Daily Republican., 1881-12-03
A shot Gun 81 ory Spoiled.

of the history of the shot gun affair q
Meridian, Mississippi, on election day
in which the negroes We're accused G
raising riot and Of shooting down i
cold blood number Of innocent whit
men. A correspondent of tn
New York Times evidently a residen
of the place where the affair occurred
has been investigating the affair, an,
after waiting to see the untruthful pub
hshed report contradicted through
some other source, volunteers to do th,
work himself. The first published yer
sion coming through biased shot eur
sources, it will berecollected said, tha,
number of negroes went to the polls
armed, insulted a peaceable old white
man named Barnett, and then killed
him with pistol shot, the white men
around all being unarmed. In the
general shooting that followed, two
other white men, one of them the Demo.
cratic candidate for Assessor, were
killed. A white family named Vance.
Republicans, were accused as being re-
sponslble for the shooting, aud the
Sheriff with posse IS strong. started
Tor Fance's house, six miles distant, to
arrest the Vance's and body of armed
negroes, 100 in number, who had bar
ricaded themselves in Vances house
In the attempt to arrest the Vance
family-father and three sons-the
Sherlf was wounded, one OF the so
called posse killed, one of the Vance
boys was killed, the father escaped.
two sons We're arrested, one of whom
was afterwards released. This is one
side, now for the other and no doubt
the true one.
Edward Vance and his sons were all |
AZ the polls on election day and the
usual crowd of negroes and white man
were around. Joe Barnett, an elderly
"hlte man, was drunk and went arcund
abusing and cursing ali negroes who
were Republicans. Edward Vance the
rather of the Vance boys, because he
was white Republican, was selected
'or HIS most bitter curses. Vance, by
request OF his sons and by Harvey, paid
no attention to Barnett, but said he
would resent an attempt to assault him
Barnett then went to a crowd of neproe
ana cursed them and finally went SO
'ar as to strike one OF them on the head
"heh another negro said if he would do {
that again he would hit him with a
orick' Upon this, Harvey ard mum.
Der OF white friends with their hands
Signihcantly in their pockets, ap-
preached the negroes, who KNOWING
"hat was coming, started and ran,
Inc white men who lying shot runsl
reports says were SO terribly ou,rayed
pursued the flying negroes fif,y or ,ixty
yards shooting at them as they ran
Inc negroes believing they were all 90
ing to be killed, turned anG fired with {
deadly effect upon their pursuers, kill |,
ing the OLD man Barnett, Harvey tn. !
democratic candidate, JEFF Segars, also| Il
morta!ly wounded lucent Scrars. Tb.
Fances with one white man. a Demu-
crat, and one colored mai, believing !,
their lives We're in danger, drove home a
by roundabout way. About an hourI
afterwards the house was fired upou. v
ana Two OF the Vance boys ran out to =
take hand in it, but the guns would a
not go OIL, the loads having become f.
rusty, and then they escaped back into a
the mousse although more than twenty c
shots were fired at them. The mobi
'neh lett, but having drummed up more
recruits returned with the Sheriff a
snort time afterwards. Everywhere k
tney went they reported that they had d
warrants for the arrest of the yonc. a
lamily, and when they went to tha G
n'"'e 10 serve them they We're fired o
upon ny 2oo negroes, when in fact The ~,
only men in the house were ths f,,r p
Vahces, the Democratic friend alluded o.
10 and the old negro. /
The Sheriff and his crowd c,,harod :"
~ q gin house in the neighborhood. {,
when Mrs. Vance ard the D.mocr.ti, 81
'nend went out to see what thew want
u' ana came back with the word that "
IDey mad warrants for ali in In. house lie
Inc Vances then sent word that if III. "
'rowd would disperse and none come to ~ ~
me house but the Sheriff they woul6 Ia
surrender. The Sheriff promised pro. &C
ection and started to the house, but fine 81
'ro"d followed. The Vances still kent i,
'eiling the Sheriff to keep off the crowd z.
'ut they pressed on, some of them in.
ide The gate. About this time the in.
nates made an attempt 70 escape bv :,
ne oack way, but were met by a crowd er
u armed men and fred upon, one of hi
Nc Vances being wounded. John III
ance exasperated rode upon the crowd co
'hd was shot to pieces. The old negro NJ
Was also killed and one of the crowd
vas kiliea. After the firing had ceased
ne sheriff came into the house expect- m
ng to find all the inmates dead, tut all bmr
'1cept the negro and John Vance were N
eady to defend themselves to the last. ga
lhey still told the Sheriff that if he of "f
would drive off the crowd they would
ubmlt to arrest. This the Sheriff sue
eeded in doing when the two bows sur
endered and wore taken to Jail, but the Wv ",