The Hazlehurst signal. (Hazlehurst, Miss.) 1883-1885, 1884-01-10
THE TROUBLE IN YAzoo.
FOUR WHITE MEN KILLED AND
OTHERS WOUNDED.

Five Neproes ARE visited by swim and
Terrible, PunIshn,rnt---A Bioody AMI
sorrowfui Christmas.
On Christmas eve uight while MIR.
Johu Pos.y was passing butcher
shop near tho po iolli 80 in YuzoD
G ty, he was grrs'ly inanlted by Jno'
James, colored. Pos y weot away
and got several Of his friends aud
started back. In the mean TIM the
negroes organized aud armed them
selves with shut guns and placed
themselves in the shop.
When Posey and his friends got
to tho corner they met WIN Foote,
who also insul,ed Poscy, and they
GOT into fuss, but 1t was so dark
,hey conld not ace each other foot
apar'. A, the first shot tue n"groes
killed tw, Of The Poscys. and man
named Nichols, about eighteen years
Of age.
No negroes were killed. Foote
was hurt by lick with club. The
next morning tho citizens went out
TO the slaughter house aud found
John james, who was armed and
fred three shots. Tho citizens kill.
ell him. Fritz Halder was shot and
badly wouuded, as was also Henry
Z lett. Halder died ON Jan. LIST
The Po.eys were sens OF Gen.
Carnot Posey, who was killed ut the
head Of his brigade in Virginia, In
1868. Their family was an old and
highly respected ono OF Wilkinson
county.
o. the 25th the ci,iz,ns held n
meeting and appointed committee
10 extmiue into the causes which led
10 the killing. and they reported that
Foote. sway, Parker aud Gibbs
were guilty. After q thorough dis-
cussion it was decided to let the law
take its course, and these men, all
colored, were placed in Jail.
Tue excitement was very high and
it seem, u IN j riiy Of the people did
not favor the no ion Of the meeting.
Gu Saturday, Dec 29th the following
Dispatch was sent to the V,cksburg
Ii raid:
YAzoo CRY. De:. 2sth, 9p. NJ
All day long groups Of AIMED m-u
have been riding into town. Toe
hanging was to have taken place ut
s y. m. hut was delayed by Father
Wise, the Catholic Priest, who ad.
dressed the lynchers several times
on the streets and exhortsd them tn
stay their hanls and lst the law deal
with tho murderers. The procsssi",'
Of dc 9TH was formed about $50. L.
consisted Of the most inf isntiai citl-
zans from various ptr,s Vt tue cOun.
ty. They were orderly, determined
and terribly in earnest. At Z the
march to the jail commenced. They
kept the miiile OF the street aud
numbered about two hundred men
Arriving at the Ill they summon
cd the j .i.or and their leader dsman'
ded a,lmii,ance IN q loud clear voice.
l.Tae outer gale OF the Jail enclosure
was forced open and the crowd fed
into the yard. The jailor was made
TO deliver mp the keys, and then told
TO leave. He obeyed and went home.
Tie cell OF Robert Swayzo was the
frat one entered. Tue prisoner WIS
'asen GU, his arms piaioned, and o
rops fastened around his neck. He
was hanged by passing the rope over
the front fence Of the Jail yard.
w. II. Foote'S cell was the next
one opened. A. the loader OF the
buud ont rcd no was fellsd to the
hocr by Foote with an Andmon from
the fire place wrapped in towel.
The prisoner resisted desperately.
The crowd behind fred upon Foote
killieg him instantly. H. was pier.
ced wi Ii bullets in at Leaf o doz.
On places. The door of the cell ia
which Richard Gibbs was confined
could not DO opeued Tney could
not find key that would work in
tho lock. BY the light OF the asring
torches in the hands Of the men out
side Richard Gibbs was seen stand
ing behind the bars OF the cell.door.
lie was riddled with bullets.
| The crowd outside were not salts
fed that Ire was dead. Other prison.
ers we're iu the cell with him. A
rope was passed in through the graf
ing aud they were told to make it
fast around Gibbs neck. lie was
,heu hung 10y tho men pulling upon
the rope from the outside.
Micajih Parker. the fourth one
cor fined for the murder committed
on Christmas Eve uight, was hung
from the front balcony Of the Jail.
Alter tha last Of the muTder'rs
had been hangei the crowd quietly
dispersed in the darkness Tue bar
rooms and all places Of business
were closed.
Everything is now as quiet as a
graveyard.