The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1889-01-02
SHOT FROM AMBUSH.
Particulars of the Race Trouble at
Wahalak, Miss

Waha1ak, Miss ~
Reports have reached Columbus, Miss, OF
the shooting of five whites and the wounding
of six others by colored men at Wahalak.
Miss, a station on the Mobile and
Ohio Railroad. Wahalak is settle.
ment of about two hundred persons. The
particulars gathered from the most re-
able sources are as follows: Two boys, one
white and the other colored, quarreled and,
fought together. Mr.. tom" Nicholson,
father Of the white boy, attempted to
separate them, when George Murray, the
father Of the other boy set upon Nicholson and
savagely beat him. Nicholson swore out g
in the hands of Constable Seth Cobb. The
constable after searching for Murray found
him with quite crowd Of other colored men,
barricaded in house The colored men de-
fed Cobb, saying that Murray should not bei
arrested. Not satisfied with defying an.
officer Of the law, they sailed out and beat
him until he was more dead than alive.
Cobb returned to the town and summoned
a posse of twelve white men, who proceeded
at once to the point where the co.ored men
were fortified, to demand the surrender
OF Murray. The colored men, however,
had abandoned the house and
were secreted in the woods nearby,
and as the constable with his posse app
preached the house they were fired upon from
the ambush. The constable and four Of his
posse fell dead at the first yolley, and there
who escaped uninjured, some Of them.
being very seriously wounded Thes
whites retreated, leaving their dead on
the field. Upon the return of the remnant I
of the posse to the town the widest excite
ment ensued. The situation was tele--
graphed to the neighboring towns and
preparations were at once made to attack
ments arrived. The news Of the
slaughter caused intense excitement wher-
ever it was made known. Offers Of assistance
came from all quarters. A special train was
made up at Meridian with ABOUT seventY-fye
determined men aboard and left for the scene
of the conflict. This number was increased
at every station along the road. No engine
could be had north of Wahalak to take a
special train, but preparations were made at
all points to start by the evening train.
Meanwhile the colored men were not idle.
Securing the country, they raised a small
army, armed to the teeth, and retreating to-
a swamp prepared to give battle to the whites;
from ambush. The colored men were armed y
with rifles, shotguns and pistols, end have an
were well equipped with Winchesters. The
bodies Of the dead had been recovered.
The following whites were killed: Seth
Cobb, Bill Hare, Henry Maury, Tom Nichol-
son and William Vaughan. The wounded
were: John Drew, Tom N. Giles, q. L.
Harper, Bob Harper, Frank Maury and Jefy
Thomas. .'.' s
Parties have been searching the swamps
and every other place where the colored men 1
who did the killing are supposed to be se-
creted, but not one of them has been,
found. It is supposed they have
left the country. All the persons who left
Meridian for the scene Of the tragedy have
returned and report everything quiet at Wa,
halak Nothing remains of the cabins occu.
pied by the colored man George Maury and
his confederates but their smouldering ruins.
All the stock owned by Maury was killed,
and everything around the premises was
burned ~.