Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-12-18
BLOODY RACE WAR.
Whites and Negroes Engaged
in Deadly Combat.
THE WOODS FULL OF ARMED MEN
A COnstable's Posse Annihilated
By Negroes in Ambush.
The Slain.

Associated Press DISPATCHES to the HERALD
New ORLEANS, December 17.--Follow-
ing is the latest from the Mississippi
and is believed to be an au-
thentic account:
A special dispatch from Columbus,
Miss, to the PicGystne says: Several
gentlemen reached this city this morning
from Artesia, bringing news of the whole-
sale slaughter of const1ble's posse near
Wahalak, small station on the Mobile
and Ohio railroad, near Macon, Miss.
On Friday last Negro and white boy
got into fight. The white boys father
attempted to separate them, when he was
set upon by the Negro boy and his father
and terribly beaten. Yesterday the
white man swore out warrant for the
Negroes arrest, and Constable Seth Cobb
went to the Negroes house to execute It
when he was attacked by a number of
Negroes and beaten. He then summoned
a posse of twelve men and went yester-
day evening to arrest the Negro. The
posse were fired upon from ambush and
five were killed outright and six wounded
more or less seriously. The news spread
rapidly and the Negroes were
strongly reinforced. Wahalak tele-
graphed along the line for help
and Meridian responded with about
seventy-five well-armed men. They
were joined at every station, and reach
ing Wahalak, marched Immediately to
the scene of bloodshed. The Negroes
were barricaded, and refused to surren-
der or give up the dead whites. At noon
the forces were supposed to be about
equal, and what the result is no one here
knows.
This afternoon news was received that
the belligerent Negroes have retreated to
the swamps and are stubborn, while the
nom combatant Negroes are fleeing to the
woods in terror. There is considerable
excitement here and the news is waited
with utmost anxiety.
Following is list of the killed and
wounded: Killed-Henry Maury, Seth
Cobb, Tom Nicholson, Bill Vaughan, Bill
Hare. Wounded-Frank Maury, Tom
Giles, Bob Harper, FL. l.. Harper, John
Dew, JEFF Thomas.
Judging from the past, the situation is
but reassuring. Those who re-
member the riots of 1875 shudder as they
contemplate all the horror OF race war.
The affair is greatly regretted by all good
citizens, who foresee that much blood
shed may be the result, and while there
is no doubt as to who will be victors
when the crisis comes, still it is O. most
deplorsble affair and one that will have
a baneful influence on the South.
The Negroes have not been idle. Re-
ports from the place where they are
congregating state their number is being
continually increased by reiDforcements
and that they are fully armed and de-
termined to fight TO the end.
Midnight--Advices just received from
the scene of the trouble state
that the Negroes have become alarmed
at the number of reinforcements which
the whites have received from all quar-
tiers, and have retreated to the swamps,
where they are fortIfying themselves and
making every preparation to resist an
attack. They are armed with shotguns,
muskets and pistols, and are abundantly
supplied with ammunition. The whites
are mostly armed with Winchester rifles,
shoteuns and some side arms, and are de-
termined to put stop to such outbreaks.
The present scene of trouble is about ive
miles from Wahalak and reports are hard
to get. Late reports are to the effect that
the whites and blacks are about equal in
numbers and the whites were about to
advance to the swamp. This of course
increases the excitement here and re-
ports Of an encounter are hourly ex-
pected. That it will be fearful in it's
results no one doubts.
MEMPHIS, December 17.-An avalanche
special from Meridian, Miss, says: The
party who left here for Wahalak to-day
have returned, reporting everything quiet
at nightfall and no further fighting.
ST. LOUIS, December IA Republic
special from Wahalak, received at "a.
NJ, says but one man was killed. Consta-
BILE Seth Cobb, while four were wounded,
only one seriously. The posse which got
into trouble was not legal body and no
had been issued for the Negro.
There is little likelihood of further trouble.