New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-19
, SEARCHING THE SWAMPS.


SEARCHING THE SWAMPS.
DETERMINED MEN HUNTING FOR THE NE.
GRO ASSASSINS AT WAHALAK. MISS
THE BLACKS BELIEVED TO HAVE nED THD
CoUNTRY-NEGRo CABINS BUREED-yUNZk
AIS OF THE MURDERED MEN.
Memphis Tenn, Dec. ia dispatch to "rhs
Evening solmitar" from Nerd an. Miss. says:
"There Is no change in the situation st wshalak
Tho village crowded this morniDg with mon from
tho surrounding country. Parties have been search.
ing tho swsmps and every other place whore the
negroes who did tho killing on Sunday night arc
supposed to be sccreted, but up to 10 q m not
one Of the blacks had been found. It is supposed
they have left the country. All the persons who left
Meridian yesterday for the Of tho tragedy have
returned and report everything quiet ct WAhalak
Nothing remains Of the cabins occupied by thu negro
George Maury and his coDfederstes but Their smouder
Ing ruins. All tho stock owned by Msury wN
killed and everything around the premises was burned
Tho bodies OF Henry Maury and Seth Cobb, tho two
white men who were killed, wero brought TO the
village yesterday and were buried to-day. John
Dow who was severely wounded Is still alive, bus
In critical condition. 1t is not known what further
action Will be taken by the determined men on the
ground
Meridian, Miss, Dec. 1e-Ths following story Of
the murders and riot at wahaak is told BY the posse
who arrived last night on the mail train:
Last Thursday a son Of G. r. Nicholson, a promi-
nent farmer OF Kemper County was driving along
the road, when he met George Maury, negro des-
perado driving In the opposite direction Young
Nicholsons vehicle, by accident, came In collision
with that Of the negro, who kept In tho middle OK
the road as If determined to drive tho boy out The
negro cursed the youth, when old Mr. Nicholson
interfered The negro thereupon drew revolver.
but instead of firing closed with Nicholson, and
knocked him scnseless with the pistol Tho negro
then fed.
The following day Mr. Nicholson told HIS friends
Of the negro's assault, and on Saturday IL was
determined organize posse and arrest tho runan.
Tnformat Of this determination Of the whites reached
the negroes in some way 1t Is said that TWO White
men gathered party Of negroes together at church
sunday night, and after haranguing them organized
force of ten OF them TO resist any attempt TO arees
Maury, or an attack his house These whics
arc known 10 the people of wahalak but their names
cannot be learned. II is the settled discrimination
TO lynch them when found and tho people argue thas
when they are hanged 1t will be the proper time to
mako their names Known
The negro force raised BY the two white men won't
to Maury's house, when the church meeting ad-
journed and concealed themselves in the smoke and
cotton houses Very after this tho posse of
whito men UP the road and haired In mont OK
Msury's house. Four Of them walked Up to the
house. but found deserted. They tnen wont TO tho
smoke house. where they found three negroes. These
men wers asked where Maury was, but
they feigned ignorance While tie whites were trying
to gain some information from them q man on tho
outside shouted: " Here is Maury. Suppose you
come and arrest him.
The whites rushed In body from tho building. and
as they emerged were met with volley from eight
or ten muskets and shotguns. William Vaughan
WAS seriously wounded by buckshot In the left arm.
peck and shoulders and another man, whose name the
whites vii not reveal. received slight wound In
the hand This voley came from the cotton house
and was promptly returned by the whites, but the
negroes being behind stout plank walls. received no
injury. Tho whites discovered that they were
fighting great dlsadv antase and moved around to
another volIey, resulting in tho instant death Of
Henry Maury and the woundfng of bis brother. J.
F. Maury, In the arm the elbow. Tho whites
now drew of and the firing ceased temporarily.
Notwithstanding their losses however, the posse
determined make another attack tho cotton house.
approaching II this Time from the south side As they
came up the building they received tho third volley.
the negroes apparently awaiting the order to fre,
they had done In the two previous instances At this
third volley Seth Cobb received twenty-five buokshot
the breast and stomach tearing the entire front
part Of his body away. John Dow. another OF tbs
whites, probably mortally wounded by . pistol
ball In the groin The whites again drew on for con-
sulation, when 1t decided that another attack on
the building with their reduced force would bo use
less, and they determined TO wait for daylight and
rcinforcements
While they consulting the negroes rushed from
the cotton house TO Maury's house In q body and
proceeded to forufy that building, and tho whites
went back to wahalsk Yesterday morning another
force Of fifty men was raised and proceeded to Msurys
place. 1t found to be entirely deserted the
bedding and furniture having been removed. Tho
whites burned tho building and secured the woods for
the negroes, but could nnd trace Of them.
White people from the adjoining towns poured
into wshalak al day and Joined In the search, but
as none Of the ncgrocs except Maury were known,
nothing was accomplished. One negro was seen
lurking In tho woods and fired upon by . party
Of whites, but he instantly disappeared. Whom the
posse from Meridian, under command Of Captain
Thomas Jamlson, reached wahalak they were told
that their services not required. They say
the whites throughout Kempcr County very
much incensed and think that trouble will
1t certain that II any OF the negroes who fred
on the whites caught they will be killed ct
once. Tho feeling, however, runs moro against the
two white who said to have organized the
negroes.
Not a single negro is known TO have received any
injury Two white besides those already
ported wounded, but their hurts slight
their names not given. II does not appear that
the whites. In attempting TO make the arrest, wcro
acting under any legal authority, but they arc
tanned by the entire white population Of Kemper
and the adjoining countless and II is unlikely that
any proceedings will be taken against them.
RACE COLLISIONS IN OTHER STATES.
DESPERATE FIGHT BETWEEN NEGROES AND
WHITES IN TENNEssEE-TRoUBLg IN
SOUTH CAROLINA.
81. Louis Dec. ia dispatch from Jackson, Tenn,
10 The Post Dispatch, says: a desperate fight be
negroes and whites took place in OF the dis
trics Of Madison County last Friday. 'wilr Hicks.