The Pascagoula democrat-star. (Pascagoula, Miss.) 1878-1920, 1886-04-09
DEFENSE OF THE CARROLL
TON TRAGEDY.

"NIississippian' in defense Of the
recent killing OF negroes at Carroll
ton, in this State:
Editors Clarion Your editorial
on "The Carroilton Massacre" was
so unjust to the so called mob, that
/. in justice to the gentlemen who
took part in it, desire to give you
the facts that Induced them TO kill
the negroes in CarrolltOn.
Your statement of the first diff.
Guilty is in the main correct, except
that there is no question but that
the negroes fred first aud that Mr..
LiddplI only fred in selt-defense.
The Browns were released on bail,
aud Immediately began armlng
themselves and their friends.
The negroes, emboldened by the
victory of the Browns, became Of
fensive in their general conduct.
Gentlemen and ladies were elbowed
of the sidewalks. Ladies soon be.
came unwilling to Oh the streets
on Saturday--men telt that it was
safest to go armed when out at
night. The Browns openly boasted
that they and their friends were
armed. When the mayor spoke to
them about paying their rent they
replied they would pay when they
got ready, and would kill any Cd
id white man who put his foot
in their house that they had guns
loaded four fingers deep. They did
all in their power to arouse the ne
groes and were successful. Natu-
rally such actions aroused the
whlle men. When they swore out
their warrant against Mr.. Liddell
they included other gentlemen,
for no reason in the world save
that they we're friends OF Mr.. Lid
dell. When the whites learned
this they it was part of q
plot TO murder not only Mr.. Liddell,
but the other gentlemen arrested.
They decided that it was time for
such conduct to be stopped. They
went there not only as the friends
of the defendants, but as the pro
tectors of the community. They
knew that it they did not, the ne
groes would murder innocent white
men. No hundred men, peaceabie
and law-abiding citizens Snch as
they are. ever resort to such eX
treme measures without thorough
investigation OF the facts that lead
them to it.
On the day of the trial it was
easily seen that the negroes expect
ed trouble. When the SO called
mob entered the lower floor of the
courthouse, and before they bad
time to reach the courtroom, the
firing began mp stairs. Mayor
Elan who was presiding says posi-
lively that El. Brown 6led the first
shot. Mr. Will Liddell says that
he did not say that he did not
know who fred the first shot but
on the contrary he knows that Ed.
Brown fired it. Naturally the
whites returned the fire. No body
OF men will wait, under such cir
cumStauces, to see If their aSSall-
ants are too much excited to aim
we'll. The world knows the result.
The sO-called mob claims that
not an innocent negro was killed or
wounded. They claim that this is
substaHtiated by various facts.
They claim that the negroes knew
that there would be trouble at the
trial They claim that some we're
warned not TO go, but that they
replied that they would. 1t the
negroes did not expect to shoot
why were all the killed armedf Ii
they did not expect 10 shoot why
did they range themselves on one
side of the court roomi If they
we've innocent why did they not
seat themselves in different por-
tiOns OF room, as negroes do IN
every courtroom in the State, aud
as they had been in the habit OF
doug in tue CarrOllton courtroom !
Ii they were innocent why did they
surround the two most desperate
men in the county, when they knew
that Que of them had boasted that
he would ''get even with Jim ~
When they knew that he had said
that he expected to be killed, but
that he would take jim along with
him.
Two Oh the killed came out OF the
courtroom door with pistols ln
their hauds, aud, upon examination
aiterward, it was found that one or
more barrels of their pistols had
recently discharged. Does that
look like iunoceuce Peyton Hem
iugway jumped cut of window
aud escaped with a slight wound,
vet he is known TO have been arm
ed, and to have been Que OF the
chief advisers aud the Sarmest
friend Of the Browns. Was be in-
nocentf Every negro killed vas
found 10 be armed and their pistols
discharged. Were they innocent J
The s0-called mob believe that
the negroes had determined TO hre
upon the whites as soon as the de-
fendauts were discharged, as every
one, both Jlsck and white, that
knew anything Of the first dificul
Is, knew they would be. The So
called mob believe that had they
not reached Carrollton gnen they
did, the story would have been