The Brookhaven leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1883-1891, 1886-03-25
Brutal Massacre of Negroes at
Carrollton.


From dispa' ches 10 the NV Or /
lcsns dailies, We learn that Carroll |
ton, tho conntv site of Carroll coun.
w, was last Wednesday tho scene ot
one of The most brutal and cold
bluod'd massacres ever recorded in
he criminal annals Of this or any
other civilized State. IL seems
there we're two dissolutr, insolent
anil quarrelsome young negro bro
Tiers living at Carrulltoa named Ed.
anil Chas. Brown. and these negroes,
with some Of their colored friends,
had become embroiled in a persons o.
difficulty some four weeks agn with
a reckless young lawyer named J. NJ
Liddell, Jr., Of Greenwood, Lefore
county, resulting in both the Browns
receiving slight wounds, and Lid
delrs being shot in the right elbow
and thigh. For their part in this
affair the Browns we're arrested and
bound over in the sum Of 5000 each
To appear before the Circuit Court,
and Liddell, who did not try TO
avoid the encounter, if he did not
actually provoke it, was for the time
allowed to go free. Subsequently
the negroes made .afIidavit against
Liddell for assault and battery with
intent to kill and murder, and the
preliminary trial before the mayor
was fixed for last Wednesday. At
the appointed time LiddeII appeared
with his lawyers and witnesses and
the Browns with theirs, and the trial
opened. A brother OF LiddelI. who
was present at this trial, testifes to
a Times Democrat reporter that there
were about - negroes gathered in
the court room and some l2 or Is
whites, including some little boys.
Just as the lawyers were about to
proceed with the case, there sudden
y appeared on the outside of the
court house about 100 armed white
men with Winchester rifles and 9th
er fire arms, and the negroes inside,
at once divining their intent, began
a stampede for the doors and win
dows. Tie Browns drew their pis-
tolls with the instinct Of despair, and
by this time the white men below
had Intercepted the fleeing negroes
at the door, and the firing became
general Then swiftly followed one
OF the bIoodiest and most brutal
scenes on record. Inside Of a few
moments, ten negroes, including in
nocent spectators and witnesses as
well as the two principals, were piled
together deal on the spot and three
others MORALLY wounded, while not
a white man received q scratch. A
number Of the negroes jumped from
the second story windows and escap-
ed unhurt or slightly wounded. The
lawless band then remounted and
rode away.
Mr. Liddell, the brother who wit
messed the slaughter, is quoted as
saying that there was neither reason
nor justification for it, and that he
condemns it in the strongest terms,
and every law abiding citizen Of the
State will do likewise.
The mob is reported to have come
from LcfOre county, and we are told
that a private letter received in
from Greenwood, states
that at least portion Of the mob
organized at that place. 1t matters
not, however, from whence they
came nor who they are, in the name
Of humanity and for the honor of
outraged Mississippi whose name
Ivy their act has been made a re-
proach, they should be hunted down
and brought to justice. Such men
are disgrace TO the Stale and to
civilization.