Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1889-01-04
A WHITE MOB
Attempt to slauahter q Crowd OF BIaeH
Esn. aod Probably Rave Killed
a Great Many OF
Them
But Catch 81 Themselves, Losing n Number
OF killed and yTounded-Cyo Warrants
Issued-Tne hob Sustained by the
Entire Population.

GERDAN, Mss, December ga nun
Der Of kilograms were received here stating
that not had occurred at Wahalak, Kemp
or county, fifty miles north of Meridian, and
that Holly Morton, of this place, had been
killed. A party OF twenty men at once or
ganizsd and left for the scene on the reg
ular passenger train. subsequently another
party Of forty was raised and left on & spe-
cial train. A number Of wild rumors were
soon in circulation to the effect that a posse
from this city had hard fight with negroes
and that several of them had been wounded.
These rumOrs were put aside by tbs arrival
of the posse on the regular mail train last
night. They reported everything quiet at
Wahalak; that their presence was not re-
quired there.
A son Of G. F. Nicholson, a prominent
farmer of Kemper county, was driving along
the road when he met negro desperate
driving in the opposite direction. Young
NicholsOn's vehicle, by accident, came in
collision With that Of the negro, who kept in
the middle Of the road as if determined to
drive the boy ont. The negro cursed the
youngster, when old Mr.. Nicholson inter
fered. The negro then drew a revolver, but
instead Of firing closed with Nicholson and
knocked him senseless with the pistol. The
negro then fed. The following day Mr.
Nicholson told his friends Of the negrO's
assault. On Saturday it was determined to
organize posse and arrest the mareuder.
Information of this determination of the
whites reached the negroes in some way.
1t Is said that two white men gathered
party of negroes at church Sunday night
and after hGranguelng them organized
force of ten of them to resist any attempt
1a a a ~ h0T
The whites soon discovered that they were
lighting at a great disadvantage and moved
around to the north side OF the structure.
Here, they received another vOlley, result
ing in the instant death Of Henry Maury
and the WOunding of his brother, j +.
Maury, IN the arm near the elbow. The
whites now drew of and firing ceased tenn
pOrarlly. Notwithstanding their losses,
however, the posse determined to make an
other attack on the cotton house, approach
ing at this time from the south side. AS
they came up to the building they received
third VOley, the negroes apparently await
ing an order to fire as they had done in two
previous instances. At this third vOlley
Seth Cobb received twenty four buck shot
IN the breast and stomach, tearing the en-
tire front part of his body away. John Dew,
another Of the whites, was probably MORALLY
wounded by pistol shot in the groin. The
whites again drew OF for consultation when
it vas decided that another attack on the
building with their reduced force would be
US6lGBBs
Another force of fifty men was raised and
proceeded to Maury's residence. The place
was found entirely deserted, even bedding
and furniture having been remOued. The
whites burned the buildings on the place,
together with those on the farm adjoining,
and secured the woods for negroes, but
could fDd no trace of them. It was impos-
sible to find any negroes within five miles Of
the scene os the trouble. White people from
the adjoining towns poured into WahRIak
all day and joined IL the search, but as none
of the negroes except Maury was known
they accomplished nothing. One negro
was seen lurking in the woods and was fred
upon by party of whites but instantly dis
appeared. 1t is certain that if any of the
negroes who fred on the whites are caught
they will be killed at once. The feeling
now, however, is against the two white men
who, 1t Is said, organized the negroes.
1t does not appear that the whites in at
tempting to make the arrest were acting
under any legal authority, but they are sus-
tanned by the entire white population Of
Kemper and adjoining counties. 1t IS an
likely that any proceedings will be taken
against them.