Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1888-12-28
TERRIBLE LII ALL TRUE.
A Bloody Battle Ia mississippi Between
Negroes and a Citizens POsse-COnhict-
Btsismeuts-Bad Enough at Best
A sudden and Deadly VOlIey from
Fifty 1TusIrets Greets the Band OF Negro
HUnters-sevsraI Citizens Killed
Black and Whits-SsriOus
Trouble Feared.

NEW ORLEANS, La, December 19--Ihe
States Wahals, Miss. special says: There
was a terrible riot at this place, and
twelve white men and 80 negros lie dead as
a result. For a long time there has been
much i'll feeling between the whites and
blacks Of this place, and the two elements
became involved in a quarrel, which ended
in a great loss Of life. The facts as far as
they can be ascertained are as follows:
A negro and white man became engaged
in quarrel and the negro was killed. This
was an excuse for an assault and imme-
distely black horde swept down upon the
whites, who were greatly Outnumbersd.
Knowing that it was a fight to the death, the
whites prepared to meet their black assail-
! ants, and when the battle was ended it was
found that twelve whites and over 100 ne
groes had been killed.
THE CAUSE OF IT.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, December 19.-Only
meagre details of the riot near Wahala,
| Miss, have been received here. The causes
which led to the disturbances are said to be
! as follows; About two months ago far
mer living near that town had his gin house
and eight bales of cotton burned. The act
was thought to be inCendiary and the mat
ter was placed IN charge of an officer to fer
ret out the criminal Suspicion pointed to
some negroes and the officer at
tempted to arrest one who was believed to
/ be the ring leader of the gang who fired the
GIN. The negro resisted the arrest and gave
the officer severe beating. He returned to
WahRla for assistance and a posse OF white
men went with him to arrest the suspected
gin burner. AS they approached his CABIN
| they were fired upon from abush by q party
of about fifty well armed negroes. The re-
| suit was that four of the posse were instant
hill a5 r4ar4 coll
/ The greatest excitement prevails and an
| armed force of seventy-fiYe men left Meri-
| dan, Miss, for the scene of the trouble and
| doubtless Snore blOOdshed will follow.
A RACE WAR PROBABLE.
Advices Just received from the scene of
| the trouble state that the negroes have be-
| come alarmed at the number Of the rein
| fOrCements the whites have received from
! all quarters and have retreated to the
sWamps where they are terrifying, and max
! ing preparations to resist all attacks. They
are armed with shot guns, rifles and pistols,
| and are abundantly supplied with ammunition.
! The whites are mostly armed with W1nches-
/ ter rifles, shot guns and side arms and are
| determined to put a stop to all such out
| breaks. The present scene Of trouble Is
about five miles from Wahala and the re-
ports are hard to get. Expectations are on
! the Qui Vive and the telegraph operators,
| with eager faces, are waiting to catch every
rumOr from the seat of war. The reports
! received are to the effect that the whites and
| blacks are now about equal IN numbers and
! the whites were about to advance to the
swamp. This, of course, increases the ex-
| element and reports of an encounter are
! hourly expected. That it will be fearful in
| its results, no one for a moment doubts.
Judging the present by the past the situa-
ton is nything but reassuring. There are
those who remember the riots of 1875 and
shudder as they cOntem plate all the horrors
/ of a race war. The military here have made
| every preparation, and are ready to leave
here at any moment, but up to the present
! writing have received no orders from the
| governor. and viii not go as an Organiza-
! ton without orders. The Wahala affair has
nothing to do with politics, unless the re-
publican success in the campaign has made
/ the negroes more arrogant than usual.