The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-05-09
The Brookhaven white Cans.

The Brookhaven White Caps.
The lavlcssness that prevails in the
vicinity Of Bruo1haven Miss. is becom-
ing so notorious that 10 is attrctiu- the
attention of the whole country. Several
hundred white caps. thoroughly organ
lied aud well armed. have determined to
rescue "a number of white cap prisoners
confined in the Lincoln county jail at
Brookhaven. y few days ago 300 white
caps appeared in front of the court house.
while court was in session.
for the purpose of taking the
white cap prisoners out Of Jail, and had it
not been for tho GOODNESS and courage Of
Judge Christian. who was holding
court, they would have succeeded He
made his way through the white cap mob
at the risk of his life. ran to the town hall
and rang the town bell, thus alarming the
citizens, who, armiug themselves. re
spouded promptly to the judges call for
assistance The white caps retired TO the
woods when they saw they could not
accomplish their purpose without a des-
perate fight.
The judge Immediately notified the
governor of the situation at BroOkhaven.
and a company of militia was sent there
Sunday two other military companies
were sent there, it being understood that
the white caps had received large addi-
tions to their force and had determined to
take their white cap comrades from the
Jail at all hazards
The white caps are composed of the
oil ,Fv
and the adjoining counties. They organ
lied many months ago to drive all the
blacks out of that section of the state.
They cannot get the blacks to work for
them and they have decided to drive them
away. To accomplish this they have re-
sorted to various lawless methods. They
have whipped the blacks and burned their
houses and they have tried in other ways
TO force them to seek homes elsewhere.
The reason the blacks will not work for
the small farmers is this: There are a
great many saw-mills in that part of Mis-
sissippi and the saw-mill men pay better
wages than the farmers and they pay
cash. Naturally the blacks seek employ
ment at the mills.
The white caps who ARE in Jail are
charged with maltreating the blacks.
The evidence against them is so strong
that it is not believed to be possible to
save them from conviction and punish
ment. Therefore, extraordinary efforts
are being made to rescue them by the
white cap band.
The spectacle of several hundred white
men, supposed to be law-abiding citizens,
gathered about jail in the daytime, in
tent upon releasing from confinement per-
sons charged with crimes more or less
serious, is one that is seldom seen. It sug-
gests how little respect for law men in some
sections of the country have whose mate
rial interests are in danger. The white caps
think that they are justified in whipping
and killing blacks who refuse to work for
them, however good the reasons for re
fusal may be. They will not succeed in
their undertaking. The Jail is too strongly
guarded to be taken by such means as
they have. The militia have instructions
to shoot the white caps as soon as they
make their appearance in Brookhaven,
and they will obey instructions The
outlook, therefore, is that there will be
very serious trouble at Brookhaven If
Judge Christian has his way he will give
the white caps a lesson which they will
not soon forget.
White cappism is not confined to any
section of the country. II has fourished
to a greater extent in the west than else
where. Wherever it appears, however,
it ought to be put down with a strong
hand. The governor of Mississippi APP
pears determined to put an end to it in
that state