St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-12-18
Wholesale Slaughter Of White
and Black People in a
Southern Village.
Negroes Resist an Attempt at
Arrest and Precipitate
a Riot.
The Number Of Killed and
Wounded Not Yet Def
initely Known.
AbIe-Bodied Southrons, Armed
to the Teeth, Hurrying
to the Scene.
Epecial TO the Globe.

Special 10 the GlODe.
WALHALAK, Miss, Dec. IA riot
between whites and negroes occurred
here last night that surpasses i'll horror
anything that has happened in this
state for years, and recalls most forclbly
the remembrance of the bloody riots OF
1875. The particulars gathered from the
most reliable sources are as follows:
Yesterday evening two boys, one white
the other, a negro, got into fight. Mr..
Nicholson, the father of the white boy,
attempted to separate them, when
Maury, the father of the negro,
Jumped on him and beat him up most
terribly. Mr.. Nicholson swore out
warrant against Maury, which was
placed in the hands of the constable.
The constable, after hunting for Maury,
found him With quite crowd of negroes
barricaded in house. They refused
to pay any attention to the officer or his
warrant, and
DEFIFD TIE LAW
and the authorities, saying Maury
should not be arrested. Not satisfied
with defying the law, they attacked the
officer and beat him until he was more
dead than alive, before they would
allow him to go. He returned to the
town and summoned posse OF twelve
white men, who proceeded at once to
The point where the negroes were fortl-
fed, to demand the surrender of Maury.
The negroes, however, had abandoned
their house and were secreted in
the woods near by as the constable and
his posse neared the house, they were
fired upon from the ambush. Con-
stable l.. Cobb and four of his posse
fell dead at the first volley, and
there was only one man among the
twelve who escaped entirely whole, some
of them being very seriously wounded.
The whites, seeing that they were only
n handful, compared to the large crowd
OF negroes who were opposed to them,
and who numbered several hundred, re-
treated, leaving their dead on the field,
and followed by the jeers and shouts OF
THE BLACK MURDERERS.
who were armed to the teeth and had
used double -bareled shotguns with such
deadly effect on the officers of the law.
Upon the return of the remainder of
the posse to the town the scene
was one of the widest excitement.
The situation was telegraphed to the
neighboring towns, and preparations
were at once made to attack the negroes
as soon as reinforcements arrived.
The news of the slaughter caused
intense excitement wherever 1t was
made known. Offers of assistance
came from all quarters. A special
train was made up at Meridian
with about seventy-tive determined
men aboard and left for the
scence of the conflict. This num-
Der was increased at every station
along the road. No engine could be had
north of Wahalak to take special
train, but preparations were made at all
points to get on the evening train. Tel
egrams were sent from various points,
and preparations are being made at al
most every place along the line to send
squads of
ARMED MEN TO THE RESCUE.
The negroes have not been idle. Re-
ports from the county where they are
congregating state that their number is
being continually increased by rein
forcements, and that they are fully
armed and determined to fight to the
end.
Il a. m.-Advices Just received from
the scene of trouble state the negroes
have become alarmed at the number OF
reinforcements which the whites
have received from all quarters,
and have retreated to the swamps
where they are terrifying themselves
and making every preparation to resist
all attacks. They are armed with shot
guns, musketS and pistols and are
abundantly supplied with amuni-
ton. The whites are mostly armed
with Winchester rifles, shotgunS and
some side arms and are determined to
put stop to all such outbreaks. The
present scene of trouble is about
five miles from Wahalak and re-
ports are hard to get. Expectation is
on the Qui vive, and the telegraph office
is crowded with eager faces waiting
TO catch every rumor from the seat OF
war. Reports received about
O'Clock p. m. to-day are to the effect
that whites and blacks are now about
equal in numbers and the whites were
about TO advance to the swamp. This
of course, increases the excitement here
and reports of an encounter are hourly
expected. That it will be
FEARFUL IN ITS RESULTS
no one for moment doubts. Judging
the present from the past, the situation
is anything but reassuring. Those who
remember the riots of 1875 shudder as
they contemplate all the horror of a
race war. The military here have made
every preparation and are ready tC
leave at any moment, but up to the
present writing have received no orders
from the governor and will not so as al
organization without orders.