The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-08-01
NEeRons sArEp FRoM a MOE.
Details of the Fighting at Brookside, Ala
Arrival of Sheriff and Posse just


Details of the Fighting at Brooisside, Ala
Arrival of n Sheriff and Posse just in
Time.
Birmingham, Fla, July s1,-Further
details Of fighting between white and
black miners at Brookside last night,
following the killing of two deputy sher-
IFS who attempted to arrest a riotous
negro miner named Biggars, and band
OF his followers, state that In the first
battle between the whites and blacks
two negroes We're shot dead. The fight
ing lasted for nearly two hours. Big
gars and his men were sheltered by the
dense foliage and the white miners were
forced to retreat They gathered rein
forcements and renewed the attack.
Two more negroes fell dead under their
fire. Several of the whites were wound
ed. While the white miners were car
ing for their wounded the negroes
struck out for the deeper woods. An
other party was formed and, headed by
determined and stalwart miners, the
pursuit was renewed.
Word was telegraphed to this city for
help, and Sheriff Morrow, with twenty
| five of his men, left for the scene. At
midnight they came up to the rioters.
The whites had captured several of the
negroes, but Biggars was not among
them. A rope had been carried along
for lynching purposes, and the intention
was abdat to be carried out when the
sheriff arrived. The captured negroes
were bound hand and foot, and the
moose dangled from the limb of tree
overhead.
| Sheriff Morrow demanded the surren-
der of the prisoners. His request was
received in sullen silence Another de-
mand was met with fiat refusal from
the leader of the white miners. The
sheriff then threatened to open fire on
both parties unless the prisoners were
given up at once, Not until his men
presented their arms and the click of
the hammers was heard did the leader
of the white miners deliver up his cap
tives. They were brought back to the
amp, where another demonstra ton was
made by those miners who had not
joined the pursuers. They made a des-
perate attempt to take the negroes from
the sheriff, but the determined stand
Of his men deferred them from using
eoree.
More than a dozen white men re-
ceived wounds during the battle and
were brought to the camp for surgical
treatment. 1t is not thought that any
are fatally injured,
The sheriff's posse returned here from
Brookside this morning, bringing with
them ten negro rioters, two of whom
had been rescued from lynching Half
a dozen officers were left at Brookside
to arrest other rioters and prevent fur
ther trouble.
Later reports show that the negroes
whom Deputy Sheriffs Woods and Bax-
ter went to arrest were entrenched in
a ditch, strongly reinforced. They
poured a murderous fire out from their
cover, shooting down two officers at the
first volley. Reinforcements came to
the whites, but the negroes did not
cease firing until their ammunition was
Exhausted Then they fed to the woods,
the whites in pursuit. Three dead ne
groes are reported to have been found,
and one wounded. Among the rioters
arrested is woman. All is quiet
now. -
Nashville, Tenn, July 2t.-A dispa tch
to the Banner from Birmingham, Ala,
says that this morning James Bridges,
one of the alleged leaders of the ne
groes in the Brookside riot was seen
in the woods near Brookside, and Dep
luty Sheriffs Cole and Jones pursued him
and covered him with Winchesters He
offered little resistance, but was finally
taken. Lynching was talked Of, but
was not attempted
There is but little work at Brookside
to-day, and the seven or eight hundred
whites and blacks discussed last nights
affair in groups. A pistol shot would
precipitate more serious trouble All
procurable ammunition has been sent
to Brookside in case Of another attack.
AT noon everything was quiet