Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1881-11-11
MURDER AT TIE POLLS.
The Bloody Riot Near Meridian on
Tuesday.

MERIDIAN, MISS, November 10-In re-
gard to the Marion troubles no new develop
ments have been made since Tuesday night,
except the arrest of one negro. After lapse
of two days and conversation with forty or
fifty different participants, a recapitu-
latlon OF the whole affair in brief
is as follows {: On Tuesday
last while the State election was progressing
at Marion, in this county, Jos. Barret, an
aged whire man. having just voted, was in-
suited by a negro at the polls. Barrett
raised his arm to resent It with blow. Some
say he drew a stick on the negro.
Before he could strike, another negro
named Frank johnson shot him with pie-
toll in the neck, cutting the jugular vein and
killing him almost Instantly. George Jehn-
son, cOlored, formerly a slave Of Balret, ran
up 10 defend his old master, and was shot
by a negro, from the effects OF which ne
died to-day.
A general shooting amorg the negroes
then commenced. The whites were all un-
armed. jeff Segars (white) was killed by
negro named Sam Gillespie. Alexander
Harvey, the Democratic candidate for
County Assessor, fifty yards from the
scene, was rushed upon by negroes
and killed by shot through the
head. He was shot in the face by
Frank Johnson after he was dead. James
Hodges (whtte) was wounded seriously in
the knee. Lew Moore (white) was wounded
in the head. Vance Segars was wounded
and is expected to die. The negroes doing
the shooting were Gillespie, Frank Johnson,
Allen and Burwell Brown and Martin.
The prisoners Wnl Vance and his men
were gathered about the yard. John Vance
at that moment was seen IN a STOPPING atti-
tude behind q corner of the stables near by
with a gun levelled On the posse, but be-
fore be could fire be was shot
and killed. At the same instant
while A. G, Warren, Of the posse, was
pledging protection to the females of
Vance's family he was shot through the
head by some one from inside the house and
instantly killed The Sheriff and Harding
JOnes, of the posse, were slightly wounded.
Ed. Vance escaped.
Several negroes were seen to fire on the
posse from house and run off. No negroes
are known to have been killed. Four or
five are wounded. viii Vance was brought
to Meridian BY the Sheriff in a buggy at
night and lodged IN jail. No harm was
Offered him. Young Ed. Vance, a boy
of seventeen, YVES captured, but was
allowed to remain at home without
molestation. Yesterday a party Of fifty
men went, under direction of the Sheriff, in
search of Ed Vance and others concerned
in the riot. None were found except a
negro named Martin Malone, who took IN
active part in the riot. Heis now in jail,
Marion was not their voting place. They
were from another precinct. VIII Vance, a
white Republican, is said to have induced
the negroes to begin firing. As soon as the
news reached Meridian, six miles distant,
Sheriff Henderson, with a posse of
seventy-fve men, repaired to the scene.
The negroes had all left. A
party of twenty men went to the house of
Ed Vance, a white Republican, and ap-
preaching him with warrants of arrest de-
manded his surrender, and were replied to
by Vance telling them to "GO to HI"
They We're then fired on and repulsed. By
five O'Clock in the afternoon relief came,
ard the Sheriff with his men surround
ed the house. The Sheriff called out
to those inside to surrender A white flag
was presented at the door. The Sheriff met
the bearer on half way ground, and on
promise that he would protect Vance and
all ia the house, surrender was agreed
on. The Sheriff drove his buggy up TO the
gate to take in Malone.