The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1886-03-31
In Defense ofthe Carrollton Massa-
cre-A Persuasive Presentation Of
the MODS Case.

z
ere "A Persuasive Presentation OF
the Mob's Case
EDITOR CLARION Your editorial on
The CarroIlton Massacre was so unjust
10 the so-called mob, that l, N justice 70
The gentlemen who took part IN IL, desire
to give you the facts that induced them 10
kill the negroes in Carroll.on.
Your statement of the first difficulty IS IN
the main correct, except that there Is no
question but that the negroes fired first and
that Mr. Liddell only fred in seii-deiense.
The Browns were released on bail, ana i'm,
mediately began arming themselves and
their friends.
The negroes, embroidered by the victory |
OF the Browns became very offensive 10 1
their general conduct Gentlemen and
ladies were elbowed off the sidewalk
Ladies soon became unwilling TO 60 on the
streets on Saturday-men felt that It was
safest to 20 armed when out at night. Inc
Browns openly boasted that they and their
friends were armed. When the mayor
spoke to them about paving their rent
they replied they would pay when they get
ready, and would kill any ID 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
negroes and were successful. Naturally
such actions aroused the white men.
When they swore out their warrant against
Mr.. Liddell, they included other gentle
men. for no reason in the world save that
they we're friends OF Mr.. Liddell. When
/ the whites learned this they believed that
| il was a part of plot to murder not
only Mr.. Liddell, but the other gentlemen
arrested. They decided that 1t was time
| for such conduct 10 be stopped. They, went
there not only as the friends Of the deien-
dants, but as the protectors 81 the cotnnu-
ritv. They knew that If they did not. the
negroes would murder innocent white men.
No hundred men, peaceabie and la"-aDia-
ing citizens such as they are, ever resort 70
sach extreme measures without thoroug
investigation OF the facts that lead them 70
it. =,
on the dav Of the trial it was easily
seen thar the negroes expected trouble
When the 90 called mob entered the lower
floor of the courthouse, and before they had
time to reach tie courtroom, the hrlhs
began upstairs. MAYOR Elan, who was
presiding. SAYS positively that I'd Brown
fired the f-st shot. Mr.. VIII Liddell says
!. that he did not say that he did not kno"
who fred the first shot bat on the con
trarv. he knows that Ed Brown fred 1t
Naturally the whites returned the hre
No BODY Of men will wait, under such cir
cumstances. to see if their assailants ar'
: too much excited 10 aim we'll. The worit
knows the result.
? The 40 called mob claims that not al
2 innocent negro was killed or wounded
! They claim that this Is substanttated ol
various facts. They claim that the negroe
knew that there would be trouble AT IN
trial. They claim that some were warned
E not to 90. but that tbey replied that the.
: would If the negroes did not expect /
shoot why were all the killed armed i
: they did not expect to shoot why did the
d range themselves on one side OF the couri
4 room? If they were innocent, why dl
they not seat themselves IN different POI
lions of the room as negroes do IN ever
e courtroom in the State, and as they ma
r been ia the habit of doing in the Carroll
ton courtroom? ii they were innocer
= why did they surround the two most de'
II perate men in the county, when they kne'
that one of them had boosted that h
= would get even with Jim ?" When the
knew that he had said that he expected
u be killed. but that he would take jill
p along with him.
Two OF the killed came out OF the cour
room door with pistols in their hands, AM
- upon examination afterwards, II was foun
1. that one or more barrels OF their pIsto
t. had been recently discharged. Does th'
!, look like innocence? Peyton Hemlngwa
- jumped out of n window and escaped wit
g a slight wound, yet he Is known to nay
been armed, and to have been one OF II
chief advisers and the warmest friend
~ the Browns. Was he innocent? Evel
e negro killed was found to be armed al
3 their pistols discharged Were they inn
n cent?
~ The so-called mob believe that Il
es negroes had determined to fire upon Il
whites as soon as the defendants were di
charged as every one, both black al
= white, that knew anything Of the first d
" 6cultv. knew they would be The :
is called mob claim that had they not reach'
n CarroIlton when they did, the sto
would have been different-that most
le the killed and wounded would have be-
whites; and they felicitate themselv
lv upon the fact that their arrival and subs
:. auent actions saved the lives of sever
u honest citizens and rid the community of
I'd dozen or more dangerous characters tn
n were disgrace and drawback to al
&c community. They base this asserti
u upon the fact that all of the negroes we
us armed. The mob claims that innoce
ly negroes do not stop their work in t
:. middle of the day and go armed to t
- courthouse and surround the two me
ty desperate men in the county. The NJ
he claims that they were justified in going
Il Carrollton by the reports that reach
~ there, and by the well-known desperg
he character OF the Browns and their as
2. ciates. They claim that they are peat
able aw-abiding citizens, that they ha
Il IL tn
nit to the process of the law but they clai
ch that there are times when it is best Tor
ut outraged people to take the law into thu
ast hands, and that no one save the go
citizens of the community, can be
vs. Judge of when that time has arriv,
IS They assert that it was not alone becar
he of the shooting and subsequent arrest
- Mr.. Liddell, that they went to Csrroilto
=" but because OF the reports OF the armi
Ter of the negroes; and these reports ha
in been found TO be true. They believe Il
- what they did was for the protection OF I
=! community as much as for the protection
las Mr.. Liddel.
or In conclusion, they claim that they
not 'murderous enemies" of the negro
as you assert, but on the contrary, are tn
friends. The proof of this is that
III majority of them manage large plantatic
red of negroes without any unusual trout
cd and they are regarded as friends and
'murdereus enemies" by their tenants.
ac The mob desires to assure THE CLAIR
tn, that while they may be considered int
nm entail in their community, that they hi
no desire to use such influence against
ora or any other paper for speaking tn
the honest news but they believe that eve
.llv one on reading their side Of the story, v
- admit that they were right. They r
feu upon the fairness of all the people, b
ne, North aud South, not to pass judgm
der on them until their story has been tc
and they claim that the undisputed ia
given in this paper are sufficient vindi
ton. 1t is but justice to the defendaI
al Mr.. Liddell and other gentlemen arrest
ave to say that they were perfectly willing
T be tried and that their conduct should
thoroughly investigated, but the citiz
; at of the community were unwilling t
ion they and other innocent white men sho
he murdered during the trial.
MISSISSIPPIAr
'ar Thanks to the Legislature.