The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-07-19

| tAtCuuNc luIcfIbfenCc was necucu or ue'
mandcd, and he will take no action in the
premises II is a matter over which the
civil authorities have exclusive con.
troll, and should a recurrence happen
the sheriff and other officers will be OK.
pcCted TO maintain law and order. In
event OF revolt and general murderous riot,
should the sheriff find himself unable to
cope with the circumstances 1t is his priv
ilcgc TO demand help from the State, which
II will chccrully give, but so long M he
feels able 10 quell all disturbances and asks
no assistance, the Governor is not directed
by law to make any interference.
statement by Colored Citizens OF Grit
tendon Now In Memshis.
| 10 the Editor Of The Appeal.
sir-Wc, the undersigned citizens of the
county OF Crittcndcn, who live in and
about the town OF Marion and its locality,
but at this time are cxiled from home here
in your city, desire, through the columns
of your valuable paper, to give the other
side ol what Is known ~ the "Crittcndcn
county trouble" II IL true that there
were anonymous letters written by some
designing person or persons 10 several OF
the white citizens Of Marion, viz Col. J.
i. Smith, l.. L. Berry, w. i. Werner, T.
q. Mosby. i. Forest and others, in which
each was warned 10 "lcavc the county in
five days or take the consequences" Az
soon ~ We were made aware that rcputa-
| bile colorcd men were charged and
held responsible for the circulation Of
said lottcn, wo Immediately drafted
and presented petition 10 the
circuit court oi said county, nj that time
IN session, asking and demanding that the
! grand jury bc brought into open court,
specially instructed, and, II possible, ascor.
tain Who were the authors Of the aforesaid
letters. said petition was presented 10 the
| court by u. w Lewis, a practicing attor.
ncy in said court, who suggested that each
colorcd man IN attendance on the court
who could write be- required 10 take all or
! any one OF Said letters and make true
copy thereof, aud when done submit the
same to experts 10 DO selected by the
court, but this was not done, although the
court regarded and spoke with praise Of
the petition, after which II was thoughtby
many Of the citizens that the whole matter
was hoax and was put at an end. Not
withstanding all of the above, on the fol.
lowing morning those who had demanded
the above investigation and many
others were driven by armed men
from town. Among those who were
forced TO leave were David fergu-
son, circuit clerk; J. l.. Fleming.
deputy clerk and editor OF the Marion
Headlight, II. Bhy, g.. Smith, Wash
Beaver, T. helms, lalorer; J. u. Lawrence,
minister Of the Rising sun Bapii., church:
l.. H. Rag-dnlc, minister II the \. w. u.
church. l.. Brown, music teacher, &. 4.
flctchus, teacher Of the public school nj
Marion, and many Others. After having
successfully hnnishcd all OF the above
named citizens from their homes families
and said county, their residences, the
Masonic hall and clerks Office were thor.
oughly searched lot arms, ammunition,
etc, which they the white pcoplcl claimed
tho colorcd people had sccretcd for the
purpose Of putting into execution the
threats mentioned IN said letters. Not
one single gun, pistol or weapon VI any
sort was found other than those usually
owned 10y farmers in the country for 10.
nestle purposes.
II Is true that there were indictments
against the clerk and Judge Of Criitondcn
county, changing them with having been
drunk during their term OF Office. II Is
also true that said olIcnsc Is not indicia.
bile. but that the same can only be- brought
before the circuit court on information
iilcd 10y the prosecuting attorney. This
having been done the clcrk and Judge cN.
pcctcd an Investigation Of their official con.
duct, aud 10 that ond employed Col. T..
I. Adams, Of this city, and Judgc W. II.
Cate, Of Joncsborough, Ark. We deny
that any Of the officials Of Crttcndcn
county are mean. vicious, insulting and
dominccrng toward the white OF colorcd
people, or incompetent 10 discharge their
respective duties, and no gentleman IN
Crt,tvndcn county ~ elsewhere will truth
fully Ay ~ who has had dealings will
any OF them. And admitting that oithcl
OF thcm were bad or dangerous men
ought they not 20 have had fair and AZ
impartial thai Ia u county where the,
have r'sidcd ior the last seventeen o
eighteen years and own both real aud per
sonal property where the clerk two ycar
ago received the unanimous vote Ut th,
county, and the judge was elected by ~
majority Surly rir ArrEAi was corrcc
Whom u said that the laws oi Arkansa
wvrc amply sufficient 90 punish any an,
al persons who violate H. provisions.
II appears from au article published II
the irrlrHchs oi the 10th inst, that Ger
tain culupd citizens Vt Marion, mrmbcr
. Of Pleasant Grove Baptist church. wen
sigucr o. the above mentioned article
uud We have many reasons 60 bolic,c tina
u was ON the account oi their priudic
I toward the members II what Il known a
, the Rising sun BAPTIST church and thci
friends, and not because thOsa citizen
Who wcrv iorcC ~ leave homo, arc tufhu
lent, vicious, drunken, ignorant, insullinI
, aud disfrpuiiblc characters, ~ mrntiunr,
. Ia that article. Furthermore. 60 sustain
Tho facts herein mentioned, Ne refer IN
. public o. the records II the Critteniel
county circuit court, which will show tina
many oi the momhrrs OF the Rising SUI
Baptist church were indicted and prusa
1 cuicd by members II the Pleasant Grow
Baptist church nj this aud previous tern,
OF said court, nnd IN almost every instanc
, those indicted Ncu tned by Judge. q
white aud culnrcd found not guilty an
honunhly discharged by the court. W
, arc acquainted with very ncarl
! every laly anil gentleman that signed III,
article rvi"trcl to, aud Home II then
4 arr not the lawrabidIng citizens that the
, would have Tie public Ia believe. tn
4 I records viii show that some 0l them hav
been prosecuted iur grand larceny nm
other pcniirntiaty deserving crimes. whicl
4 cannot be said Of any Of MS Who are no'
In exile.
! Now, In conclusion, wo again deny this
!, We know ANYTHING about the anonymou
letters, that we were in any way, dirccil
or Indirectly, connected with any cot
ncctod With any conspiracy 10 drive N
! white ucolig FINN T,ttt.,..i., saontv an