The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1892-03-10
AMBUsHED BY NEGROES.
Memphis officers Fall Into a Trap With
Serious Results.


Serious Results.
MEMPHIS, Tenn, March 7.-TwentN
negroes have been placed under ar.
rest by the authorities here in connec
ton with last nights trouble at the
Curve. Those arrested include Gal
van Mcdowell, the manager of the CO.
operative store there, where the shoot
ing took place, and Tom Moss, letter
carrier, who are believed to have been
the ringleaders in the affair. John
Sheeld, who shot Deputies Harold
and Yaeger, is still at large. The
trouble resulted from the existence of
nest of turbulent and unruly me-
groes living at and near the neigh
borhood of the Curve.
For years the locality has been no.
tOrious for the character of the neg roes
residing there, and of late they have
become more turbulent than ever.
Last Wednesday night the negroes
assembled at the curve and were very
riotous. w. r. Barrett, who runs a
grocery, tried to quiet them and was
set upon and dubbed and shot at, sew
eral bullets passing through his
clothes. The assault occurred in the
Peoples grocery, an establishment
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, evil
IDENTIFY preparing for trouble. Yester-
day they boasted to the white resi-
dents that no deputy sheriff dare at
tempt to arrest them The white peo-
pie were uneasy, and three families
left their homes and went to town.
Judge Du Bose was appealed to and
he issued bench warrant for ArmoI
Harris and Will Stuart and author
lied the officers of his court to get as.
sistance and arrest the negroes and
also to suppress the riotous assembly
at the curve. Three officers 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 thC
: posse entered Barrett's store, he tolC
them to be careful, when they enter
ed Peoples grocery as they nigh
be ambushed. The officers though
Barrett was unnecessarily alarmed
but they took the precaution to divide
Ore party went to the back door @
the grocery. Harold, Cole, Perkin
, and Yeager went to the front door
Calvin Mcdowell was pacing up an
f down the floor. Several other negroe
r were standing behind the counter
} Perkins asked Mcdowell if Wi
Stuart was there. "He is in the bac,
3 room," replied Mcdowell. Perkin
entered the back room, leaving. Coli
. Harold and Yeager standing in tn
/ front door. AS Perkins walked inl
f the back room he was greeted by
J., volley of shots, the other deputies 6
! the same time entering the back doc
/ These men supposed the fighting ha
Y began in front and charged the grou
of negroes who were partly conceale
: by a screen. The negroes were arme
!, with shotguns, but the officers close
: in on them and used their pistols a
r clubs, having no idea their comrade
! had been shot down. In minut
' the negroes in the back room ha
Q dropped their guns and fled N
. sooner had the negroes who WEI
= behind the counter in the front roor
e heard the posse enter from benin
: than they raised their shotguns ths
D they had concealed behind the cour
ter and fired ON the deputies in from
! Each of the three officers wer
= struck in the face or head. Col
was desperately wounded, and hi
eye shot out, but he strove camel
while calling for help to draw his pi'
3 tol and return the fire. The weapon
D however, caught in his pocket and h
, ran into the street, where he fell. Th
other officers were slightly wounded
T although Harold has dangerou
l hole in his head.
The police station at once dispatch
ed a squad to the scene, where fey
arrests were made. The balance {
the arrests were made today withOu
trouble. Cole is still alive, but hi
condition is critical. 1t is thought tn
: others will recover.