The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1880-08-28
STITCHES FROM THE SOUTH.
The Impressions of a Buckeye Rambler
in Dixie.
Politics, Politicians, Incidents, Etc
No. Nv.
BY W. S. s.

Il
Doubtless long ere this the news G
that infamous outrage COMMITTEE
upon a colored family in Claytol
county, Georgia, has reached tn
ears of many of your readers. Word
are inadequate to express ones indig
nation; the English vocabulary is to-
scant; the deed was diabolical in th,
extreme. 1t threw the community
into utter confusion. The releutles,
hands of the murderers drew forth
the sympathy of the entire State in
behalf of the victims. The facts seem
to be these: Some time ago a young
white man and colored man had a
little trouble relative to a plow. The
white fellow beat the co1ored man
severely. The father of the colored
man indicted the white fellow for
assault and battery. He secured a
verdict, Notwithstanding the opposi-
ton. This sottled the matter for a
while. Some weeks ago a band of
ruffians, disguised, at late hour, at
tackled the house of this old gentle
man (Mr. Thompson), who had fig
cured in the trial just mentioned, and
demanded admittance. He, suspect
ing, of course, refused TO comply.
Several demands were made, with
threats; but with a similar result.
Finally they attempted to break open
the door. The old colored gentleman
and his son were resisting the devils
from within. At the same time one of
their number (the fiends), went to the
corner of the house and peeled off a
board, making quite an opening, as
the house was q log one. In this room
was the old colored mans daughter,
Millie Johnson, asleep with her two
children on either side of her. She,
hearing the noise, raised up In bed.
At this juncture one of the ruffians
fred through the opening he had
made, shot the young woman
through the breast, producing a fatal
wound, and she falling back, welter-
ing in her own blood, died between
her two children. The old gentle
man (Mr. Thompson), was severely
beaten; also his wife; and their son
was mortally wounded. How sadl
What a crime Will the culprits be
punished? Will they be hung? That
is a problem. You can't find a jury
in ninety-nine cases out of one hum
dred that will convict white man for
numbering a Negro. To Deceive the
Republicans of the North they will
cry out, "Hang theml hang theml
hang tbeml Let not one of them es-
capel" This is all hoax. These
rebels do not mean to punish white
man for the simple offense of killing
two or three Negroes. Judging from
the papers, the inhabitants of the i'm
mediate vicinity are anxious that
justice be meted out to them.
Governor Colquitt, with the Gate
City Guards, was sent for to prevent
the friends of the prisoners from tax
ing them out of Jail. One fellow, who
had turned States evidence, after
ward denied what he had said, de-
claring that he was frightened into it
and had told what was not true for
the truth. We shall wait and see
what the result will be. IF these three
"K's," as they are sometimes called,
are acquitted, the colored people
ought by all means to lynch every
one of them. / have given you a
sketch of the crime, and only sketch.
We will not dwell in this region long
er.
/ spoke of the gubernatorial con-
vention in one Of my communications.
/ told you how the Democracy was
divided from the center to the cir
cumference. / also stated that there
was a possibility of their failing to
make nomination. Well, my pre-
dictions were true. They could not
agree, and after thirty-three ballots
the ex-C x-Confederates gave it up in des-
pair, and decided to nominate all the
State officers except the Governor,
leaving this part of the role until
they had tried their hand upon other
victims. This they did, and on the
eighth day of the convention they
tried again to nominate Governor,
but did not succeed. Every CLIQUE
stuck to it's favorite. Alexander H
Stephens tried to pour little healing
balm over their sore heads, but this
like spirits of turpentine, only made
it smart. The two-thirds rule was
the trouble the convention could MOI
climb over. They finally adjourned
recommending that the people vote
for Governor Colquitt in the October
election. The minority, after tn,
majority had left for ,heir severa
homes, called special convention t.
make known their grievances, and t.
ask the sympathy of the people OF
the ground that they had been out
ragged and trampled on by the major
ity of their Democratic brethren. Ii
conclusion l would point to the fac
that these very men who are seekin,
to control the Nation can not manag
their own affairs at home.