, 1888-12-19
THE RACE WAR.
THE RACE WAR.
Cause of the Bloody Riot at
Wahalak.
The Negroes Still Hiding in
the Swamps.
All Reported Quiet, but More
Trouble Expected.

MERIDIAN, Miss, Dec. IS.-A number
OF kilograms were received here yesterday
morning stating that a riot had occurred
at Wahalak, Kemper county, fifty miles
north of Meridian, and that Holly Nor
ton of this place was killed. Two parties
a~ggregating sixty men we're dispatched to
the scene. They returned last night/re-
porting everything quoted down. They
give the following accounted the disturb
ance: On Thursday a son ofG. ENichol-
son, d prominent farmer, was driving
along the road and met a negro desperate
driving in the opposite direction. Young
Nicholson's vehicle by accident came into
collision with that of the negro, who kept
in the middle of the road as if determined
to drive the boy out. The negro cursed
the youth. when old Nicholson appeared
and interfered. The negro drew d re-
%volver, closed with Nicholson, knocked
HIM senseless with the pistol
N THE FLED.
The following day Nicholson told his
friends of the Degro's assault and Satur-
day it was determined to organize a posse
and arrest the marauder. Information of
this reached the negroes. 1t is said that
two white men gathered a party of negroes
together at the church Sunday night and
organized a force of ten to resist any at
tempts to arrest the colored man. These
whites are known to be people of
Wahalak, but their names can not be
learned. 1t is a settled determination to
lynch them when found. The negro force
went TO Maurys house, concealed them
selves in the smoke house and cotton
houses. Soon after this the posse of
white men came up the road and halted
in front of Maury's house. -Four of
them walked up to the house and found
it deserted. Then they went to the smoke
house where they found three negroes.
These men were questioned as to Maury's
whereabouts, but they pretended they
could not tell where
He COULD BE FOUND.
Then a man on the outside shouted:
Here Is Maury, suppose o come and
arrest him." The whites rushed in a
body from the building and as they
emerged were met with a volley from nine
or ten muskets and shot guns. William
Vaughan was seriously wounded by buck
shot in the neck and shoulders 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; but the negroes being behind
stout plank walls received no injury. The
whites discovered they were fighting at
great disadvantage and moved around to
the north side of the structure. Here
they received another volley resulting in
the instant death of Henry Maury and
the w~ounding of his brother, j. +.
Maury, near the elbow. The whites now
drew off and the firing ceased temporarily.
Notwithstanding their losses, however,
the posse determined to make another at
tack on the cotton house, approaching it
this time from the south. AS they came
up they received a third volley, the me-
groes apparently awaiting to order to fire
as they had done in
TWO PREVIOUS INSTANCES.
At this third volley Seth Cobb received
twenty two buckshot in his breast and
stomach, tearing the entire front part of
his body away. John Dew, another OF
the whites, was probably mcrtally wounded
by a pistol ball in the groin. The whites
again drew off for consultation, when it
was decided that another attack with their
reduced force would be useless, and they
determined to wait for daylight and rein
foIcements. While they were consulting
the negroes rushed from the cotton houses
to MaurY's residence in a body and pro-
ceeded to fortify that building, and the
white men went back to Wahalak. Yes
terday morning another force of fifty men
was raised and proceeded to Maury's resi-
dence. The place was found entirely de.
serted. The whites burned the buildings
on the place, together with those on the
farm adjoining, secured the woods for the
negroes, but could find no trace of them.
1t is impossible TO find any negroes within
five miles of
THE SCENE OF II TROUBLE.
White people from the adjoining coun-
try poured into Wahalak all day and
joined in the search, but as none of the
negroes except Maury is known, they ac-
compllshed nothing. One negro was seen
lurking in the woods and was fired upon
by a party of whites but instantly disap
peared. 1t is believed there will be more
trouble. 1t is certain il any of the negroes
who fired on the whites are caught they
will be killed. The feeling, however, is
now against the white men who are said
to have organized the negroes. Not a
single negro is known to have received
any injury. There are white men besides
those already reported wounded, but their
names are not given. 1t does not appear
that the whites are attempting to make
an arrest under any legal authority, but
they are sustained by the entire white
population of Kemper and the adjoining
counties. 1t is unlikely any proceedings
will be taken against them.
Quiet Again.
MERIDIAN, Miss, Dec. IS.-There is
no change in the situation at Wahalak.
The village is crowded with men from the
surrounding county. Parties are search
ing the swamps and every locality where