The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-09-02
Fired Upon by Mob of Armed Whites Almost
Within the Limits of New Orleans, and
Five People Severely Wounded.
VagueReports Threatened Battle Be-
tween the Races in Mississippi.
A Mob Of Five Hundred Armed Negroes Massed
Near Shell Mound-Governor Lowry on
the Ground with Plenty of Troops.
RACE WAR AT GRErNA LA.
Four or Five Hundred Shots Exchanged
Five People Wounded-.No Explanation.


GRETNA, La, Sept. 1.-Between and
o'clock an excursion train, composed en-
tirely of colored people. arrived at the
Gouldsboro depot from Baton Rouge. A large
number of colored men and women were
near the depot waiting for the train, which
had been due since IL o'clock. AS the train
neared the depot, one of the excursonists
attempted to get OF, and fell to the ground.
Some unknown person said: Look at the
black -" when the negro drew pistol
and fired four or five shots in rapid success
sion, one of which struck white man
named William Miller, brother of one Of
the Gretna police, in the nose, and lodged
itself in the back Of the neck.
Then the shooting became general, some
four or five hundred shots being fred in less
than fifteen minutes. A terrible panic oc-
CURED, women and children running in all
directions, shouting and screaming, leaving
dishes, baskets, hats. shoes. etc. Ed Levy.
a colored man living in Algiers. was shot in
the left arm. and colored woman named
Fleming was also fatally shot in the back.
Mr.. John Rainey, the superintendent of the
Algiers Il Gretna street railroad, who was
two squares away, with four street cars,
waiting for the excursion. stated that the
panic caused by the rapid discharge of fire.
arms was dreadful. He did not know what
caused the trouble: but the cars, on their
way down to Algiers. were fired into. and
one of the bullets passed through a dash
board. Mr.. Rainey stated that, for time,
he and his drivers were in Imminent danger
of losing their lives.
About 4:3O o'clock this morning a large
reflection was seen near the line between
Algiers and this fJeffersonl parish. An
alarm of fire was turned in. The Algiers
fire department fastened to the scene, and
found a large number of men armed with
muskets, etc., and q negro church on fire.
There was no water at hand. and the church
was entirely consumed. Just after the fire
at the colored church. colored man named
Ben Watkins. aged seventy-fve years, was
shot in the breast, and slightly wounded.
by some unknown parties.
Several negroes. who claimed to have
formed q part of the excursion party, be-
ing interviewed, state that when the train
was nearing the Gouldsboro depot it was
fired on by men who were secreted along
the line of the railroad track, and when
the shooting commenced the train was yet
In motion. and as soon as it stopped O gen.
eral stampede took place. Where the shoot
ing occurred is not thoroughly settled, and
all those living in close proximity to the
depot when interviewed. said they heard
the shots, but do not know who did the
shooting. or the origin of the trouble. 1t is
very difficult to locate a single person who
witnessed the beginning of the shooting
outside of the police force of Gretna.
Ben Watkins, colored, residing in Goulds-
boro. was shot while lying in bed at his
home by some unknown party, who fired
through the window. The balls struck him
on the right arm, hand, breast and left hand.
inf1Icting severe wounds. He was taken to
the hospital, where the surgeons amputated
the thumb of the right hand. The fingers
of the left hand are also badly shattered.
Watkins says he knows nothing of the
trouble, as he was asleep at about o'clock,
when the party fired at him through the
window of his house.
When the excursion train arrived at
Gretna large number of whites were on
the streets. owing to an alarm of fire that
had been sent in.s The alarm was caused
by the burning of house belonging to the
Misses Lunks.
The list of casualties by the Gon.dsboro
riot is as follows: William Miller (white),
shot in the face. serious; Ed Levy (cOlored),
shot through arm; wife of Elder Fleming
lcolored), shot through shoulder, serious;
Mary Carroll (coloredl, shot through foot;
Ben Watkins, shot in hand and breast, Sc
rious.
From statements Of both whites and
blacks. the following summary is made:
the train, about half of the num-
ber being women and children. About
the time the train stopped two or
three shots were fired. causing q
panic among the excursionists,. who threw
themselves from the train pell-mell, and
ran in all directions, under brisk fusillade
from rifles, shotguns and revolvers. The
scene was lighted W. by the flames
from burning house on the
nosraes ,syes, and maao tSy;r by this light the
possible toward the street-car track, down
which most of them fled. The light also
enabled the firing party to take good aim.
The stories as to the origin of the trouble
vary widely. The negroes say that large
rival of the train. and that while the mes egroes
were disembarking these men, without
provocatiOn, began firing into the crowd
The whites say that only half dozen
white men took part in the atfray, and that
the first shots were fired by the negroes
before the train had stopped. They as
sert that two shots were fired from
the train alta white boy named Burmeister
Just as the train was coming in. Then VIM
Miller was shot in the face by negro
ler's brother. a policeman, attempted
to arrest the negro. who fired
the shot. At this the negroes began
firing upon the whites, the shoot
ing became general, and the excursionist.
fled panic stricken from the spot
The whites in and around Gouldsbort
seem disinclined to talk, and, except Officer
Miller and young man named Ustes
they seem to know nothing of the origin o.
the trouble.
Across the river from the foot of Cana
street. New Orleans, is Algiers; above AL
giers are Freetown,. .Gouldsbor and Gretna
in the order named. The object of the fire
alarm might have been to call out tn,
shooters; at any rate. they appear to have
come out. The second alarm might hay,
been necessary to hold the bold warriors
together till the arrival of the train of col
ored excursionists. The firing commenced
about fifteen minutes after the train lef
Gretna. and soon after or about the tim,
it was pulling up at Gouldsboro, where til,
excursionists left the train for their homes
A short distance below Gouldsboro fou
street cars were waiting to convey tn,
Algiers contingent to their town. The fir
ing party was stationed between tn,
Gouldsbor0 depot and the street-car sta
ton, and fired mostly mp the road in tn,
direction of the excursion train. Goulds
horo ia fha faruipus of fha Taxaa A. pocif