The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-11-17
Life in MIssIssIppi

lapse of two days and communication
with forty or fifty different participants
the whole story of the shooting at Ma
rion is given in brief as follows:
Tuesday last, while the state election
was progressing at Marion, in this
county, Joseph Barnett, an aged white
man, having just voted, was insulted by
a negro at the polls. Barnett raised his
arm TO resent 1t with a blow. Some
say he drew stick on the negro. But
before he could strike, another negro,
Frank johnson, shot him in the neck,
cutting the jugular vein. and killed him
almost instantly. George johnson, col
ored, formerly slave of Barnetts, ran
up to defend his old master, and was
shot by negro
jeff Segars, white, was killed by
negro named Sam Gillispse Vance
was wounded and is expected to
die. Alex. Harvey, Democratic candi-
date for county assessor, fifty yards
from the scene, was rushed upon by the
negroes and kIlled-shot through the
head. He was shot in the face by Frank
johnson after he was dead. Joseph
Hodges, white, was wounded in the
head. The negroes doing the shooting
were Gillispie, Frank johnson, Allen
Burwell, Brown and Martin Malone.
Marion was not the voting place for
these negroes, they were from another
precinct. VIII Vance, white Repub-
lican, is said to have given orders to the
negroes to begin firing. As soon as the
news reached Meridian, six miles dis
tant, Sheriff r. Henderson, with posse
of seventy-five men, repaired to the
scene. The negroes had all left. A par
ty of twenty-five men went to the house
of Ed. Vance, white Republican, and
approaching him with a war
rant of arrest, demanded his
surrender, and were replied to
by Vance telling them TO Ego to
hell" They were then fired upon and
were repulsed. One horse was killed.
By O'Clock in the afternoon the re
lief committee and the sheriff came up
to the men surrounding the house. The
sheriff called out to them to surrender.
The white flag was presented at the front
door. The sheriff met the bearer half
way, on the promise that he would pro-
tect Vance and all in the house, should
they surrender. 1t was agreed to, and
the sheriff drove his buggy up to the
gate TO take in the prisoners. Will
Vance and his men gathered about the
yard, anticipating no danger. j. Vance
was seen in q STOPPING attitude, behind
the corner of stable near by, with his
KUN 4SfClOA Oh LA-O fOo5Cs Out OC4OtC hC
could fire he was shot and killed. At
the same instant when A. @. Warren, of
the posse, was pledging protection TO the
female portion Of the Vance family, he
was shot through the head by some one
from the inside of the house, and in
stantly killed. The sheriff and Harding
Jones, one of the posse, were slightly
wounded. Ed. Vance escaped. Several
negroes were seen to fire on the posse
and run off. No negroes are known to
be killed. but four or five are known to
be wounded.
win Vance was brought to MeTiden
night, and lodged in Jail. No harm was
offered him. Ed. Vance, 10 years OF
age, was captured. but was allowed to
remain at home. Yesterday a party OF
| five men under the direction of the
Sheriff searched for Vance and the
others concerned in the riot, but none
were found. except the negro, Martin
Malone, who took an active part Il the
riot. He is now in jail.
| No negroes were murdered in the
swamp and none shot except those re
sisting and running out of Vance's
house.-The blacks about Marion have
fled to the interior. There is q circus IL
Meriden to-day and the streets are
crowded with negroes as if nothing had
happened.
If any of the above statements are moi
so material they can give no color Il
the case. However, affidavits doubtless
could be procured to sustain any state
ment made herein. The only cause as
signed for the disturbance is the doc
trfne brought out in the late campaign
for the negroes to carry pistols to thu
polls.
After the fight three kegs of powder. {
supply of large buckshOt were found in
Vance's house. He is said 10 have
bought keg of powder on Saturday.