Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1888-12-19
A WAR OF RACES.
Desperate Fighting Between Whites
and Blacks in Mississippi.
SEVERAL MEN SHOT DOWN.
Different Stories Are Told Regarding the
Cause and Probable Result of the
Trouble, but There VIII Prob
ably BE More Blood shed.

MERIDEN, Miss, Dec. 19-The following is
a detailed account of the origin and progress
of the race war which has broken out in the
neig borhood of Wahalak Miss.
Monday morning number cf kilograms
were received here stating that a riot had
occurred at Wahalak, Kemper county, fifty
miles north of Meridian, and that Holly
Morton of this place had be n killed. A
party of twenty men was at once organized
and left for the scene on the regular passen-
ger train. subsequently another party of
forty was raise and left on a special train
A number of wild rumors were soon in cir.
culation--one to the effect that the posse
from this city had a fight with negroes, and
lhat several of them had been wounded.
These rumoss were set aside by the arrival of
two posses on the regular mail train Monday
night, who rep rted that everything was
quiet and that their presence was not needed.
They told the following story of the riot:
Last Thursday a son of &. f. Nicholson,
prominent farmer of Kemper county, was
driving a wagon along the road leading to
Shuqulak when he met a negro desperado
driving a team in the opposite direction.
Young Nicholson accidentally brought his
vehicle in collision with that of the negro,
who kept in the middle of the road as If de-
termined to drive the boy out.
The negro began cursing the youth, when
the elder Nicholson appeared and interfered
in his boys behalf. The negro thereupon
drew revolver, but instead of firing closed
with Nicholson AMI brought the weapon
down with full force on Nicholson's face.
Nicholson fel. senseless to the ground, and
when he recovered the negro had fed.
The following day Mr.. Nicholson told his
friends of the negro's assault and ON Satur-
day it was determined to organize posse and
arrest Maury. Information of this deter
mination of the whites reached the negroes in
some way.
1t is said that two white men gathered
party of negroes at church Sunday night
and after haranguing them, organized a
force of ten negroes to resist any attempt at
the arrest of Maury or attack on his house
These whites are known to the people of
Wahalak, but their names cannot be learned
1t is their settled determination to lynch
them when found, and the people argue that
when they are hanged it viii be the proper
time to get their names.
A negro force raised by the two white
men went to Maury's house when the meet
Ing adjourned and concealed themselves in
the smoke house and cotton house Very
soon thereafter party of whites came up
the road and halted in front of Maury's
place. A few of them walked up to his resi-
dence, but found it deserted. From the resi-
dence they went to the smoke house, where
they found three negroes.
These negroes were asked the whereabouts
of Maury, but they pretended they could not
tell where he might be found.
While the whites were trying to extract
some information from them a man outside
shouted: Here is Maury. Suppose you
come and arrest him."
The whites rushed in a body from the
building, and as they emerged were received
by volley from eight or ten muskets and
shotgurs.
William Vaughan was seriously wounded
by buckshot in the left arm, neck and shoul-
ders, and another man whose name the
whites will not reveal received a slight
wound in the hand. This volley came from
the cotton house and was promptly returned
by the whites. The negroes, being behind
stout plank walls, received no injury The
whites soon discovered that they were fight
ing at great disadvantage, and moved around
to the north side of the structure Here
they received another volley. resulting in the
instant death of one man, and the wounding
of his brother in the arm, near the elbow
The whites now drew off, and the firing
ceased temporarily. Notwithstanding their
losses, however, the posse determined to
make another attack on the cotton house,
approaching it this time from the south side
As they came up to the building they re-
ceived third volley, the negroes apparently
awaiting the order to fire. as they had done
in the two previous instances.
At this third volley Cobb received twenty
two buckshot in the breast and stomach
wounded, perhaps mortally, in the groin.
The whites again drew off for consultation,
when it was decided that another attack on
the building with their reduced force would
be useless, and they decided to wait for day
light and reinforcements Whine they were
consulting the negroes rushed from the cot
ton house to Maury's residence in body and
proceeded to fortify that building The
whites went back to Wahalak yesterday
morning
Another force of fifty men or more was
raised and proceeded to Maury's residence
The place was found entirely deserted, even
bedding and furniture being removed. The
whites burned three buildings on the place,
together with those on the farm adjoining
and secured the woods for negroes in vain
No traces of them could be found within five
miles of the scene of trouble.
White people from adjoining towns now
began to pour into Wahalak and joined in
the search None of the negroes were known
except George Maury. One negro was seen
lurking in the woods and was fired upon by q
white man, but he instantly disappeared.
When posses from Merilian. under COM
mand Of Capt Thomas Jamisoa. reached
Wahalak they were told that their services
were. not needed They say the whites
throughout Kemp county are very sore and
think more trouble viii follow 1t is certain
caught they viii be killed at once
The feeling, however, il greatest against
fwU white men. who ara said 20 have organ
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