The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-07-26
LIBERTYs CRAZY NEGROES.
Ex-Congressmsn Norwood on the
Situation Of Affairs.


Ex-Congressman Norwood returned yes
terday from Liberty county, the seat of the
| saf-appointed Carist. A more complete
Generalization among the negroes of the
/ county could hardly be brought about by
/ any disaster, he said. He was informed
| that the story Of the terrible and brutal
murder OF the negro child, reported in yes
terday's MORNING News, was true. Seven
OF the leaders of the James fanatics have
been arrested.
Mr. Norwood said that he was informed
that four more had been arrested. Since
Bell, the white man, has been out Of the
| county, James claimed to be the Christ.
de proclaims it everywhere, and the negroes
tall down at his feet and worship him as
they did Bell. He holds meetings every day
at place near the homestead of Mr..
George w. Walthour, before the war, but
now unoccupied except by few negroes
At these meetings they 60 through their
vCudOo practices, which. Mr. Norwood
! says, are shocking TO civilization and to
common decency. The negro James made
a most horrible exposure OF himself last
Sunday. On the same day, as already
stated III the MORNING NEWS, a brother of
James and another negro, named Sampson
Carter, went down TO the camping ground
TO induce James to leave there. The god
negro" Indignantly refused to do 50 and
struck Carter. The two men clinched
and the followers of James set upon
Carter and beat him numerically. They
stabbed him in the thigh and cut his legs
from the knee down below the calf. Carter
was also struck on the head with a brick.
which inflicted a wound that DR.. Hendre
pronounces very dangerous
Mr.. Norwood said that he understood
from negroes who were present at this
I farav ~ 4
his followers to throw away their
money and they put it in bags and threw
it away. Mr.. Norwood saw a negro
who found soma Of the money, and ex-
hibited bag with $18 or $50 in silver.
Numbers of other negroes have found bags
containing money which was cast away.
james claims that he is God himself. He
says that before Bells spirit entered into
him 1t lighted on the gate post in front of
his house, aud he had a good view of it. He
told the negroes that they had no use for
money, and that if they wanted anything
all they had to do was TO 90 TO the stores
and get it.
On Monday Mr.. Norwood said warrants
were issued for the arrest of seven OF the
would-be murderers of Carter, and they
we're arrested 1t Is understood that one of
the number is Edward James. The sheriff
and his posse returned with four more of
| the negroes yesterday afternoon.
Tine religious craze among them is I'M
abated, said Mr.. Norwood. "They are as
wild and unreasonable as they were under
the teachings of Dupont Bell" The extent
2f the craze, he said, may be imagined
when they readily accept the declaration
Of negro who has been reared among
| them and whom they have known all their
lives, that he is God. James is Justice of
| the peace and last Saturday his court was
to have been held, but he went down and
dismissed the cases, saying that there is no
necessity for any courts now, as he was
going to lead the people to Canaan very
soon. Many believe that James has re-
Gently become insane, not on the subject
of this religious delusion but that he lost
| his mind before this took possession of him
and yet the negroes believe that he is God
himself
Mr.. Norwood said that he believes that
the arrest of the leaders of the crowd will
have the effect of deterring others from
| assuming the leadership, and that the craze
may be broken up. The negroes have
| been selling at a great sacrifice
| what little possessions they had.
They have been idle for two months. Their
crops have gone to ruin, and it will be a
season soon when it is impossible to raise
anything to eat yet they have got to live
| and at somebody's expense. Necessity and
hunger, it is predicted, will drive them to
the commission of many crimes, unless they
are checked at an early day. Mr.. Norwood
will return to Liberty tomorrow, where he
| will be engaged in the prosecution of the
| would-be murderers of Carter.