National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1879-09-03
THE CHISHOLM MURDER TRIAL.

The alleged trial of the murderers of the
CHISHOLM family is now progressing ut DE
Kalb, Kemper County, Miss, This case is
one of the most horrible political tragedies
that have occurred in the South since the war
Aside from this fact, general attention has
been attracted to it because of the great and
inexcusablo delay that has occurred in
bringing the accused to the bar of justice,
rs well rs the further fact that General
STEWART L. WooDFORD, of New York, ap-
pears rs volunteer counsel for the prosecu-
ton. The story of the case is, in brief, that
Judge CHISHOLM, q native of Georgia, re-
moved to Mississippi when quite a young
man. He was n lawyer by profession, but
entered political lifein 1868, and was elected
in succession to several local offices. For
many years he was Probate judge, and was
universally esteemed rs an honest aud just
man. In 1869 he was appointed sheriff of
Kemper County by Governor ALCoRN, and
was elected by the people in 1871 and 1873.
In September 1876 he was nominated for
Congress by the Republicans of his district.
At this time the Ku Klux had been organ
lied, and were very active and violent
in Mississippi From the beginning of
the campaign Judge CHISHOLM was pur-
sued by the red-shirts, confronted at his
meetings with bands of armed men, and re-
peatedly threatened with death. Once his
house was attacked and riddlcd with bullets
In this election he was defeated. During
the winter he made himself still further OBJ
noXious to the Democracy by tcstifying
against the Ku Klux before Congressional
committee. In the spring he was arrested
on false charge and confined in the county
Jail, where his wife and children joined him
to share his captivity. Shortly after he was
imprisoned u mob, having procured the keys
from the sheriff, entered the Jail and at
taxed Judge CHISHOLM and his fam
lily, shooting Unfortunately. Judge
CHISHOLM had a gun, and killed
one of the leaders of tho mob who
was advancing on him. At this the mob
fell back and set fire to the Jail. The
youngest boy of the family, JOHNNY, had
already been killed. Judge CHISHOLM, pre-
ferring to fight his way out rather than be
burned to death, started with his gun, ac-
companied by his wife, daughter and the
remaining son, the mother and son carry.
ing the dead body of the little boy. At the
foot of the stairs the daughter was shot and
fatally wounded As Judge CHISHOLM
) stepped from the Jail he became target fo
the mob and received five bullets. He did
not die at once, but was carried home and
his wounds dressed, the mob declaring
meanwhile that if he did not die they would
finish him. He died on the 18th of May, and
his daughter died two days later. At the time
of his murder Judge CHISHOLM was sub
pGnaed to appear as witness in the United
States Court against certain persons in.
dicted for Ku Klux outrages, and this fur
nished an additional cause for his murder
Four months after the events above re
corded some six or seven of the leaders o
the mob were indicted, but up to the pres
ent time Mrs. CHISHOLM has not been able
to have the case brought to trial. For som,
time past she and her surviving children
have lived in Washington, but she now ap.
pears in court at De Kalb to demand Justice
on the murderers of her husband and two
children. As evidence that the murder wa.
purely politial one it may be mentioned
that two other Republicans who had been
J subpenaed to testify against the Ku Klus
were murdered at the same time with the
CHISHOLM family These were ANoU
MCCLELLAND and j. p. GILMER. We hav,
, stated only the main facts in the case, bu
the details all show it to have been one o
a peculiar atrocity. The result of the tria
= which begins to-day will show whether i
is possible in Mississippi to convict Demo
7 crat for numbering Republican.