New-York tribune., 1881-03-30
SOCIETY IN MISSISSIPPI.

CHlsoLM TRAGEDY-BAD FINANCIAL METHODS
AMONG THE PLANTERS" EXTENSION OF CREDIT"
fFRoM SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
WEssON Miss, March 4.-0ne might soon fill vol
ules with tho stories Of the war. and of the
state Of things just after its close, which are
told everywhere among the common people
of the South. In every place which l
have visited the psople say there has been
much Improvement in the "state of society" during
the last eight ten years. and this is probably true
The assurance gives encouragement regarding the
future but ii also inspires tue reflection that before
the improvement WAS made this region could not
have been q very desirable placs of residence 1t IS
common to hear people say Things has been
great deal better senee Jack Beden and Con Peters
was killedD Then follows a story of repeated mur-
ders and murderous assaults on the part of these
men, of crime persisted in for many wears, unti the
whole region was in terror of these desperadoes At
last. on some dark night, company of men ride up
to the house of one OF those outlaws and summon
him to "come out.v Then there is plead
ing and resistance on the part OF bis
wife, and some hesitation the part OF the outlaW
himself But ii is said-and this seems TO me cHrious
and strange--that the taunt of cowardce is almost
always eifectual, and the fellow soon resolves to
face his besiegeTs. He selects his best weapons,
puts double charge in shot gun. removes his
family to- the safest part of the room, opens the
door, and is at riddled with balls from score
of guns that have been carefully aimed so as to
cover every part Of the doorway, and have been
steadily held in that position since before the hrst
summons to the man within. 1 could not learn
whether, in such cases. man feels the reused IN
stinct of fight or whether he opens the door because
he knows the end has come, and merely accepts the
inevitable
In some instances after story of this kind people
add: There's two or three other men who will be
killed before long reckon, and then this country
will be very peaceable" This may be an effective
method of improving The moral character of n com
munity but should prefer residence somewhere
else as long rs missionary work of this kind ap-
pears to be necessary.
Twas told here in Mississippi the Othor day OF m old
man who had killed many men; had usually, indeed.
killed every man who greatly dispeased him. His
favorte weapon was the rifle. his inseparahe COM
panion. At last came back TO that region. all
the way from Texas with tue avOWed object OF kill
ing this old man. and so avenglng a relative who
had been one of his many victims. One day as the
old man walked along path through
the woods his pursuer fired at him from
behind a tree. The aim was true. and
the victim fell to the ground shot through the body
but he was not dead. After some time the man who
had shot him put his head out from behind the tree
to learn what had been the effect Of his bullet. At
that moment a rife ball crashed through his brain.
a little later ueghbor came along the path and
found the Texan quite dead but the old man.
though plainly fatally wounded. was still alive and
conscious but unable TO do more than raise himself
Oh one elbow, After he had succeeded in attaining
this position, he said: "COuld yer roll that burned
cuss over hyur, SOS kin have look at himf This
was done and be gazed at the lifeless body with
contemptuOus kind of interest. Bill Fosdlck
allus was a fool. l kuOwed he couldn't
keep his head behind that tree. l nowcd
he'd look out arter awhile and then knowed I'd
fetch hlm. He alius burned fool" Then the
neghbor took off his coat and adjusted it under the
! old fellows head, and in a few minutes more two
dead bodies lay side by side in the woodland path.
MAKING CALL IN MISSISSIPPI.
When you wish to call ct the residence Of a neigh
Dor In Mississippi you do not go to the door and
knock or ring the bell as is usual in most places
the North That would not he a safe or comfortable
undertaking here. You proceed. usually on horse
back to the vard-ience in front Of the house and
shout Halloolp You arc answered at once by q
chorus of dogs, which lcaping down
the ward toward You like wild beasts
hungry for their prey. AS you contein-
plate their enormous size. their number and
evident ferocity YOU congra ulatc yourself on being
ON horseback About the time when you begin to
wonder whether you will long be safe even in that
postion the man of the housc comes 10 the door and
calls ont. Good morning! Won't We JightP You
mentally answer mot just yet" and your host
walks down the path toward you. making remar KS
about the weather or some suci familiar topic rs he
comes on. When hc reaches the gate he says,
imperatively, " Well. light" As the dogs ara by
this time slowly retiring looking disappointed but
resigned las If saying to themselves Better luck
some time we shall eat him yet"l, you now alght.
and Won were not expected 70 do 50 at any earlier
stage of the proceedings.
The host now says Come in W and YOu walk
slowly up the path together, converting as you CO.
Arrived at the porch, gallery as 1t is called
here, the host saws again Come inW but you do
not 20 iD II would be Ili-bred to enter at 50
you liuger OH the gallery, still conversing for a
minute OF TWO. and your friend says, imDeratively
this time, Well, come in~ and then you go IN.
In the old times" people say here, TO have gone
at once to Il planters door, without calling from tho
ontside of the yard, and receiving an invitation
from within the house, wOU'i have been regarded
as evidence of unlawful OF hostile intentions,
especially in the evening and would have exposed
the visitor to the chance of greeting from shot
gun At present the dogs usually, suppose, the
chief source of danger.
SALVATION by PRAYER.
In Copiah County, Mississippi was shown the
place where man was not hanged, who. neyerthe-
less, seems to have come very near experiencing
that fate: He was a noted hOrse-thef and was at
last captured by company of indignant farmers
who had found some of their own horses tied mp in
the woods, and had remained in ambush near by
until the thief came back to dispose of his booty.
The whole countryside was soon informed of the
arrest and the men assembled with rifles and shot
guns 10 see the prisoner and decide or learn what
was to be done with him. 1t was determined,
after due deliberatOn, that he shoud be
hanged then and there. rope was ac-
cordipRly procured, one end was fastened
to a convepIent limb and the other made into a
nd In i.a.,n nrls