The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1891-10-02
WIPING OUT THE NEGROES
Nine Striking CottOn-Pickers Taken from
officers in Arkansas and Lynched.
Five or Six More Killed or Wounded While
Trying TO Escape from q Swamp-0ne
Taken from q Steamer and Shot

HELENA, Ark, Oct 1.-The labor troubles
in Lee county are probably over for the
present. A passenger on the James Lee,
this morning. says that the negroes have
either been killed or captured. At Star
Landing o negro got on board the
Lee who was pretty badly wounded in
the thigh. He acknowledged that he was
with the crowd that shot Mr. Miller few
days ago. He also stated that the party
of fifteen negroes who had been hiding In q
swamp surrounded by.a sheriffs posse had
made break for liberty and that five or
six of them had been killed or wounded
and some of them captured few miles be-
low Star Landing. While at the landing a
crowd Of masked men came on board and
took the wounded negro on shore. As the
boat backed out O number of shots were
heard. but 1t is not known whether the
prisoner was killed. 1t is thought that the
man was Ben Patterson, the leader of the
rioters.
1t was reported here this afternoon that
Sheriff Derrick. of Mariana, Ark, left Cat
island last night. having in charge nine OF
the colored cotton-picker rioters who
killed Inspector Miller last Friday. The
sheriff was on his way to Mariana, where
he was going to put his prisoners in
Jail, but the party was overtaken
late last night by an armed posse,
who took the prisoners. after q
sharp struggle and hanged the entire party.
Later in the day this story was denied. A
dispatch from Mariana says that only ten
negroes have been captured. according to
Mr.. Mills. member of the posse who re-
turned to-day. Three of these are in Jail
and two of them. Patterson and Peyton.
are known to have been killed. The off,
GERS are expected back tomorrow.
Another dispatch says: There was con-
siderable excitement at Helena to-day over
the rumors concerning tho warfare caused
by body of imported cotton pickers
inciting the negroes to general
strike for higher wages, which has
eliminated in q riot. To-day deputies
Frank Mills and Jesse Hodges. who have
been with Sheriff Derrick the last few
days. arrived in the city and reported as
follows: Yesterday afternoon they succeed
ed in locating thirteen of the worst of the
rioting negroes In q cane-brake near
Cats island. The negroes had been trying
to work their way towards Presidents ts'
island. and thence to Memphis. The sher-
IFS posse called upon them to surrender.
and give up their arms. The negroes
answered by Q volley Of shots. and
made dash to escape. Two were
killed, two escaped and nine were captured.
These negroes were disarmed and given in
charge of deputies Mills and Hodges. who
started with them to Mariana. the county
seat A few miles back of Hackley's Land
ing the deputies found themselves and
prisoners surrounded by q crowd OF
masked men, mounted ana armed They
demanded the prisoners at the hands
OF the deputies, and as they outnumbered
the deputies twenty-fi to one they took
charge of the nine prisoners, marched them
into o thicket and hung them until they
were dead. 1t is believed that most OF
these negroes were from Memphis. Among
the killed is Ben Patterson. who is known
as o crap-shooter and all-round negro
gambler, and who organized the strike in
behalf of the cotton pickers who annually
60 from Memphis in the bottoms The AL
lance had nothing to do with the disturb
ance whatever. 1t remains to be seen
whether the trouble is entirely over, though
the general impression is that it is. The
death Of Patterson settles ii.