The comet. (Johnson City, Tenn.) 1884-1916, 1891-07-23
TROUBLE NOT OVER
At MiddleSbOrO---CitizensO Or
ganized,
And Will Prosecute a War Upon the
Lawless Element.
BY Telegraph to The Comet.

BY Telegraph to The Comet.
MIDDLEsBoRoUGH, KY, July o.
While the excitement over the recent
lynching has subsided further trouble
with the "Ycllow Crcekers" is feared.
1t is understood that vigilance
committee has b. en- formed not very
far from here, and that before many
more days several of the most desper-
ate characters will receive notice that
within twenty-four hours they must
make themselves extremely scarce in
this section. II this warning is not
needed some more of them will 60 to
join Rasmussen.
For years murders, cold blooded,
have been committed m the valleys
and upon the mountain sides in Bell
County, and the perpetrators of the
deeds have snapped their fingersa at the
law and gone on their way, only to-
shoot down the next man who Glanced
to cross their path. The prime reason
for this is that the Courts have been
powerless to secure conviction, no mat
ter how strong the evidence, against a
"Yellow Creeker." The Courts have
either been offieered by a native ele-
ment or else the juries were made up
of them, and a conviction of one of
their number was totally impossible.
And so these natives came to think
that no strong hand could punish
them for their lawlessness, and they
went on committing crimes and de-
predations with impunity. But now
the light OF advanced civilization has
dawned upon this clark and bloody
ground" and the good people have de-
termined that if the Courts OF justice
are powerless to stamp out this ele-
ment, then Judge Lynch shall hold
Court for time, and wipe from this
fair section this scum of creation.
Saturday morning the city was again
thrown into q state OF excitement
and unrest by the arrival of "a friend
ly" from the mountains, who said that
the renegades had resolved upon en-
tering the city that night and sowing
death and destruction. The plan, he
said, was to fire a building somewhere
on the outskirts of the city, thus draw
out the police and citizens, and then
have a wholesale slaughter.
1t was hard to believe that the fel-
lows would be so foolhardy, but know
ing their desperate character and
their Unsuitable appetite for revenge
the people thought it best to be pre-
pared for an emergency This feeling
was considerably strengthened little
later in the day when Chief of Police
Naples received a notice which read :
"Prepare to diel You have got not
more than three days to live, so you
had better make preparations to die,
"YELLow CREEKER."
And so it was that a large number
of men who could be relied upon were
armed and got in readiness for emer
gency. The Chief OF Police had con
sultation with the Mayor, the result o.
which was instructions to keep on the
alert, to do all that could be done tC
suppress trouble and any undue
excitement, but if the renegades
attempted any violence to show then
no mercy.
And this was the determination o
every good citizen OF Middlesborough
The Station House looked like an ar
senal, the armory of the Afford Ligh
Infantry was kept open, and nearl,
every citizen retired with a rifle or re
volver within reach, All was quit
until / 80 a. m. Sunday when th
whistle at the electric light plaintiff
only alarm used here-suunded til
fire signal, and it wasdiscovered that
store just east Of the L. & N. Railroa
ON Cumberland avenue, was in flame
Itlooked as though the plot ha
really been put into execution, and th
Yellow Creekers were ready for the
bloody work. Men and boys spran
from their beds, and the police an
numbers Of citizens, armed to IL
teeth, were hurrying to the scene
the conilagration in short tim
Every one thoughtit would be a bait
to the death, but in this they were di