Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1892-03-07
Near Memphis Arm and Attack
Officers of the Court.
THREE OF THE BRAVE FELLOWS
Shot Down Like Dogs by Party of the
Blacks in Ambush.
Posse Drives the Negroes from the
Store in Which They were In
trenched-whlte People Leave
the Town for Fear.

MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 6.-Twenty ne
groes have been placed under arrest by the
authorities in connection with last nights
trouble at the curve, Those arrested in
clude Calvin Mcdowell, manager of the
cooperative store where the shooting took
place, and Tom Moss, the letter carrier,
who are believed TO have been the ring
leaders in the affair. John Shield, who
shot Deputies Harold and wager are still
at large. The trouble resulted
from the existence of nest Of turbulent
and unruly negroes living at and near the
neighborhood of the curve. For years the
locality has been notorious for the charac-
ter of the negroes residing there,
aud of late they have be-
come more turbulent than ever. Last
Wednesday night the negroes assembled
at the curve and were very riotous. w. X.
Barrett who runs the grocery tried TO
quiet them and was set upon and dubbed
and shot at, several bullets passing through
his clothes. The assault occurred in the
ment run by Calvin Mcdowell
Mcdowell was arrested Thursday and gave
bond for his appearance at the criminal
court. Since then the negroes have been
holding secret meetings, evidently prepar-
ing for trouble. Yesterday they
thot no deputy sheriff dare
attempt to arrest them. The white people
were uneasy and three families left their
homes and went to town. Judge ,DuBoise
was appealed to and he issued a bench
warrant for Armour Harris and
VIII Stuart, and authorized the officers Of
his court to get assistance and arrest
the negroes, and also to suppress any riot
GUS assembly at the curve. The three Off
GERS called nine deputy sheriffs to assist
them, and proceeded at ! o'clock last night
to the curve. Everything was quiet at the
curve, but when the posse entered Bar
reJt'S store, he told them TO be
careful when they entered the Peoples
grocery, as they might be ambushed. The
officers thought Barrett was unnecessarily
alarmed, but they took precaution to di-
vide, and one party was sent to the back
door OF the grocery. Harold, Cole. Per
kins and Yeager went to the
front door. Calvin Mcdowell was
pacing up and down the floor
behind the counter. Perkins asked Nc
Doweli if VIII Stuart was there. HE is in
the back room" replied Mcdowell Per-
kins entered the back room, leaving Cole,
Harold and wager standing in he front
door. As Perkins walked into
the back room he was greeted
by q volley Of shots. The other deputies at
the same time entering the back door. these
men supposed fighting had begun in front,
and charged on the group of negroes, who
were partly concealed by screen. The
negroes were armed with snotguns, but
the officers closed in on them and
used their pistols as clubs, hav-
ing no idea their comrades had
been shot down. In few
minutes the negroes in the Darkroom had
dropped their guns and fed.
No sooner had the negroes, who were
behind the counter in the front room, heard
the posse enter from behind than they
lifted the shotguns that they had concealed
behind the counter and fired on the depu-
ties in front. Each of the three officers
was struck in the face or head
Cole was desperately wounded and his
eye shot out, but he strove gamely while
calling for help to draw his pistol and re-
turn the fire. The weapon, however.
caught in his pocket and he ran into tn
street, where he fell
The other officers of the
perry were slightly wounded although
Harold has dangerous hole in his head.
The police strtiOn at once dispatched a
squad TO the scene, where "a few arrests
were made. The balance of the arrests
We're made to-day without trouble.
Cole is still alive, but his condition is
critical 1t is thought the others will re-
cover.