federal official but gave out that he was drum
mer" soliciting orders. He mingled freely with the
people of the town. and became thoroughly con-
WINGED that the lives of the Postnistress and her
family in danger that he strongly advised
them 10 leave the place. The Agent made his re-
port under date of November % 1876. After de-
scrbing the scenes of violence and intimidation
which preceded the day of the Presidential election
and the taking possession of the polls by the bull
dozers on the morning Of that day, he continued:
The Republican Supervisor OF Election. Mr. Fairfield,
protested against al tbs and other Objectionable and
unlawful proceeduss such examining the tick Is Il
colorec Democrats and cutting The shns the few Re-
publcans who nansc 10 gei near eu9uSh 10 NDr bui
l. was Only isnghta az ana riIlel.eG e Ile Drpo!y
United states Msrslals we're treated Win sun greater
Son'5 bnt % iesii on5 IN some instances fsr bse.s
of then ana tramuied under foot. relate
these things simply the purpose OF enabling ne
Repuboan. and especially an ofice-holder unGer the
United states, 70 i've IN community Where proceedings
suc these are Let only not discountenanced hut are
aupiauded exiol ed A. have already stated Mr.
Ice did not vote aud so iearia is ne OF assassination
10 - ~ ~. = 80 P,,,,i-r. - -f r,-r,r- 80 - -
more efficient and faithful officer Is 20 be found ia
Al along has ths estiuaDie lady been eu-
Tie the .el's1ried chivairic hgoue, gentiemei OF
the south treating her with absolute cruelty ana bru
tay. simply 0ecanse sne Is Federal ofce-ho der and
tie wife of leading republican Time ana asain has
Mr. Price called the attention Of tie cv authorities 20
these ourage-. hut eith- through heir inability or their
nalf-rcnc' little attention has been paid 10 ner com-
,s ,, r,.,rs W Mon f,.~ .~ fo,,rs "a r-sr.,f
ana 10 tniuk tnuta Republican caa obtain Justice ID
state court Mississippi is SIMPLY apsurL Pfoposu-
OF OK ord Mss. Mr. Week- Postmaster oi WI |
nnna, Miss, and other hcpue--ctns " that STATE,
her flfrv now contctpaie ri-t o. save al of which
ilsy .e I've uo- yes . en t5ey c,Ty S- @ - a 1
tust uotLinE seyercr can d. douc 10y c ar or Va
affairs iu his community tue Post Olce Department
a. east snow its clsapprova4 by wtnhlawa of Is
people Of Grenada concuue treat the Governneut
therefore recommend thai Tie Post Offce at Grenada,
inn. - L Gee laifl
made their escape tAerefrom.
To illustrate the indignities 20 which she sub
jected by the cAivalry OF Grenada, Mrs. Price. who
j. now a resident Of Washington, relates the fol-
loving incidents: few days after the election
CNoy. :. 1876 large number of citizens ot Grenada
presented themselves il front of the post Office.
They mounted two negroes, attred IN red shirts
and caps on q broken down mule which they then
drove INTO the post office. The negr were then
made 10 sing the most insulting obscene and vul-
par SONGS while the crowd IN the background
che.red them ou. yelled. anG repeated their order
L. the Postmstress to leave town or take the con-
seouences The Mayor Of tie town. and other lead
ing citiz gems led the cheering and threw mp their
hats in delight at the insults which were being
heaped upon the Yankee Postuisrress. On another
occasion citizen OF the town stood in front Of the
Office for a couple Of hours about midday, cursng
Mrs Price and ordering her TO leave town, saving
thar no ID carpet-bagg-r' could stay there.
About the same time young man. belonging 10 one
OF the first families IL the county called at the
Office for mail and on being informed that there was
none for him. he turned upol the POstm stress and
called her "A d--d liar" H. then went about the
streets boasring of what be had done. ON another
occasion large coffin labelled " Prices coffin and
covered with Ku-Klux devices designed by Mr.
Rarlsdale a cousin of Dixon's assassin, planted
up-irh against the 0uter door of the post Office one
night 80 that IL would fall inward when the door
WAS ooeued in the morning. Ii turned out as lu-
tended and "A dozen more Of the leading cit
izensr were ON hand early next morning 10 witness
the elimination Of the joke-f)r they afterwarl ex-
plained that this was ." only little pleasantly
On still another occasion MTs. Price was violently
assaulted bv the sheriff of the county, a burly
rutiian named French He ehoRed and shook her
until the blood streams. >le was III Tor weeks
afrerward and will never recover from the Injuries
then inflicted. Her husband appeared before the
aud fq1rI los UkN III
II. names of "A number Of witnesses who saw the a.
saulf on ms VIE committed. >uuppnas were la-
sued for these witnesses. lne -unyenas Ntif
placed in the hands Ot the sheru W" uau iuS'' lle
assault TO be served. Nothing was heard iTon ihen
after,vard and This Mississippi con-ervatcr oi tAe
r,.acc was never tired. much ess punished
The post office and all the othrl nuldlng~ bt-
loro,rr u, the Price family. which Lad cost them
ai,out - 600. burned hN ln'eidiarl.s IA .ei
midnight on the night uf October 81, IN'p. y"
whit. man raised hand % save anything from tle
Aarr4s Mr. Price was absent from home that nlsi!
luf fh, people did not know ~, ana "a theN si9'u
bv ms burning dwelling they repeatedly crltH t,at
they had old Price al last, 9nd ~ o--n hui ~
him buru' Not only weTe an tie white uuZens 81
the town present on TINS occasion but most oi tA"
white ladies also turned out IN full dress 10 grace
fbis triumph OF Mississippi chvaiTy.
Wbn were the Prices and WHY were theF 50
treafedf ~ and Mrs. Price had lived in keniucky
Tor about twenty years before the war having ,ct-
ted ln that state soon aiier tner ARRIVAL lh thl'
country from England. Mt. Filce l2neu ~. IAi1n
army Al the outbreak 81 the Rebellion. After the
bafre OF Pitsburg Landing he rendered some inae-
rial service % a wounded Confederate .Incei Mno /
was captured. The officers waich Lad Deeh taken !
from lin and months aiterward NJ frlce fc,oV- /
cred 10. As the war closed he went 10 W.
.ssippi and restored II 70 its owner he gthtclui
eX-cOnfederate importuncd MN O. remove 10 MIS-
lssippi and engage m planting lie hlallt uttiueu /,
Ia do So and went there and invested all he lad, |
eome - OOO he was "A Republican and that Was |
his only crime. De took an active part III pohtlcs |