Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1883-07-23
UGLY WORK.
trouble In Dssha County, Ark.
One Man Whipped to Death-0ne
of the Whippers Shot to Death
and Another Badly Hurt.
The Passengers and Crew of the
Steamer Ida DarFagh With
stand q shotgun Eusilade.

The country along the lower Ark,
eEsaw river, in the vicinity Of Bed
Fork, thirty-miles above the mouth
was in state of riot last week, anc
the Ida Darragh arrived at the whar.
here pretty we'll SCARED with bull
let's fred into her by the enraged
people of that vicinity. Several hun
dred persons, it is reported, partici'
psted in the row.
The origin Of the trouble was Q
young machinist, from Clinton OF
Dewitt, ILL.,, name not ascertained
He had been employed on the Gal.
breath plantation, near Red Fork, in
fixing machinery about cotton gin,
He became indebted to Mrs. King q
few dollars for board, and prepared to
leave the vicinity without settling,
though it is stated that he had ar
ranged to send the amount due back,
after he could raise the necessary
funds.
AS the machinist was about to take
his departure on the railway he was
arrested and taken before a magistrate
who, under some old statute, found
him guilty of attempting to delraud
and sentenced him to work in the
fields among some eonvicts on the
Gslbreath plantation. The manager
of the place is named Alfred Werner,
Polander, who has been in this
country four or five years and who has
a brother residing in Crittenden coun-
ty, over the river from this city. He
also has a sister in this city, and they
are all finely educated people.
The details of the trouble, as rela-
ted here, are rather meager, but from
passengers who arrived by the steam
or Ida Darragh it is gathered thai the
machinist not being familiar With field
work, in cotton or corn, did not per-
form to please Werner. Thereupon
he was beset by the latter, aided by
three darkies names unknown. The
quartette gave the man a thrashing
from the effects of which he died on
Monday or Tuesday last. Werner and
the three men were arrested by the
sheriff of Desha. The party boarded
the steamer Ida Darragh last Saturday
to go to Arkansaw City, the county
seat, tor trial. As the vessel neared
Burnett's landing, a short distance
from Red Fork, an enraged mob OF
several hundred people collected
along the shore and fred into
her. Werner, who stood on the fore
castle of the lower deck was hit in
the upper part of the thigh, the ball
lodging in his groin, another ball also
penetrated his back passing around
and lodging in front of the stomach.
One of the darkies under arrest in
his fright jumped overheard and was
shot dead while in the water. The
steamer was pretty we'll riddled with
bullets and the lives of the crew and
passengers were greatly endangered
by the fusilade.
The mob followed the vessel for
some distance down the river and
poured shot into her whenever she
neared the shores. No landings we're
made after backing away from the at
tempt to land at Burnett's, and mails,
freight and other articles which should
have been delivered at various points
we're kept on board.
Before daylight yesterday morning
the steamer City OF New Orleans, of
the Anchor Line, was met in the
Mississippi river above the mouth of
White, and the Sheriff of Desha, with
his three prisoners, two uniDjured
5arkies and the wounded man Wer-
ner, we're put on board to be taken to
Arkansaw City.
The wounded man.: Werner, was
very badly wounded, and his condition
is rendered more critical because Of
the fact that he had recently recovered
from a spell of sickness, and he was
quite feeble when shot.
The people of Desha were in highly
exasperated temper over the affair,
and rumors were current that the
prisoners would probably be wrested
from the Sheriff by a mob upon his
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