Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1888-12-27
A MISSISSIPPI RIOT.

A MISSISSIPPI RIOT.
Battle Between whites and Blacks In MIS-
sissippi-A Number Killed and Wounded
-Blaclks Take to tho Swamps.
MERIDIAN, Miss, Dec. 1S.-Yesterday
morning q number Of kilograms were re-
ceived here stating that q riot had Oc-
CURED at Wahalak, Kemper County, fifty
miles north of here, and that Holly Nor
ton, of this place, had been killed. A party
Of twenty men were at once organized and
left for the scene on the regular passenger
train. Subsequently another party OF
forty was raised and left on Especial train.
A number Of wild rumors were soon in cir
culation, one to the effect that the posse
from this city had had a fight with
the negroes and that several OF
them had been wounded. These ru-
mors were set aside by the arrival OF
the two posses on the regular mail train
last night, who reported that every thing
was quiet and that their presence was not
needed. They told the following story Of
the riot: Last Thursday the son of G. F.
Nicholson, prominent farmer of Kemper
County, was driving q wagon along the
road leading to ShuquaIak when he met q
negro desperate r.ving q team in the OPP
posite direction. Young Nicholson ac-
cidentaIly brought his vehicle into colli-
sion with that of tho negro, who kept in
the middle OF tho road, as though deter
mined to drive the boy out. The
negro began cursing the youth, when
Nicholson appeared and interfered in the
boys behalf. The negro thereupon drew
a revolver, but instead of firing closed
with Nicholson aud brought the weapon
down with his full strength on the formers
face. Nicholson fell senseless to the
ground, and when he recovered the negro
had left. The following day Nicholson
told his friends Of the negroes assault. and
on Saturday it was determined to organ
ize posse and arrest Maury.
Information OF this determination of the
whites reached the negroes in some way,
and it is said that two white men gathered
a party of negroes together at q church
Sunday night. aud at er haranguing them
org anized a force of ten negroes to resist
any attempt to arrest Maury or an attack
on his house. These whites are known to
the people Of Wahalak, but their names
can no, be learned. 1t is their settled de-
term nat on to lynch them when found and
the people argue that when they are
hanged it will be the proper time to make
their names known.
The negro force raised by the two white
men went to Maury's house when the
church meeting adjourned and concealed
themselves in the smoke house and cotton
houses.
Very soon a posse of whites came up the
road and halted in front of Maury's place.
A few of them walked up to his residence
but found it deserted. From the residence
they went to the smoke house where they
found three negroes. These negroes were
a<ked the whereabouts of Maury, but they
pretended they could not tell where he
could be found.
While the whites were trying to extract
some information from them a man on the
outside shouted: "Here is Maury. Sup
posi- you come and arrest him The
whites rushed in body from the building
and as they emerged were received by
a volley from eight or ten muskets and
shotguns. William Vaughan was seri-
ously wounded by buckshot in the left
arm, neck and shoulders, and another man
whose name the whites will not re veal re-
| ceived a slight wound in the head.
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 soon
discovered that they were fight ng at a
great disadvantage and moved to the north
side of the structure. Here they received
another volley, resulting in the instant
death of Henry Maury and the wounding
of his brother, j. F. Maury, in the arm 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 thi
time from the south side. As they came
up to the building they received a third
volley, the negroes apparently awaiting
the order to fire as they had done in the
| two previous instances. At this third
volley Seth Cobb received twenty two
buckshot in the breast and stomach, tear
ing the entire front of his body, from neck
| 10 navel, away. John Dew, anoth er of the
whites, was also wounded, perhaps NOR
| tally, by a pistol ball in the groin.
| The whites again drew off for consulta-
| ton. when it was determined that another
| attack on the building with their reduced
| force would be useless and they deter
mined to wait for daylight and reinforce
ments. While they were consulting the
negroes rushed from the cotton house to
Maury's residence in a body and proceeded
to fortify that building.
The whites went back to Wahalak next
| morning and another force of fifty men
| or more was raised and proceeded to
Maury's residence. The place was found en-
tirely deserted, even the bed Ing and
furniture having been removed. The
| whites burned the three buildings on the
the place together with those on near
farm adjoining and secured the woods for
the negroes in vain. No trace of them
could be found, and it was impossible to
come across a negro within five miles of
the scene of the trouble.
Following is list of the killed and
wounded:
Killed-Henry Maurey, Seth Cobb, Tom
Nicholson, Bill Vaughan, Bill Hare.
Wounded-Frank Maurey, Tom Giles,
Bob Harper, H. L. Harper, John Dew, jeff
Thomas
Law and Order League.
ELKHART. Ind, Dec. 1.-THE county