The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-11-30
BEAUFORT'S LIQUOR RIOT.
The Chief COnStabIG'S Version Of the
Attack.

The Constables Driven From the
As They Landed a Crowd on the
Wharf Jeered, Cursed and Bonn
barded Them-The Riot in Progress
Two Hours 49, A Trial Justice Put in
a Bad Light.
Columbia, s. c., Nov. 29.-Gov. Tillman
has received an official report from Chief
Constable Gaillard describing the recent
riot at Beaufort in,which dispensary con-
stables were badly used up by the crowd,
while selling liquor from the steamer AL
pha The report says that warrant was
presented to the officers of the boat, who
refused to surrender the liquor described
therein, but when told by the constables
that they intended to take the freight,
the captain went TO Col. William Elliott,
his attorney, who, after an examination
Of the warrant and the officers author
ity, advised them to deliver the freight to
them. One barrel was turned over to
them, but before this was done the
steamer was deluged with steam in order
to injure the officers.
CURSED by THE CROWD.
'Ihe onlcers were driven of the boat
by the use OF this steam. and as the bar
rel of beer was placed upon the wharf a
crowd of white roughs began to curse,
ieer and iostle the constables, and urging
the negroes to abuse them also. which
finally led to an attack on the officers
with eggs, bricks and rocks; Will many
of the mob were armed with sticks and
threatened them with death If they used
their pistols
This state Of riot lasted for one or two
hours in the heart Of the city with no eff
fort TO quell the disturbance. On the con-
trary, one Of the town officers encouraged
the riotous crowd and himself threatened
to kill the constables.
STOPPED BY THE SHERIFF.
Tho sheriff came up after this riot had
been going on for two and a half hours.
and with his aid and intervention IL was
stopped, and few bottles Of the barrel
seized were delivered to the jailer The
attack made was the premeditated act OF
u low and lawless set of white men, who
were encouraged by few liquor dealers.
and their own depraved nature that lead to
this disgraceful riot. Although many
negroes were engaged in the riot, they
were led and driven into the riot by these
unprincipled men. The steamer Alpha is
violating the state ,law with full lInowl-
edge that some of her cargo is liquor, and
have evidence to prove that during the
row she put liquor from herIstarboard
side into n small boat, and IL was landed
at another pier. Efforts should be made
to recover such liquor as the state de-
manded by her warrant Of seizure, and
her officers made to respect the laws Of The
state.
WARRANTS FOR THE OFFENDERS
"Warrants have been7issued for four
teen of the rioters, and have since OBJ
tanned evidence sufficient to connect
nearly as many more with the crime
most of whom are white men, who pride
themselves on desire to resist the en-
forcement of the state law, and their in
tention to do bodily harm toyour officers. I
found the officers of the state ready and ex-
pressed compliance with my instructions
given to them. The good people of Beau
fort both white and black, deprecate the
action Of the rioters. and evidence was
clearly given by them which made iden~
tification of the guilty people easy.
JUSTICE ATTACKED.
81 cannot close without saying that the
liquor men and the steamer Alpha are
kept posted as to the presence of your
constables by one Of your trial Justices,
who is also the correspondent of the News
and Courier, DR. T. G.. White, of Beau
fort thereby defeating the interest of the
state and aiding and abetting the viola
tors of the law | left Beaufort quiet
and feel that there will not be a repeti-
tion of this disgraceful conduct. Ishould
be unfair to the good citizens of Beaufort
should | not add that they feel mortified
that such lawlessness should occur in
their town, and desire that the violators
of the law should be punished"