The herald., 1894-12-24
SEVEN LIVES FOR ONE,
Deadly Work of a Band of
Avengers in Georgia.
Negroes Organized and Armed
for Battle.
Lives of Many Whites and Blacks in
Jeopardy.
R,cs war statrsd with tho Murder
Of = Farmsr-stormiug JAN
I'm Augusta.

QUITMAN. Ga, Dec. % The lives OF
seven negroes have been taken in the
last "a hours in revenge for that Of one
white man, and unless all signs fail
utterly, many moro lives are in jeo-
pardy.
Two bodies OF determined men num-
boring between 400 and 500. every man
being heavily armed and each body
about equal in numerical strength, sep
arated by less than mile OF country
and liable to clash at any time. That
10 the spectacle presented here in
Brooks county tonight. One body is
made up of etern, determined white
men bent ON revenge for the brutal
murder OF one of the best citizens of
the county. The other de- made up of
negroes, terror stricken and fearful
lest they or their families be made the
objects OF the same fate as has already
bsiallen seven of their number, and
ready to defend themselves from such
fate as we'll az they may be able.
BATTLE IMMINENT.
What the next "a hours will hiring
forth no one can predict. That there
will be an open clash seems very much
more than probable at this writing. The
authorities ere powsEless and practically
no efforts have yet been made to bring
about peace, save by the relativer of the
man whoso murder ia the Gauge OF
it all.
On Thursday Joseph Isom, one OF
Brooks county's most prosperous farm
ers and best citizens, was murdered by
party OF negroes, and it leaked out that
the killing Of lsom was q part OF q plot
to kill all the whites who werc IL the
poeso which a few weeks ago arrested
Jesse Jeffreth for the killing OF T. Moul-
den. Isom was the most popular man
in the county. He lived 10 miles north
Of here in q part OF the county where
the Esgrces outpumber the whites,
and the killine created great Excite
ment. W7fen il developed that the
same geng OF negroes had sworn to kill
other white men, the whites gathered
together as if by one accord and the
work OF death and destruction began.
CROSS ROADS GUARDED.
OF the seven who are dead, the names
of only four could be obtained this after
noon. A reporter visited the scene late
this evening. Every cross road was
found picketed with sentinels, and every
man in the county 10 armed to the teeth.
When one OF the race excitements occur
King Terror rules In the homes of the
whites as we'll 90 blacks. and this is such
case. There are probably 500 men
under arms, covering an area OF about
five square miles.
About mile and half from the
home OF the Isoms were about 200
whites, all we'll armed and breathing
ail sorts of vengeance. A mile further
was a crowd OF negroes OF about the
same size, armed with Winchester rifles.
pistols, axes, clubs and every avsilable
weapon, waiting for the whites to attack
them. They are intrenched in and
around a lot of negro cabins in the
midst of thin grove, and the latest in
formation is that the whites are ad-
vancing ON them from two sides.
Sam Taylor. Eli Frazer, Sam Pike
and Henry Sherard are four negroes
known to have been killed. 1t 10 under
stood that Waverly Pike, Jim Mccall
and q negro named Herrin were proba-
big the others. The county is compare
lively spsrsely settled. and the facilities
for securing information are very mea-
gre. Pike is the negro who killed Isom.
He has been in hiding near where the
| trouble has occurred. As the reporter
left the scene there seemed every liksli-
hood OF pitched battle tonight.
Captain E. Tillman, brother-in-law
OF Iaom. was here. doing vsrything in
HIS power to restrain the whites. He
has sent hurried messengers all over the
country summoning to his aid conserva-
tive men, in the hope they would pre-
vent further bloodshed. 1t will be inn
possible to know tonight how we'll they
succeed.
SHOT DOWN IN THEIR TRACKS.
Details of the killing of the seven ne
grss are very meager. Taylor. Frazer,
Pike and Sherard were together
about sunset last night. They we re-
garded as four of the ring! leaders of
the conspiracy to kill and bnrn and
were being specially sought for. A
half-dozen whites, one OF whom 10 said
to be Isom's brother-;n-la came upon
the negroes and ordered them to gu bmit
to arrest. One of the negroes answered
with shot that struck Quo OF the whites
and four blacks were shot down in their
tracks. The other three were caught,
one at time. Many of Isom's neigh
b0re who are in the crowd Will not lis
ten TO any peaceful talk. They declare
that for the sakes of their wives and
children and for their own safety they
must stamp out the gang that has sworn
to murder, and tonight that spirtsee
the predominant one. II the fight
comes it will be 9 desperate one.
THE KILLING OF IsoM.
The killing Of Isom occurred in the
public road not far from his home. and
the circumstances attending it seem to
throw doubt upon the conspiracy theory.
Mr.. Tsom was in town Thursday, and
while in town had some words with
Waverly Pike, negro living in this
vicinity. Apparently everything was
smoothed over whom he started for
homo. When he started. with Henry
Timmon, his brother-in-law. for Cap
tain Timmon's home. about half mile