Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1892-03-17
BLOODY RACE WAR ON.
MEMPHIS RIOTERS LYNCHED
BY WHITE MEN.
che Jaiier Overpowered-Neg Cry for
vengeance-A Mob OF 5000 People Sur
round the Bodies and Threaten the Liveo
Of the VigIlantes.

Memphis, Tenn, was in the control of
mob Wednesday morning. Three OF
the negro rioters arrested for shooting
the Deputy SheriTs have been lynched,
two others are missing, and are supposed
10 have been made way with by the riot
ors, and a crowd of five thousand excited
negroes surrounds the place where the
bodies of the dead negroes lie, loudly
crying for vengeance on their slayers,
says a dispatch. At 3 O'clock In the
morning q mob Of about seventy-five
armed citizens surrounded the County
Jail and compelled Jailer 0'Donnell to
give up the keys to the cells where
The negro rioters were confined.
After securing the keys, the mob
made rush for the cells, and
placing ropes around the necks of
Tom Moss, Will Stuart, and Cal Nc
Dowell, they hurried them to the Chesa-
peake IL Ohio yards. The negroes were
then placed together and In less than
three seconds over twenty-five rifle shots
rang out and the negroes fell, dying
almost instantly. The mos then quickly
dispersed and it was not until daylight
that the extent of the lynching was
realized. Early risers were Mortified to
ind the bodies of the three negroes lying
On the ground riddled with bullets. Two
other negro rioters are missing and the
belief Is that their bodies will be found
later.
The bodies were taken to the office of
Jack Walsh, and q crowd of negroes
began to gather. 1t rapidly increased,
and now 5000 people surround the place
where the dead bodies are. Further
trouble Is feared. The negroes are re-
ported to be arming at "The Curve" and
telephone message has just been sent
In that they have killed two white men.
The riot and collision between blacks
and whites, which has now ended in a
general lynching bee, occurred Satur-
day night last in the suburbs of Mem
phis at place known as The Curve"
This Is locality notorious for it's
toughness. 1t is a resort for roust-
abouts and thieves, and the authorities
have always experienced great difficulty
In maintaining law and order there.
The neighbornood is thickly populated
by negroes, who had committed several
assaults of an aggravated nature upon
white citizens.
Calvin Mcdowell, a negro who keeps
\ grocery and barroom at the corner of
Mississippi and Walker avenues. was up
On Saturday before Judge DuBose on a
been released on bail, he returned to his
place of business, and gathering his
friends, told them that the whites were
getting ready to mob them. When Nc
Dowell was before him, Judge Du-
Bose said he intended to purify
the district in which Mcdowell
and his supporters lourished, and
this is supposed to have given
Mcdowell the idea that an organized
assault was to be made upon the ne
groes. Later in the day a warrant was
Issued for Tom Steward, one of Mellow
ellis gang, who was charged with as
saulting white man. AS a determined
resistance was anticipated, nine dep
atty sheriffs were sent to make the ar
rest. These deputies were Perkins,
vole, Barnard, Richardson, Harold,
Webber, Moore, Yerger, and App, and
they arrived at the Mcdowell place
about III o'clock Saturday night.
Upon entering and inquiring for Stew
ard they were told by the proprietor
that he was in the back room. Upon
entering this room, which was dark,
they were met by the flash of a number
Of revolvers, shotguns and rifles. Dep
uty Sheriff Cole received a charge of
shot in the face and breast, completely
tearing out his left eye. A bullet which
struck him in the shoulder passed COM
pletely through his body Officer Yerger
was struck by the portion of a charge in
the head, but while some of the shot
lodged in his scalp most of them missed
him. Deputy Harold was shot in the
neck and throat and left side of the
lace, and is in a dangerous condition.
The officers, who stood close together,
made an excellent target for their assail-
ants, while they themselves were at
great disadvantage, as they were unable
to locate the negroes except by the flash
ing Of their weapons. The officers re-
turned the fire as rapidly as possible,
however, and then charged in body. The
negroes rushed pell-mell through the back
door, many of them abandoning their
weapons in their flight. White people
attracted by the firing fiocked to the
scene, and with their assistance thirteen
OF the negroes were taken from various
hiding places. The excitement was in
tense, but the prisoners were kept under
guard and, for the time being, safely
transferred to the Jail. On Sunday four
teen more negroes were captured and
locked up.
In the room in which the tragedy oc-
Cured were found six shOtguns, a Win
chester rifle and q large quantity of
ammunition. This discovery, to which
was added the report that the men who
did the shooting belonged to a secret
organization among the negroes formed
for the purpose Of making war on the
whites, reused popular excitement to a
white heat and, Notwithstanding the
presence in the city Of military organ
izations numbering 1,lO0 men, the de-
termination TO deal with the negroes in
a summary manner was too strong to be
checked and the lynching followed.