The Indianapolis journal., 1886-03-19
THE CARROLLTON MASSACRE.
Circumstances Leading to the Slaughter of
Colored Men in Mississippi Court Room.


Circumstances Leading to the Slaughter of
Coiored Men in Mississippi COurt-Room.
New ORLEANS, March ia special from
Winona, Miss, gives the following particularsof
the circumstances leading to the tragedy enacted
| at 'Carroilton yesterday: Some months ago Her
bert Moores, a young man. went to Carrollton,
whore he met Ed Brown. negro with whom he
had an alteration, and the negro smeared and
poured on him molasses which he carried in a
| Jug j. M. Liddel, jr, of Greenwood, friend
of Moores, happened to meet with Brown. and
made some illusions to his treatment Brown
gave him impudent talk and Liddel started
| at him, but was prevented by by
ISLANDERS from attacking him. The
negro then armed himself and induced others to
do likewise They stationed themselves on the
streets, some concealing themselves behind
trees. When Liddel came, after supper. from
the hotel he saw them and asked what they
meant, whereupon Ed Brown responded it was
none Of his business. At that Liddel struck at
| Brown with his fist, and Brown and his brother
Charles, both simultaneously, fired upon Liddel,
one ball striking on the elbow of his right arm.
were fired from different quarters. Liddel
pulled his pistol and shot Ed Brown in the alb
| domen and received one shot in the 1ssy part of
his leg Charles Brown was shot in the shoul-
| der. The parties who had taken part in the af
fray were brought before the Mayor forthwith.
appear Ssone hs s nsa cass sasa
Court Threats were continually made
by the Brown brothers that they would
| have Jim LiddeIs blood. Further, they had fve
double -barreied guns loaded seven-deep, and
| would skill the first man who put his foot on
| their ground" On the 18th inst. they made af6-
davit against James Liddel and others, includ-
ing some of the best citizens of the place, and
men who knew nothing of the diffulty, charging
them with assault and intent to murder in the
previous difficulty.
Previous 60 the opening of the trial, yester
day. Brown boasted on the street that he had
his body guard, and would shoot the first man
that made motion in his direction. The case
was called at noon, when the courthouse i'm.
mediately was filed with negroes, who stationed
themselves around and about the Brown
brothers The attorneys were proceeding
with the case, when there suddenly appeared
about one hundred waite men, all we'll
armed. Perceiving their entrance, Ed Brown
drew his pistol and fired in the direction of Lid
del, who was between his attorneys, and there.
upon the firing became general. Ten negroes
were instantly killed, and two others have since
died. Some escaped by jumpre through the
windows, a distance of at least tveaty feet from
the ground. On most Of the dead bodies arms
were found. The room was completely illed
with smoke. The judges bench is on the north
side OF the ROOM and the benches facing it are
towards the south. It is very large court
room with windows all around. On the south
wall were counted l35 shot holes, in the wall of
the passage leading down stairs, ten shot holes,
and in the benches thirty shot holes. One shot
struck the northeast window sash and glanced into
the wall. Five other shots show on the north
wall from the direction Of the benches. Large
pools of blood were on the floor Of the court
as they came in The general impression is that
this will end in further trouble. A few of the
negroes killed were constantly creating bad feel
ing, and led other negroes, peaceably inclined,
to produce strife between the whites and blacks
The good people OF Carrollton deprecate all this,
and regret that few innocent celored people
were drawn into the fuss
The following is list of the killed: Andrew
Robertson, Charles Brown, Ed Brown, Joe Land,
John Money, Simon Keys jim Harris, Amos
Matthews Scott Moore, French Hughes, Coley
Little, Jim johnson
The following is list of the wounded: Will
Dodd Jim Keys Christian preacher), Jim Hows,
Jake Kane (very Seriously Bill Ewing, Chas.
Price, Henry Gle, Coley Thompson; the latter is
reported dead.
Payton Hemingway end Walter McCloud
! jumped through window, carrying the sash
along with them. The former received slight
jured. Amos Matthews was shot dead while
trying to make his escape in the same way. One
colored man threw himself out of one of the
west windows, falling on the brick pavement
outside, but got up and made his escape unhurt.
As he was getting out three shots were fired
at him, two of which struck the window-sill,
and one went through the glass. All is quiet
| now The principal leaders of the gang were
| among the killed. It Is impossible to get any
one to state the names Of any persons in the
mob, and 1t will be very difficult to ascertain
| them, as nobody in the excitement took notice
of any of those who entered the house. No ar
rests have yet been made.
Ed Brown was turbulent and violent negro,
and was frequently engaged in broils.
dispatch from jackson, Miss, says: "Gov-
| ernor Lowrey says that affairs at Carrollton do
| not as far as he Is now informed, demand ex-
ecutive interference that his information is that
everything is quiet. and that the peace officers of
| the county do not now need any assistance.
| The reports sent to him of the circumstances of
the immediate origin Of the riot were to the ef-
feet that the negroes were the aggressors in the
courthouse, with the result already stated"