The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-12-19
MISSISSIPPrS RACE WAR
TIE MURDERoUS vOLLEY FIRED
FROM UNDER COVER.

Blacks on the Run.
MERIDIAN, MISS, Dec 1s.-A number of
kilograms were received here yesterday
morning stating that riot had occurred at
Wahalak, Kemper county, fifty miles north
of Meridian, and that Holly Morton Of this
place hal been killed. party of twenty
men was at once organized and left for the
scene on the regular passenger train. Sub
sequently another party Of forty was raised
and left on a special train. A number of
wild rumors were soon in circulation
to the effect that a posse from
this city had had fight
with the negroes and that severa! of them
had teen wounded. These rumors were set
aside by the arrival of the posse on the
regular mail train last night. They re-
ported that everything was quiet at Wa
halax, aud that their presence was not
required there.
THEIR STORY OF THE RIOT.
They told the following story Of the riot
LAST Thursday a son Of 6. z. Nicholson, a
prominent farmer of Kpmper county, was
driving along the road when he met negro
desperate driving in the opposite direction.
Young NlcholSOAs venlcie by accident,
. came il collisioI with that Of the negro,
who kept the middle OF the road as if de-
termined to drive the boy out. The negro
n,
appeared and interfered. The negro there
upon drew a revolver, tut instead of firing,
closed with Mr. Nicholson and knocked him
seDseleSs with the pistol. the negro then
fed.
DETERMINED TO ARREST HIM.
On the following day Mr. Nicholson told
his friends Of the Negroes assault, and on
Saturday it was determined TO organize a
posse and arrest the maraudeT. Information
faf a ar %
the negroes in some way. Il is said that
two white mea gathered a party
of negroes together at a church
Sunday night, and after haranguiag
them, organized force OF ten Of them to
resist any attempt to arrest Maurey, or any
attack on his house. These whites are
known to the people of Wahalak but their
names cannot be learned. II is the settled
determination to lynch them when found,
and the people argue that when they are
hanged it win be the proper time TO make
their names known.
RENDEZVOUS OF THE BLACKS
The negro force gathered by the two
white men, went u Maurey's house when
the church meeting adjourned, and con-
cealed themselves in the smoke house and
cotton houses. Very soon after this posse
of white men came up the road and halted
in front of Maurey's house. Four OF
them, WALKED up to the house, but
found it deserted. They then went
TO the smoke house, where they
found three negroes. These men
were Questioned as to Maurey's where
abouts, but they pretended that they could
not tell where he could be found. The
whites were trying to gain some informa-
ton from them when q man on the outside
shouted: Here is Maurey, suppose you
come and arrest him"
THE FIRST voLLEY.
The whites rushed in a body from the
building, and as they emerged were met
with volley from eight or ten muskets
and sbotguns. William Vaughan was Sc
riouSly wounded by buckshot in the left
arm, neck and should rs. and another man
whose name the whitas will not reveal,
received a slight wound in the
hand. This volley came from
the cotton house, and was PROMPTLY re-
turned by the whites, but the negroes being
behind stout plank walls received no in
jury The whites soon discovered that they
were fighting at great disadvantage, and
moved around to the north side Of the
structure
THE sEcowD FUsILADE
Hero they received another volley, re-
sulting in the instant death of Henry Maurey
and the wounding of his brother, j. F.
Meurey, i'll the arm near the elbow. The
whites now drew off, and firing ceased
temporarily. Notwithstanding their losses,
however, the posse determined TO make an
other attack on the cotton house, ap-
preaching this time from the
south side AS they came up to
the building, they received a third volley,
the negroes apparently awaiting an order
to fire, as they mad done in the previous in
stances. At the third volley Seth Cobb re-
ceived twenty-five buckshot in the breast
and stomach, tearing the entire front Of his
body away, ard John Drew, another of the
whites, was probably MORALLY wounded by
pistol ball in the groin. The whites again
drew off for consultation, when il WIS de-
cided that another attack on the building
with their reduced forces would be useless
and they determined TO wait for daylight
and reinforcements.
soRTIE.
While they were consulting. the negroes
rushed from the cotton houses to Maureys
residence in a body and proceeded TO fortify
that building, and the whites went back to
Wahalak. Yesterday morning another
force of fifty men as raised and proceeded
to Maureys residence. The place y as found
entirely deserted even the bedding and fur-
niture having been removed The whites
burned the buildings on the place, together
with those on farm adjoining, and secured
the woods for the negroes, but could find no
trace of them. 1t was impossible to find
the negroes within five miles of the scene Of
the trouble. The white people from adjoin-
ing towns poured into Wahalak all day and
joined in the search, but as none of the ne
groes except Maurey was known. they ac-
complished nothing. One negro was seen
lurking In the woods and was fired upon by
a party of whites, but he instantly disap-
peared. When the posse from Me-
ridian, under command of Capt.
Thomas Jamison, reached Wahalak, they
were told that their services were not
required. :. They say the whites throughout
Kemper county are very sore, and they
think that more trouble will occur. 1t is
certain that if any Of the negroes who fred
on the whites are caught, they will be killed
at once. The feeling, however. is now
against the two white men who are said TO
have organized the negroes. Not single
negro is known to have received any
injury. Two white men, beside those
already reported, were wounded, but as
their injuries are slight, their names are
not given for prudential reasons. 1t does
not appear that the whites in attempting to
make the arrest were acting on any legal
authority, but they are sustained by the
entire white population of Kemper and adj
joining counties, and it is unlikely that any
proceedings will be taken against them
THE VILLAGE CROWDED.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, Dec ia special to
the EUening Scinlitor from Meridian