The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1896-10-28
TWO ARE DEAD; OTHERS DYING.
Pitched Battle Between a Florida White
Man and His Negro Employee.


PENSACOLA, Fla. Oct. 23.-Single
handed, J. M. Craigler, manager oi
the Hogoeman Lumber Company
fought pitched battle late yesterday
afternoon at Hagerman Lumber Com
pany, fought a Chipley, on the Pensa
cola and Atlantic railroad, with moi
of turpentine negroes, killing two o.
them. Amos j ohnson and John Alex
ander, instantly, and wounding a
number of other, four of whom, An
drew Miller, Henry Simpson, Jack
Mobiles and Albert Sesson, will die
from their wounds.
The bloody battle has created the
widest excitement in that section ever
known. All the negroes in the vein
ity of Chipley and Hagerman's station
have sought cover, and the surviving
members of the party that went uE
against Craigler and his winchester,
have completely disappeared. The
white people of that section have tax
en- down their rifles and are preparing
for race war, which seems imminent
in view of their aroused condition.
Hundreds of people are flocking to the
scene, and with each succeeding hour,
the turmoil seems to increase. The en-
counter was one of the bloodiest in
the history of the State, and, accord
ing to all reports, entirely unpro-
voked.
Craigler was in charge of the Ha'
german Lumber company's saw mill,
and reprimanded one of the hands fol
idleness. The negro snatched up a ri
ile and fred on him, and the other
darkies abandoned their work and Sc
cured their weapons with an alacrlty
that limited of pre- arrangement, Craig
ler retreated to the Office amid per
feet storm of bullets, but reached il
unscathed. He barricaded himself and
secured his own winchester. By this
time the negroes had surrounded the
building. They were bowling like
fends, and shooting so rapidly thai
Craigler was forced to lie flat on the
floor to escape the dozens of rife balls
that pierced the thin weather boarding
like pasteboard.
After the first volley, he rose up,
and 1linging open the door, took a
snap shot at John Alexander, putting
the bullet squarely between the ne,
gro's eyes. The mob concentrated
their fire on him, but shot wildly, and
in another instant he had sent John
Alexander into eternity and MORALLY
wounded Henry Simpson and Andrew
Miller.
Craigler dashed to the rear of the
building and drove them back, NOR
tally wounding Jack MOBILES. The
others charged from the front and
Craigler ran to the open door and fa'
tally shot the leader, Albert lesson.
At this juncture the Pensacola and
Atlanta train came along, and the
crew and passengers, their attention
attracted by the yells and shots, saw
Craigler's desperate plight, and rushed
to his rescue. The negroes broke and
fled, leaving their dead and dying
where they had fallen.
The news of the affair spread like
wild-fre. and from their little homes
in the hammocks and pine thickets the
white natives of the section began tc
emerge.
In an incredibly short space of time
a multitude of wildly excited men,
armed to the teeth gathered. They
were bent on vengeance, but the ne
groes had made good their escape.
Two hundred and twenty-five bullet
holes were counted in the house-At
1anto JournaI