Daily camera., 1897-01-28
Copyright. .ss4. by J. B. LIppIneot. conp.ly.l

warning or apparent NdlldHp hau w
gun the indiscriminate shooting down
of certain unpopular whites and their
luckless negro supporters.
In the south, except among certain
journals published in the interest of
the radical" republican party, the 9TH
er side of the story was promptly cir
culated. Capt. Scroggs and friend,
endeavoring to reach home by cir
cuitous route so as to avoid trouble after
his release from jail. where he had
been incarcerated several weeks on
baseless, trumpedup charges, were set
upon in the streets of Vernon by a
blackguardly pack of loafers, insulted,
abused and assaulted. and finally COM
PEELED in self-defense to draw their re-
volvers, not, however, until they had
been fred upon. One odd circumstance
connected with these perennial shooting
scrapes in those days was the fact that
in footing up the score it was always
found that five negroes to one white was
about the proportion of casualties. This
may have been due to the fact that the
ratio of black to white in every scrin-
mage was about five to one. or else that
the Caucasian, being cooler and long
skilled in the use of arms, was more
effective in close combat. At all events,
when impartially investigated it was
found that this Vernon difficulty diff
fered from its fellows in no particular
except one--that it "had no political
ciCrni Hnorna hot - "o1f0nSs
friends, rejoicing with him in his re-
lease from durance vile, did so after the
fashion of the dnv. and more or less bad
whisky was consumed before the stage
reached Vernon-where more friends
were met, more treats exchanged, and
where, as the devil of mischief would
have it, he happened into the bar OF
the old tavern just at the moment when
two or three others, all white, were hap
pening out One of these was an old
time admirer of Esther Walton, a man
with whom Scroggs had been at outs
for years. There was a jostie-uninten-
tional-a sneer in the careless apology
and a ranking word or two. Peace
makers drew the principals apart. In
deed, Walton was too happy to continue
his journey home and Estherwards to
care to quarrel. But his rivals heart
and brain were burning, and more
liquor made matters worse. The horses
were being brought around from the
stable with the troop of vagrant ne
groes loafng after, when, despite the
efforts of his friends, the half-drunken
man came lurching out of a neighboring
saloon and with savage oaths rushed
at walton, demanding, satisfaction"
Weapons were drawn and shots eX-
changed on the instant, and one of the
scattered mob of negroes fell dead with
bullet through his heart, while for
moment Walton, with smoking pistol,
stood alone, looking down at his as
sailant writhing on the sidewalk.
Friends rushed in, carried one man into
the drug store and crowded Walton in
to the tavern bar. 1t was fair fight.
He had drawn only in self-defense. His
assailant was to blame, and there was
no man to suggest arrest. But he stood
there pale and unnerved now, covered
with sorrow at the disaster to the man,
who, even though no friend, was popu-
lar, well and widely known, and, ac-
cording to the somewhat accessible
standard of the state and day, "a per-
feet gentleman" 1t was characteristic
of the time and place that nobody pres
ent happened to think of the dead
negro.
Among these poor people Walton
Scroggs was, perhaps deservedly un-
popular. The other man, open-handed,
generous, easy-going, had won not a
little of their unreasoning yet enthusi-
astic regard. 1t was while Scroggs
with two advisers, was seated, sad and
trembling, in little room of the tavern
! awaiting the result of the doctors eX-
animation of his fainting foe that a
| citizen came rushing in. "ScroggS
! you'll have to get out of this-quick.
|Ybere was meeting of that old Grant
andeColfax club going on up the street,
and the niggers have rushed in and told
'em you killed Pete Jackson, The
whole gang of 'em are coming"
| Coming? They We're already there.
With furious yells and vergeful threats
surging crowd of negroes came tear
! ing along the village street, stopping
only moment to verify the death of
their friend, and-too late now for ex-
PLANTATION or denial-they swarmed
madly into the office, demanding Wal
tons body. The battle was on in an in
slant, battle for life, a 60 seconds war
of races, white against black, as it had
to be, since none would listen to reason,
and superior nerve and aim told. Pts
tolls and the office were emptied about
| the same moment, but five more darkies
had gone to join Pete Jackson at the
mercy seat, and the proprietor OF the
Southern Star had died like the soldier
he was, defending the life of his guest.
Scroggs himself, seriously wounded,
was borne away on the dark Tugaloo
road, and far and wide the affrighted
negroes were scurrying over the coun-
try, carrying tidings of mot as they ran.
| II Vuac all miSorahle hlupf}er hTt