The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1886-07-24
The WAR ON THE BLACKS.
ORIGIN OF THE DIFFICULTY IN
NEWTON COUNTY, MISS.
One Of the Regulators to Turn
States EVldence-Fifteen Ar
rests Already Made.
lsrEorAt 10 rHK APPEAL. !

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no additional particulars Of the New
ton county troubles 10 those given
Yesterday, save that it appears that the
matter arose some two years ago from
conflicting interests in a Homestead
entry between a negro and white
man. Bad blood arose between the
parties, which has been kept up ever
since, growing in acrimony until it has
involved the relatives and friends OF
each, and hes been taken in hand by
what is known as q secret band Of reg.
ulalors who afesupposed to have been
organiz I'd since this original trouble,
not for the purpose of making an in
discriminate war on the negroes, as
was at first supposed, but for the pur-
pose OF assuming to look after and reg
ulste thoSe who, in the opinion OF the
regulators, are
BAD NKGRoEs OR LAwLEss PERSONS.
It's supposed to be a similar organ
ization TO those which figured so prom
inenlly in 1880 and 1881 in the coun-
ties OF Annie, Lincoln and Pike. Here.
tof their operations have been 80
quiet and secret that its existence
could not be legally established nor
the identity OF any OF the members
fixed, hence there have been no in
dctmeuts. 1t is said that one OF the
band has agreed to turn States evil
dence and give all The names OF the Of
tenders and tell of their depredations.
Fifteen OF the regulators have already
been ARE ted. The Circuit Court
meets there next Monday, when ihe
matter will undergo rigid investiga-
ton. Sheriff Harper and other otiiCeys
are reported as active and diligent in
their efforts to preserve ths peace Of
the county and to bring the offenders
to justice. II they fail in this they
will have the assistance OF troops.
THE RAILROAD COMMISSION
yesterday approved the existing freight
tariffs on the following roads. Mem
phis and Charleston, East Tennessee,
Virginia and Georgia, Louisville and
Nashville, Louisville and Nashville,
Georgia Pacific, broad and marrow
gauge, Ship Island Ripley and Ken.
lucky. Mobile and North western, and
West Feliciana.
CONVICT LABOR.
The Commission, as ex-oflicio Board
OF Control OF the Mississippi peniten.
tiary, issued an order yesterday to the
lessees iorbidding the working Of con-
victs outside the walls in any Of the
mechanical pursuits. This order was
invoked by the petition of l22 mechau-
les OF Jackson, which was inspired by
the fact that Gen. VIM. Henry, the
general manager of the penitentiary,
and Mr.. Russell, the clerk, were hay
ing residences built chiefly by convict
labor.
LOCAL OPTION.
The matter of the petition Of many
citizens Of Kinds county praying the
issuance Of writ OF prohibition TO
prevent the election on local option,
came up before Judge Wharton today,
Messrs. Calhoun & Green and Il. 4.
Baldwin representing the petitioners
and Messrp. Nugent aud Melville the
Election Commissioner. The main
grounds alleged are, first, that three Of
the five members OF the Board OF
Supervisors signed the petition for the
election and three of said members
circulated the same and sought sigma
lures, hence they are incompetent TO
sit in judgment on said petition; sec
ond, II they had the power 80 to act
the order OF the board providing for the
election must show that they deer.
mined upon the sufficiency OF the
petition presented, the county reglstra-
ton books OF last year. The answer
to the FIRST ground claims that the
common law doctrine which prevents
court from deciding in matters
wherein II is interested does not apply
to this case, as no member OF the
board 30 signing and soliciting siguers
has any personal or pecuniary interest
in the result of the election 10 be at.
iected by decision. In answer to the
second ground, defendant says that
the order reCites on its face that the
petition was signed by the number OF
qualified votes, as required by the act,
and that it was unnecessary for the
order TO state that they had deter
mined that the requisite number by
the registration books, rs that is the
only mode by which they could have
determined the fact. These questions
arse on the demurrer to the petition
Tor the writ, which was argued ut
length today and taken under advise
ment by the Judge, to be decided
next week at Raymond.