The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1889-09-04
RACE WAR In THE SOUTH.
FIVE HUNDRED SHOTS WERE FIRED.
A Serious Riot at n Depot Near New Or
leans, in Which n Colored Woman Was
Fatally Shot-Several Wounded-The
state Militia Ordered Out.

NEW ORLEANS, Sept. 1.-Between and
o'clock this morning an excursion train, COM
posed entirely 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 was due
at IL O'Clock. As the train neared the depot
one of the excursionists attempted TO get
off 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 succession, one or
which struck q white man named William
Miller, brother of one of the Gretna police,
in the nose and lodged itself in the back of the
neck. The shooting then became general, some
four or FIVE hundred shots being fred in less
than fifteen minutes.
The above account OF the trouble is from the
police of Gretna. A terrible panic occurred,
women and children running in all directions
shouting and screaming, leaving dishes,
baskets, hats, shoes, etc Ed Levy, 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 and Gretna street railroad, who was
about two squares away with four cars, waiting
for the excursion, stated that the panic caused
by the rapid discharge OF firearms was dread
full. 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
dashboard. Mr. Rainey stated that for time
he aud his drivers were in imminent danger OF
losing their lives.
Several negroes who claimed to have formed
part of the excursion party. being inter-
viewed, state that when the train was nearing
the Gouldsboro depot it fired on by men
who were secreted alOug the line OF the rail-
road track, and when the shooting commenced
the train was yet in motion, and as soon
as it stopped a general stampede took place.
Where the shooting occurred is not thor
oughly settled, and all those living in close
proximity 10 the depot when interviewed SAID
they heard the shots but do not know who did
the shooting or the origin of the
trouble. Ii is very difficult to locate a single
person who witnessed the beginning OF the
shooting outside of the police force of Gretna.
Ben Watkins, eolored, residing in Goulds-
boro, was shot while lying in bed at his home
by some unknown party, who fired through
the window. The ball struck him on the
right arm, hand, breast and left hand inf1ict-
ing 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 this morning
when the party fired at him through the
window of his house.
The list of casualties in the riot are as fol-
lows:
WILLIAM MILLER, shot in the face and seri-
ously wounded.
EDWARD LEVY. colored. shot through the left
forearm.
- FLEMING. wife of Elder Fleming, shot
through the shoulder and very seriously hurt.
MAEY CARROLL, shot through the instep and
painfully wounded.
Ben WATKINS shot in the right hand breast
and left hand and seriously wounded.
The Times Democrat has a long account of
the Gouldsboro affair, giving the statements of
both whites and negroes, summarized below,
and the following description of the scene.
An excursion train had just returned from
Baton Rouge freighted with about five hun
dred colOred people, more than half of whom
were women and children, and either just
before, or very shortly after, the train had come
to a standstill, two or three shots were fired,
which caused a tremendous panic among the
excursiOnists, who threw themselves from the
train pell-mel and scampered away in two
or three different directions under decidedly
brisk fusillade from Winchester rifles
shot-guns and revolyers. Those who witnessed
the scene describe 1t as one OF the widest ex-
element Shortly before the arrival of the
train O small house had burned down just
beside the levee, but the remains of the fire
threw considerable light on the scene and
enabled the panic-stricKen negroes to make
their way 10 the street-car track and down the
railroad nearly or quite as rapidly as though it
had been daylight, while those who were firing
among them enabled to determine at
least as to the general direction in which the
negroes were hurrying.
The story of the row and its origin differ
very widely. The negroes say that before the
arrival of the train there was large force Of
armed white men awaiting its arrival, and that
some ten minutes after the train had stopped,
and after portion of the excursionsts had
reached the street-cars and while others were
still on board the train, these white men, with
out any sort OF provocation, opened fire on the
retreating crowd.
The white mems version of the affair as
given by eye-witnesses differs very materially
from that of the negroes. They state that
there only some half dozen white men
concerned in the affair, and that the shooting
was commenced by the negroes before the
train had stopped. Two shots were fired from
the train at white boy named Burmeister
just as the train was coming into the station.
Then William Miller shot in the face
by a negro, as the latter getting of
the train, and then it was that b. Miller, q
police officer of GOuldsborO and brother OF the
wounded man, attempted to arrest the would.be
murderer. AT this the negroes opened fire and
the latter returned the fire. The shooting then
became general and the excursiOnists fed
panic-stricken from the scene. The whites in
and about Gouldsboro seemed disinclned to
talk, and with the exception of Officer b.
Miller and young man named Ustes, seemed
10 know next to nothing of the affair.
Across the river from the foot of CaDal-st. Is
Algiers; above Algiers is Freetown, Goulds-
boro and Gretna in the order named. The
firing commenced about fifteen minutes after
the train left Gretna. and soon after, or about
the time it was pulling up at Gouldsboro,
where the excUrsiOnists left the train for their
homes. A short distance below Gouldsboro
| the four street-cars were waiting to convey the
| Algiers contingent TO their town. The firing
party was stationed between the Gouldsboro
| depot and the streetcar station and fired mostly
up the road in the direction of the excursion
train. Gouldsboro is the terminus OF the
| Texas Pacific road.