The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-08-02
JACKSON'S LITTLE ROW.
REPORT OF THE MINORITY OF THE
SENATE COMMITTEE.


ing of Mitchell Described.
WASHINGTON, Aug. 1.-The minority re-
port of the senate judiciary committee on
the Jackson, Miss, political riots was sub
mitted by Senator Pugh to the senate to-day
and ordered printed. The minority says
the hearings were held with closed doors
and in Washington, more than 900 miles
from the locality of the alleged transac-
tions; hence the members of the committee
had no opportunity of examining great
mass of witnesses who were on the ground.
How unsatisfactory and misleading such
a course is" says the report, "will be evil
dent to those who carefully examine the
reported evidence"
The minority says that for many years
there existed in jackson the kindest feeling
between the two races. 1t is shown that
the white people had, in all proper ways,
contributed to advance the progress and
welfare Of the colored people
NEGROES NOT DIsFRANCHIsED.
1t is also shown, the minority says, that
before January, 1888, the colored voters of
jackson had uniformly voted, and that
their votes had been counted without
trouble. Before coming down to the event
Of the night of Dec. "a, the minority relates
some occurrences which transpired at Jack
son within the eighteen months preceding
which they say throw some light on the
subject. Under the local option law en-
acted in 1886 an election was held in Au
gust of that year to determine whether the
sale of intoxicants should be entirely pro-
hibited in Hines county The canvass in
Jackson was conducted with great excite
mont and bitterness on both sides.
READY FOR A RIOT.
1iti nf oh oh
and republican, is quoted as testifylng
with respect to an ti-prohibition meeting
held in Jackson that ammunition and
arms belonging to the penitentiary were
brought down and stored in the
city hall so that in case of
riot they could be used
against the prohibitionists. The building
was surrounded that night by police, saloon
keepers, gamblers, etc, ali heavily armed
and ready for an attack. The report then
says: ''fhe police and other city authori-
ties were there as participants and not as
preservers of the peace. They had been
partisanS and not preserverS of the peace"
This, the minority says, was denied by no
witnesses, not even by Mayor McGill
CARRIED BY THE PRoHIBTIoNIsTs
The prohibitionists carried the county,
although the majority in Jackson was
against it. There was u belief on the part
of the prohibitionists that the law would not
be enforced as Mayor Mct1ill and the city
government had actively opposed the move
ment. So law and order league was
formed to enforce the law, and prosecutions
were commenced by the league.
The minority relates the circumstances of
a rencontre between Col. J. S. Hamilton,
leader of the -prohibitiopists, and yonng
Gambrell, editor of the prohibition organ,
in which GambreL was killed and Hamil-
ton wounded.
OFFICIALS IMPLICATED.
Hamilton was an intimate friend of Mayor
McGill, says the report, and OF Chief of
Police Carraway, and many citizens be-
lieved that the officials were in some way
implicated in the atfray. The trial of Ham
ilton was prolonged one, and was not con-
cluded until after this investigation began.
The excitement was such that change of
venue was secured. While Hamilton was
still under arrest, he was serenaded, and
among the serenaders was Mayor McGill.
These things tended to keep alive and
intensity the bitter feeling.
THE DAY OF THE RIOT.
When affairs were in this condition the
events of Dec. "a occurred Edward
Eugene Baldwin, a lawyer of intelligence,
and, as the minority claim, the instigator
of this investigation and one very much
prejudiced against the officials, is
quoted as representing that matters were
very riotous in the latter part of the day
Dec. "a. Young men went around town
in crowds carrying whisky in gallon jugs
and blowing tin horns They threw cannon
crackers in the stores and the owners went
out with revolvers and drove them away
by threatening to shoot them. Store win
dows were broken and other acJS of rowdy-
ism were committed. 1t does not appear
that the police made any effort the suppress
the disturbance.
FIRST BLOOD
Says the report: about o'clock that
night McWille Mitchell and some of his
Young friends, who seem to have been
among those who were blowing tin horns,
encountered a desperate character, negro
named Bob Whitesides, and in the end both
parties were killed The minority
here quotes the evidence of witnesses
who narrate, each from bis own standpoint,
the circumstances Of the killing. The re-
port sketches the pathetic grief OF the
father and friends of the murdered Mitchell,
saying: Young men and boys, sorrowing
and inf tmed by the spectacle, with one
mind, repaired to the hall to concert meas
ures to punish the murderers."
THE WHITE LEAGUE.
The formed what is called the White
league They undertook to tind the police
man and others who were implicated. That
this was thc sole object of the society is
testified to by all the witnesses who were
members.
The minority says that no inquest was
held on either Mitchell or Whtesdes, no
attempt made to have judicial investiga-
ton of the circumstances of the double
homicide. and no attompt made to ascer-
tain the facts from an eye witne under
oath. The mayor, who was ex-otilcio a
justice Of the pence and also by law re-
| quired to hold inquests, and the city
marshal contented themselves with talking
to two men in jail, Allen and Jackson, aud
with some othor wit fes ses They did not
see proper, however, to consult Gambrell
and Brown, the only two white men who
were present and saw the killing. So Allen
| and jackson werc turned loose and made
their escape TO parts unknown, and though
both are now indicted for murder, they are
beyond the reach of justice.
THE CONVENTION.
"Thus matters stood Tuesday night, when
the nominating convention was he'd This
meeting. though called democratic,
was really meeting of oil
parties. Two republicans were ON
the committee on resolutions and were
actively participating in the movement.
More than oue-half the white republicans
in town were sympathizers aud actively par
ticipating in il. The proceedings
of this meeting were, in the language used
in the resolutions and IA some OF
the expressions Of the speakers. in
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