Rock Island daily Argus., 1888-12-18
v hite Blood Is Shed.
Desperate Negroes Make Use
of the SHOTGUN.
BLOODY OUTBREAK In MISSISSIPPI.


Killed and Six BADLY Wounded-The
Party Ambushed While on Their Way
to- Arrest u Negro-The Blacks Armed
and in the Swamps and the Whites
Gathering for a BattIe-More Bioodshed
Almost Inevitable.
NEw ORLEANS, Dec. lS.-A special to The
P.cayune from West Point, Miss, says:
News reached here yesterday morning of
horrible tragedy enacted Sunday night at
the village of Wahalak, Miss, forty miles
south of West Point on the Mobile & Ohio
railroad. Five white men were killed out
right and six wounded, three mortally.
The particulars of the shooting are given as
follows: Some two months ago a white
farmer living few miles from Wahalak
lost his gin house, together with eight or ten
bales of cotton, by fire which was evident
iy the work Of incendiaries. Suspicion
pointed to two negroes living IN the vicinity,
with whom the farmer had had some
trouble Sufficient evidence having been
secured, an officer Sunday night attempted
to arrest one of the negroes. The negro re-
sisted arrest and succeeded in making his
escape, after having brutally assaulted the
officer. The whites in the neighborhood
| then organized to capture the negro, and
proceeded toward the fellows house with the
| intention of arresting him. Before reaching
the house. however, they were fired upon
| from ambush by fifty well-armed negroes,
and every white man in the party was shot
down. The horror-stricken people have tel
egraphed for aid. Seventy five armed men
Isft Meridian, Miss, yesterday morning for
the scene of the tragedy, and West Point
will furnish more help
A special from Macon, Miss, to The
| Times-Democrat says; The following are the
| facts as TO the kemper county fighting: A
negro hrutally beat white boy. son of Mr.
| Nicholson. A party of whites went to the
ueighborhood unarmed Sunday night intend
ing to whip the negro They were fired on
and three were killed, and several wounded.
1t was reported last evening that seven of
the negroes implicated were shot Yesterday
morning Two armed squads left here
| yesterday for the scene OF the trouble
A Columbus Miss, special to The Plea
yune says: Persons arriving from ArteSia
bring particulars Of the fighting near Wah-
aAka. Ga Friday negro aud white boy
quarreled, and when the white boys father
separated them, the negro attacked and beat
the white man The latter swore ont war
rant for the negro's arrest, and on Saturday
| Constable Seth Cobb went TO the negro's
| house TO execute it, but was attacked AMI
beaten 10y number of negroes. The con-
stable summoned posse of twleve men, and
went again on Sunday to arrest The negro
The posse were fired upon from ambush, and
five killed outright and six wounded, some
seriously. The news spread rapidly, and the
| naprOeS were strongly reinforced
A telegram was sent from Wahalak for
help, and seventy five armed men were sent
from Meridian. Others joined them at
every station, and on reaching Wahalak the
party marched directly TO the scene OF this
disturbance. The negroes were barricadei,
and refused to give up the bodies of the dead
white men. At noon the opposing forces
were supposed to be about equal, and bat
tie seemed imminent
News received yesterday afternoon indi-
Gates that the belligerent blacks have re-
treated to the swamps, where they low a
bold front, while the non-combatant negroes
are fleeing to the woods in terror.
Capt Mcdowell, of the Columbus rifle
men, has telegraphed the sheriff of Kemper
county. Offering assistance, but no reply has
been received There is much excitement
over the affair, and new developments are
anxiously waited. The list OF dead is:
Henry Maury, Seth Cobb, Tom Nicholson,
Bill Vaughan, Bill Hare Wounded: :
Frank Maury, Tom Giles, Bob Harper, H.
l.. Harper, John Dew, JEFF Thomas
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec ls-Telegrams re-
ceived here give the following account of the
fight at Wahalak:
The riot started from a negro named
George Maury whipping Tom Nichoson's
| son, white Nicholson the cider attacke ed
Maury about 1t and the negro whipped him
severely. A crowd of tourteen went
out in the country about nine miles to at
tend TO the negro 1t seems the negro had
heard of it and had gathered a crowd, which
was well armed The whites advanced to
the house Mr. Frank Maury went
to the door and called for
George, and they told him he was
in the smoke. bouse When be turned
round the ,groes fired on him, putting
bucksbot in his arm and shoulder, and the
firing began. The negroes were all pirketed
around IN the four houses and fence corners
and almost surrounded the whites. They
killed Henry Msmy and Seth Cobb outright
Frank Maury is fatally wounded and Bill
Vaughan also. Tom Giles and Tom Nichol
son are slightly wounded Only three of the
crowd came back and reported
ave did not have any men to go to their
rescue. 1t was 9 a. m before we could ge
aid enough to get the dead bodies II is SAT-
the negroes held the place until after sun -uI
and disbanded 1t is mountainous country
: and we don't know whether they have gone
entirely or are hiding in the vicinity. A
crowd from Meridian came up, but the
did not go out 10 the scene
: They were met by parties carrying tn
dead bodies, and turned back. A crow
u went to the place and found no sign of hu
manity. The negroes had moved every
thing IN houses but furniture. They carrie
all their bedding which shows they have nc
a gone far. 1t is a thickly settled negro quar-
ter, and they can raise about 200 negroe
under the sound Of horns 1t is left with th
r outside world to say what shall be done no'
. we are at our rows end. N
n 2.30a ma special from Meridian Miss
n says: "The second party of forty Whit
A who left here on a special train for Wah'
/ lax report that everything is quiet there &
I nightfali They say their presence is NJ
!. needed and will probably return to-daI
h Wahaak has only one telegraph wire al
= that Off e could not be raised last night
u And L. This All OF II?