Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1881-09-22
AN UNPUBLISHED ASSASSIN.
The Chisoins Massacre.

ted bayonet rule" a. no serious at.
Temps have been made to punish the
assassins 90 it illustrates in its Incl
dents the barbarity of the Southern
Character.
Judge William Wallace Chisolm was
born in Morgan county, Ga, Dec. 6,
1880, and when Is years old moved
with his parents to Kemper county,
Miss. He married, in 1856, Emily S.
Mann, daughter OF Florida law
Yer. Corneha Josephine Chisolm
was born IN 1858, and subsequent
children were Clay, John and William.
Judge Chisolm voted for secession, and
served in the Confederate militia; but
after the war he advocated reeonstruc-
ton and became Republican; opposed
the Kuklux, who, between 1859 and
1871, killed thirty-five negroes in KEN
per county, while whippings took place
without number; and he testified to
their outrages before the Congressional
committee. In 1869 he became Sheriff,
was elected in 1871 and again in 1878,
with Charles Rosenbaum as his deputy.
In the election of 1871, John T. Gilmer,
a Georgian and an ex-Confederate sol
der, became Republican and supported
Judge Chisolm for Sheriff, and in 1872
was elected State Senator and he and
Judge Chisolm and other white Repub-
hcans organized the county and carried
it Republican, exciting, in consequence,
the bitter hostility OF the white Demo
Gratis, including prominent family
named Gully. Between 1873 and 1876
Gov. Ames was driven out and ]. w.
Stone took his place; and the Demo
Gratis in 1875 carried the election by the
white-line shotgun policy. In 1876
the Republicans undertook to make
canvass, and Judge Chisolm ran in
the Third district against II. ID. Money,
and was declared beaten by II, 633 ma.
iority, after an exciting and dangerous
canvass, and reported threats to kill
Judge Chisolm, some of which are
graphically described in letter of Cor
neha Chisolm of Nov. 10, 1876. After
the election efforts were made to punish
the White Leaguers, and thirty or more
were indicted. FL. ID. Money, the Con-
gressman-elect. the Kemper Herald
says, responded to its appeal to the
Democracy Of the county to "rally to
the defence of its outraged citizens as
follows: ave received a letter few
days since from Hon. H. ID. Money. in
which he made arrangements to pay us
$40 for the purpose of defraying the ex-
penses of our Kemper bulldozers, and
stated that he would pay more if it was
needed. He expressed the kindest feel
ings of sympathy for those of his fellow
citizens of Kemper who had been III
dicted, and declared his willingness and
determination to bear his full share Of
all the result
During the winter Judge Chisolm
went to Washington with his daugter
and testified before the Congressional
committee concerning the election of
November, 1876. April 26, 1877. John
w. Gully was assassinated by a negro
John Riley, on account of an old feud.
Judge Chisolm, two Republicans named
Hopper, j. 2. Gilmer, and Charlea
Rosenbaum were arrested, charged with
the murder No attempt has ever been
made to prove their guilt, and time has
only served completely to disprove it.
The accused voluntarily gave themselves
up, and to escape danger from an assem-
bled mob, Mrs Chisolm and the chill
dren, attended by Angus Mcclellan,
friendly Scotchman and an English sub
iect, accompanied them to the Jail.
Armed men surrounded them, and one
of the Gullys fired charge of buckshot
into Gilmer's back, who exclaimed:
ooh Lord, don't shoot me any more
L gave myself up, and you promised to
protect me, and started to run; was
pursued into an alley-way, riddled
with bullets and his dead body was laid
down at his wlfe's feet at her home, as
she was preparing to follow him to Jail.
A mob gathered around the Jail the
treacherous guards deserted. leaving
the guns unloaded and with no ammu-
milton. Corneha and her brother Willie
left the jail, went home, secured powder,
bullets and wadding in her clothing and
returned. Mrs. Chisolm also went
home. and before she returned the as
sault began. On her way back she saw
Mcclellan shot dead by two of the
Gpllys, having been just before forced
out OF the Jail by the Sheriff in order
that he might bekilled. From McLellan's
murder the mob rushed tothe Jail. headed
by one Rosser and the Gullys. RS.
Chisolm worked her way to the gates Of
the jail door. where the mob commenced
firing in at Judge Chlsolm. Cornelia
brought him guns left by the guards
and received wound from chips OF lead
and burnt powder in her face. The
locked was chopped to pieces, and the
door forced open against the efforts of
Cornelia and Johnny, and, as it opened
Rosser shot off Johnny's right arm at
the wrist, whorushed to his father sarms,
while Corneha seized Rosser's gun but
he hurled her from him, and fred his
second shot through Johnny's heart.
Seeing his boy killed in his arms, Judge
Chisolm seized gun left by Mcclellan,
and killed Rosser, whose fall drove back
the mob only to set fire the jail. Driven
out by the smoke, Mrs. Chisolm and
Clay led with Johnny's dead body, while
Judge Chisolm went with Cornelia's
arms about his waist. Henry Gully shot
at them, and one ball struck the girls
arm, driving the ragged metal of gold
bracelet into the wrist, while another
bullet shattered the arm from wrist to
elbow Just outside the Jail, Bill Gully
shot at Mrs. Cisholm, while shots from
the mob caused Judge Chisolm to
fall. Cornelia appealed to the
crowd for help to carry him home, and
the appeal was answered by discharge
which sent fifteen large duck-shot
and one buckshot into her leg and foot
Her bonnet-strings were severed By a
bullet, and thirty shot holes were made
in her clothing. Their work being fin
ished, the assassins allowed negroes to
help their victims home. After long
suffering, Judge Chisolm died May 10:
Corneiia fingered till the 18th, and then
passed away; and thus son, father ana
daughter went to their death at the
hands of an infamous Southern mob
Before his death Judge Chisolm said to
his wife that he feit that he was about
to die. "Tell my children that their
father never did an act IN his life for
which they need to blush or feel
ashamed. I am innocent OF the charge
these men have preferred against me,
and have been murdered because am
q Republican, and would live free
man.
As the only sequel Of this terrible and
shameful national tragedy, the Kemper
county KukIux of 1876 have been found
not guilty: the mur1erers of Judge CHS
olm, and Of Cornelia and Johnny CHS
olm, have also been acquitted; no muir
derer of Angus Mcclellan has been tried;
and only last fall the Gullys were ac-
I T.. III : Al