The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-03-31
SHOT DOWN IN COURT,
Details Of the Slaughter of Ne
gr0es in Mississippi.
A Dozen Colored Men Killed and
Others Wounded.

Details of the tragedy at Carollton, Miss,
by which at least twelve negroes were killed
and nine or ten others wounded, are given in
special dispatch as follows:
From statements of white and colored
alike, it shows that the immediate cause of
the affair was that short time since, q
gentleman from La Flore county, while visit
ing Carrollton, being decidedly under the
influence Of drink, was hit over the head
by Ed. Brown, one of the deceased,
with a jug of molasses, inhicting a
dangerous blow on a man not able to take
care of himself At meeting just after
this between Lawyer Liddle and Edward
Brown some harsh words passed. Sub
seouently Liddle was ambushed by the
Brown brothers, shot and slightly wounded.
The two Brown brothers and John
johnson were arrested and gave bonds
to appear for trial. On last Friday, Edward
and Charles Brown made affidavit before the
mayor, against Mr. Lidde and six others for
assault with intent te kill and murder them
on the 18th day of February, as stated
above. The accused in the affidavit in
cluded some of the best citizens, who were
not present at the time of the shooting ana az
knew nothing whatever of the difficulty. All
up for trial yesterday.
On the morning of the trial. and before the
court convened, Ed Brown boasted on the
streets that he would carry his body guard
with him in court, and true to his word,
when the case was called the court
house was filled with negroes. The
case being called at - O'Clock;
Messrs. Somerville and Askew, and
Capt. D. N. Esten appeared as. attor-
41,o Iofor6onrc and
proceeding 10 investigate the charges
against Liddle Just at l O'Clock
about one hundred we'll armed men rushed
into town on horseback, heavily armed with
Winchester rifles At this time Ed, see
ing the crowl from the window, arose from
his seat, drew his pistol, and began firing, on
Mr.. Liddle. That caused great CONSERVATION
and excitement and the firing became pro-
miscuous.
The room was at once completely enveloped
in smoke The crowd, consisting OF 100
armed men. with every conceivable kind OF
firearms. double-barrel hreech-loading shot
guns. Winchester rifles, pistols of all calibres,
Including the long horse pistols, with
their immense balls, had ridden into
town at the same moment from different
directions Dismounting, they pro-
ceeded to surround the courthouse, placing
themselves in between the fence and the
court house to prevent any escape: and as the
Browns tried to escape portion OF the
crowd which had been stationed in the hall
opposite the courthouse rushed up the steps
and filed down the right aisle. which is on
the east side, and then fired on the southwest
corner where the negroes were.
The negroes nearest this army were inno-
cent men who fell prey, falling four or five
on top Of each other. The Browns were
reached and went down in the twinkling of
an eye before the volley of musketry in the
hands of the seners asfermana stapede eo Of
those who would escape the missiles OF the
crowd, thinking to reach the window. thirty
feet high, and Jump to the ground: but the
crowd around the courthouse all being
strangers. suppos I'd each man trying to escape
one of the Browns.
Pevton Hemingway, a confederate in the
plot and one of the leading hackers OF the
Browns. jumped from the second story. of the
courthouse. and running toward Mrs;
Aldure. had twenty-five or forty shots fired
at him, but only received one slight wound
and escaped. One young negro
Jumped from the second story jury room,
Striking the ground without injury and ran
away with several guns turned on him, only
one Shot striking him anywhere, and that in
half of his shoe SOLE Balls were lodged in the
walls, ceiling, doors, and window-sash, pierre
ing the glass and mutilating the benches
All this occurred in less than ten mill
utes, The armed forces retreated down
srairs, heard two remaining shots, and hur-
ried back to find that Captain D. N Esten,
who was addressing the court when the
firing began, was trying to assist several old
faithful negro friends in their last hours. and
that Ed Brown, who was supposed to nave
been killed, was restingon his elbows, not hav-
ing gtrength to rise further, and had aimed
two deadly shots at Captain Esten, who was
unhurt, no doubt, owing to the feeble and dy-
ing condition of the leader, who in his
last extremity had this bitterness in his heart.
Thes, shots brought back those who were
slipping away, but they found their work in
conir,lete. and turned whole volley into
the body of Ed. Brown. riddling him from
head to foot. The Browns received not less
than ten shots each.
A number of negroes jumped from the
second story of the courthouse and escaped
without bruise from jumping, and were un-
hurt from the flying missiles.
In ten minutes all this occurred and those
who rode by the city limits into town re-
turned by the same route in twenty mill
utes. They were not citizens Of Carroll
county, for there were three good od
negroes killed whom all the white people
Of that county respected and would have
protected. But these strangers, friends
of the parties on trial, coming from dis
tance and supposed to be swampelS, knew
not who the man was who attempted to jump
from the window, unless it was one OF the
Browns, or friend who had gone there
armed to shield and protect them, and thence
they became prey to the indiscriminating
Shots.
Twelve negroes were killed and nine
wounded, one OF two fatally.
CarTollton is g. small interior town, with q
dozen or more merchants and about 500
people, and the home of United States SEN
ator George and State Treasurer Heming-
way, of Mississippi.