The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-09-13
THE CHISHOLM TRIAL.

A gOOu deal OF attention Is Just now attract
ed by the trial of the murdcrers of Judge
Chisholm and two Of his children in Kemper
Co., Mississippi, two years ago. Kemper coun.
ty lies near the eastern border of the state, an
inland district cut off from common inter
course with the rest Of the world, and It's in
habitants are about as rude and demi-savage as
can be found anywhere among the sand hills
of the Carolnas or in the mountains of Ten
ncssee. The chief occupation of the white in
habitants being cotton raising, they formerly
owned Il good many negroes, and OF course
they have never had any other idea than that
in the emancipation Of their slaves they were
robbed The county, something like Pope
and Williamson in Illinois, had for years been
mainly dominated by two leading families or
factions, one the Gully and the other the CHS.
holm family, and all the election contests in
the county were mostly contests between these
families After the war Judge Chisholm, the
head of the Chisholm faction seeing the adj.
vantage of negro and bayonet support under
the rule of Grantism, came out republican.
and of course in every election contest after
wards had, with the help of government bay
onets and the negro vote the complete mastery
of the Gully tribe The latter IN consequence
became tenfod embitered in their hatred Of
the Chisholms, and 1t was soon no secret that
both parties went always well armed and to
put it mildly, were out cunning for each other.
About this time, when Judge Chisholm had
announced himself as n candidate for congress
and the ieud between the factions was at white
heat Phil. Gully, the head of the Gully tribe,
was waylaid on the road by some unknown
assassin and killed. Naturally the blood of
all the Gullys including dozen or mere OF
able bodied brothers and uncles with hundreds
of friends and retainers, was up, and though
not charging the murder on Judge Chisholm
directly, accused his faction OF It, and that 1t
was of his instigation and procurement, and
they therefore loudly proclaimed that nothing
but the blood of the Judge himself could
atone for the murder of their klnsman. The
arrest of Judge Chisholm having been demand
ed he placed himself in the hands of the sher.
| i'll, who at first concluded to protect him by
placing guard around his house; but the OPP,
posing faction gathered aronnd the house in
such threatening force that it was deemed
safest to lock him in the county Jail, a frail
rlckety wooden structure The Judge was &c
companied to the Jail by his wife, daughter
and little son, who chung to HIM to prevent his
being shot on the way. The party were nc
sooner in Jail, however, than the bowling say
ages surrounded it with the most threatening
demonstrations An old Scotchman named
Mcclellan stood guard at the door, and attempt
ing to drive the mob back was shot. The moi
forced its way into the JAIL and in the melee
that followed Judge Chisholm, his boy John
ny and daughter Cornela were murdered, the
iwife barely escaping with her HE.
| Six Of the Gullys have been indicted for The
murder, but the only one now on trial is Henry
]. Gully, against whom the proof is supposed
to be positive of having murdered Cornelia
Chisholm. Able attorneys are conducting the
case on both sides, and the presiding Judge
Hamm, is admitted to be thoroughly upright
Imam, and in his determination 10 have the muir
lderers get their deserts, is SAID TO be so thor
|oughly upright as to lean little backward
Stewart L. Woodford, U. g. district attorney Of
New York, who attends the trial as Mrs. Chs
lholms friend, takes no part 10 the proceedings
lorly Watching them closely and taking notes