Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1879-10-03
The Kemrer County Horror

county, MISSISSIPPI, 'l hCl HuSplhi' usiuSi
ter and little son,-with whom were slai
Mr.. Gilmer another Republican, and NJ
Mcclellan, an old Scotchman, who dared ,
to take Judge ChisOlm's part, she dispos'
thoroughly of all the stories which were S
afloat as excuses for the men who murder,
her husband, tcstifying with precision to III
from home at the time of the murder of JON
Gully which was made the excuse for Judg
Chisolm's arrest, and that he could hav
had no connection Herewith. She shows ais
that an attempt had previously been mad
to take her husbands life, and that til
very men who aftcrward murdered him al
mittcd to her that the stories upon which tn
arrest was made were utterly unfounded an,
unworthy of belief She proceeds as fol
lows;
TAXING JUDGE CHIsOIM TO JAIL.
Mr. ChisOlm stood in the door, COrnela
with one hand on his shoulder, while | was
on the other side holding his hand. .Ioaplie
was standing by, and Clay and WIFI. Scrc
rs close as they conld get. Before, behind,
on every side stood the creatures demons in
human shapc-whosc looks of hideols sin
would frghlen ficnds All the so-callcd
guards of my poor husbands selection were
frightened away, as well they might be- Mr..
Mcclellan only standing close to my sid. My
husband then called Dr. Campbell, wD was
Il church deacon. Campbell, on Mr.. ChiOlm s
asking him what this meant, said, in gruff
voice, that he did not know, that he was a
know-notiing" Mr.. Chisolm then asked
him if that was the usual course of procedure
when man was placed under arrest and
charged with any breaking of the law. He
said, - Yes, under some circumstances. md
this is peculiar case" Mr.. Chisolm then all-
ed man named Henry Gully and asked
him, Gully. what is the meaning of his
proceeding Gully raised his skinny finger
and set his tish-scale eyes on Mr.. Chis,lm,
and said. ''Sir, | have positive proof that
yourself, Gilmer, Charlie Rosenbaum, and
Alex and Newt Hopper, were accessory
with Ben Rush in the killing of John
/ Gully" Mr.. Chisolm looked him full il the
face with contemptuous air said, well,
father, that is pretty hard talk in your own
| house" NY poor children looked rs though
they would die. Mr. Chisolm said lever
mind their words. don't care what they
say. 1t is what they intend to do that sives
me trouble" Mr.. ChisOlm asked Gully what
evidence they claimed to have that he had
any knowledge of the killing of John GIlly.
lie said Rush was seen coming from our
house | said did not believe Rusl was
within hundreds of miles of the llace
Gully said - You are a woman; | vii have
nothing TO say 10 YOU Mr. Chisolm then
asked why they crowded around hin. and
hurried matters so: The answer was, I'VE
are afraid your friends will get word and res
cue you; and You must go TO jail like any
other prisoner" Mr.. Chisolm asked f he
would have protection on his way, and after
his arrival there. Henry Gully said tilt he
would have protection to the JAIL bu' after
that he could make no promises he was not
Kcmpcr county. lie then turned ana left
the house Mr.. Chisolm said TO me, What
do you say" replied: "1f You have to
he murdered let it he in your own house.
You will at least have your wife and children
to help you." Mr.. Mcclellan said 80 l
say, maam. | stand by him to The last.
Sinclair said. Come. Judge. come right
along to Jail" Mr.. Chisolm asked for time,
| said CLAY, get Mr.. Chisolm a gun"
Sinclair says, Yes, Clay, you may Join the
guard"-that is mix with the murdercrs who
surrounded his father, Clay said. - will
il't siHh Il l'Ns wa /
| may guard my father. | will do what
can to the end" Mr.. Chisolm got the gun.
| told Clay to get another. Mr.. Chsolm
said, - don't suppose can carry it. They
called out all around, No, no, You carryno
gun"
| turned on the crowd remember
that even my husband turned 10 me with
surprise, and my hrnL.-n hearted children
ceased their s"l's and turned 10 listen. The
incarnatc devils who are falsely called men
turncd'pale and number of them turned
around with their guns and started oil |
was not myself then, nor am | now. and |
shall never hc till | am with my martyrrd
loved ones in the Beyond. | told them that
as God was my witness. and was witness to
the bloody crime they had met to perpetac,
the stain Of this innocent blood wOull he
with them, that | thanked God he was an
avenging God, and to them, not a God Of
mercy; that since our first parents broke tle
first commandment and Cain killed his
brother. and the misled mob crucificd tie
Lord, no crime had escaped punishment.
All the men stood still second or 50, and
Sinclair waved his hand and said: "ClOse
around him and start" Mr.. Chisolm turnd
to me as. if his first thought was to say COOL
bye, hut | did not let 90 his hand and he
Nslih t'll4i. Lb Nllll Nbn 1 ItalNt lit
replied: I've will all 20. not one of Is
will ever lorcsake YOU" What picture,
4 man in distinctive separation from the
crowd by which he was surrounded, a crowd
in which were hundreds AT least 200 or 800
men, and think there might have been 400
all armed with glaring guns, their shot
pouches on, their countenances expressing
all their bad passions and hating him the
more because they remembered how often
he had furnished them money, so tllat they
were then largely his debtors in dollars and
cents, this one man with his wife holding
one hand, his only daughter the other, litlc
Johnnie with one hand on his fathers
wrist, the other on minc Clay leading, Willie
close by, and Mcclellan, the one fricnL close
by my side with his gun
THE ARRIVAL.
The jail stood short distance in front of
our house, across a green common. When
about halfway TO the Jail, Mr. Chsolm
turned TO me and said, Just look is moi
that like them :" | looked, and mcn were
coming on a run from every point, and |
aiterward learned that many of them had
been in the lot, hanging and whipping Two
negroes" Dee Hampton and Georg, Fox
not to the death, but Ia elicit from them II
ItItllllpI va lllt NblilS til INT lllbu
Mr.. Chisholm Of crime. Arriving at tlr all
we entered by the front door-and passing !
through the hall. We reached the steps Of thc I
stairway leading to the prison proper. At
these steps Sinclair told me TO go back. |
followed ON, pushing my way. Again, ic |
turned and said. Mrs Chisolm, if wee |
you ! would not come up here" | onS |
waved my hand for him to get out of M /
way. We entered the Jail. The door at th. |
head Of the stairway and the one at the fod /
had iron bars crossing in squares set in about !
the middle of the door These doors were /
closed on us, but free of access to the mob |
The inner part of the building was one large /
room.
After an hour or two in the Jail, Mrs |
Chisom was sent 10y her husband to their /
house. with Willie their second son. on an
GRAND
! thought the shooting would hcgin IN the /
jail, when near night. and hurried home not /
wanting to he away from my children. | |
had not been in the yard but II few minutes
when heard five guns shooting one after I
the other. | ran toward the front gate. |.
When ! reached the gate | saw a man fall, !
and it seemed TO me there were fifteen or
twenty men just behind him saw him |
walk a few steps They were still shooting |
him. lie fell, and two men ran up and one
put his gun 10 him and fired again and step |
ed back. The other stepped forward and |
took his hat by the crown and gave him
jerk, pulling the hair nnd all back and forth |
lie then waved his two hands in a reckoning .
manner, and others hogan to gather hastily |
All this happened in few seconds in the |
meantime, running directly toward them to /
reach the Jail. One of the demons that shp. I
this man after hc was down was Dan" Nc |
Whartcr. | have since been told he shot Mr. /
Gilmcr triunphanlly and hravcly after he |
was dead Satisfied that the man. who's. hair !
was gray and who proved to he Mr. McI.rl- .
Ian, was dead, they all began trying to fire .
through the upper windows of the jail \
woman, looking from near there Siid that
she saw tnrnclia on her knees before the /
window. with her little hands claspcd, first /
begging they would cease to murder her .
kind old friend, and that she then began |
praying for him She told me that when she .
tried To get To the window Johnnie told her, /.
"Go back, sissy, it is poor Mr. Mcclellan. |
Don't look" The woman also said it WAS .
my poor girl they were shooting at Mr. /.
Chisolm had all day warned MS moi I" ap- |
proach the window There was deep