Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1898-10-28
A RACE WAR.
Eleven Negroes Killed i'm Missis-
Sippi,

One white Man Dead and Three Severe
Iy Wounded---TroubIe Began over
Trivial Matter.
Eleven dead negroes, one dead white
man and one negro and three white men
severely wounded are the result thus far of
the outbreak between the whites and me-
groes in the Harpersville Miss, neighbor-
hood of Scott county. Several of the ne
gro rioters have been captured and lodged
in Jail, but others escaped into the swamps.
Posses of white men are in close pursuit.
The trouble began over a trivial matter.
Charles Freeman, white, sold a pair of
shoes to a negro Bill Burke, and agreed to
take pay in labor. The negro and his com
panion each worked a half day Friday.
They were given credit for 80 cents, the
wages of days labor They declined to
work longer. An alteration followed and
Freeman was badly beaten. He swore out
a warrant for the arrest of Burke and ten
white men went to the house of the negro.
large crowd of armed blacks were wait
ing. AS the whites approached they were
fired upon from ambush Wallace Sibey
was killed and Jim johnson, Jim Hamilton
and Jim Wells dangerously wounded. The
whites retreated without returning the fire
All the whites in the neighborhood were
soon aroused and an organization was
effected. Messages were sent to Forrest.
nine miles away, for reinforcements aud
ammunition.
A company of well armed and determine
ed white men started out for vengeance
Sunday morning. The negroes had scat
tered and were in hiding. The first house
visited was that of an old negro named
Hanalson. He declared that no one was at
home but himself and wife. He was push
ed aside and the premises searched. Three
negroes were killed as they came out OF
hiding. A fourth was badly wounded, but
escaped in a cane brake swamp. Another
house was surrounded and three more ne
groes killed as they attempted to escape.
1t is impossible to obtain full list Of the
killed, for the reason that some of the ne
groes were shot down in the woods and
hurriedly buried by the whites where they
| fell One white man said that he helped a.
bury three negroes in trenches but that
neither himself nor any one in his crowd
knew the names Of the negroes
Gov. McLaurin went 10 Harpersville
| Sunday nigh. and appealed TO the whites
not to modest the prisoners in the custody
of the sheriff The governors talk had a
! good effect on the maj ority Of those in the
/ crowd, but some of the hot headed mem
| bers did not relish the governors interfer
| ence. When he was emphasizing the duty
of every citizen to aid in the enforcement
of the law, one impatient individual in tn,
audience yelled.
Governor, during the yellow fever cpl
| demc when your services were wanted al
jackson, you could not be found Wher,
were you then Now, when your services
are not needed, you come and stick you
nose into our business. Go back to Bran
don"
The governor finally persuaded the GROVE
To permit the sheriff to take the prisoner,
TO jail. The governor returned to Brandon
Monday morning. Two of the negroe
under arrest have made full confessions
The funeral of Sibley, the murdered Off
Ger, at Harpersville Monday, was attende,
by hundreds of persons. 1t was reporte,
that two of Sibley's brothers are on thei
way from their homes in Yazoo county, a
the head of large crowd. The situation
became serious that Sheriff Stephenson
organized posse and started for Meridian
with his prisoners.