National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1884-01-04
.dro and Death In sIississippl.

AiEc and Death in Mississippi.
A few days since four mon wero butoherod
by mob of 800 men in the jail at Yazoo,
Miss, where they were awaiting hearing
on a charge Of murder Tho circumstances
of tho killing charged against them were
thus stated in tho press dispatch, which was
sent out the following day, and which was
evidently intended to sustain the side of the
white party:
HAzoo, MISS, Dec. pa terrible tragedy was
enacted last night. John 4. Posey, Of the firm of
Williams Il Posey, most estmablc young mau
and highly connected. was insulted by John
james, n negro butler. Obtaining some friends,
Posey returned to where James was last seen.
Without warning the party was fired on. John
Posey, c. Posoy, and Jasper Nichol were rlddlcd
with buckshut and instantly killed. II. @. Elet
was dangerously wounded, and Fritz IIalder
slightly wounded The negroes had orRanizcd, ana,
under cover Of the intense da kness, shot down
these men,who RETAINED from shooting because
the streets were full of boys and men not connected
with the difficulty. To have fred would perhaps
have killed many innocent men and children.
This is the testimony of q swift witness,
who seemed anxious to got in his side Of the
story first, and to mako out tho bost case ho
could. And what is it? "a negro butler 1"
had insulted young man highly con-
noctcd." How could that be2 What plane
of equality was there between the two which
made any nero words an insult2 Had the
insult consisted of an assault or an indignity,
the eager relator would surely have so stated,
in order that the reader would share his in
dignation. For negro butler to insult a
highly connected white gentleman in Mis-
sissippi but little would be required. The
narrator did not seem willing to risk the
effect upon the public of a statement as to
what kind of an insult was offered in this in
stance. Whatever it was, no makes no
mention of the presence of any others than
has not been told us. All we know is that
obtaining some friends, Posey returned to
where James was last seen ?" Tho friends
were obtained for some purpose, and with
them Posey returned to hunt up James for
some purpose. What was it2 Why most
naturally to wash out with blood tho insult
from negro butler. Tho question then pre-
scented itself who could shoot first. 1t is not
claimed that Posey warned James as to his
object in returning with friends to the scene
of the insult. Indeed James probably we'll
knew the object. But says tho Yazoo
chronicler: without warning the party
was fired on"-that is, the white party.
As James was the one who was being hunted
il is not apparent what obligation he was un-
der to give warning, unless we hold that
"niggers" cannot honorably defend them
selves, thereby taking their white assailants
by surprise. James was killed on the day
following the tragedy, while resisting an
officer. As the shooting was done under
cover Of the intense darkness" according to
the story told above, it is difficult to see how
the perpetrators were identified, or how the
mob of 300 could be sure that they were
hanging and shooting the right men. We
can we'll understand, however. that the affair
furnished favorable opportunity for accus.
ing and then lynching Foote, who was an
able leader, a civil and refined colored man,
and deputy Of the United States internal
revenue collector. We have reproduced the
original dispatch as above less for the pur-
pose of making these comments than to re
produce the following from yesterdays pa
pers:
NEW ORLEANS, Jan. "a special dispatch to the
Times. Democrat from Snzoo City, Miss, says
| Fritz Halder, victim of the Christmas eve
| tragedy, was buried to-day with Masonic honors
| The preliminary trial of the prisoners charged
with participation in the Christmas eve trouble
was resumed this afternoon, when several wit
nesses were examined, The state proposes to
show before the conclusion of the trial that las;
Christmas night one year ago John James, Richard
| Gibbs, and other negroes had II difficulty with
John 7. Pc ey, in front Of the latter's house. and
his premediated murder grew out of spirit Of
revenge.
How could premedtated murder BIO com
mitted by man pursued as James is shown
to have been? And what had difficulty O
year before to do with shooting which did
| NV NSSui WIN eho "hSbOu ihouit auu uo'
until the black man found that his enemy
had returned with re-enforcements to find
him? We know nothing Of the merits of the
case under discussion, except what has been
sent out by the negroes enemies, BY their
account, the hunted negroes seem to have
unexpectedly stood their ground, and killed
those who intended to kill them. If all had
been of the same color the facts stated would
have made it case of justifable homicide.