The Middleburgh post. [volume] (Middleburgh, Snyder Co., Pa.) 1883-1916, 1898-10-27
WHITES VERSUS BLACKS
Twelve Killed in a Mississippi
Race War.
GOVERNOR M'LAURIN sNUBBED.
Invited to Return Home by One ofan
Audience Which He Was Urging to
Respect the Law-Captured Negroes
Moved For Safe Keeping.


Respect the Law-Captured Negroes
Moved For Safe Keeping.
Forest, Miss, Oct. 25.-Eleven dead
negroes. one dead white man and one
negro and three white men seriously
wounded Is the result at this writing
Of the bloody war being waged between
the white and black races in the Har-
persville neighborhood of Scott\ county.
Several Of the rioters have been cap
tured and lodged In Jail at Sorest. but
the others escaped into the swamps
Large crowds of white men are in close
pursuit. however. and more names are
hourly expected to be added to the
death list.
Governor McLaurin went to Harpers-
Vile Sunday night and appealed to the
whites not to molest the prisoners In
the custody Of the sheriff. The gov
ernor's talk had a good effect on the
majority OF the crowd but the hot
headed members did not relish the
governors interference. and told him
so In plain language. For instance, at
point In the governors speech where
he was emphasizing the duty of every
citizen to aid in the enforcement of the
law one individual In the audience
shouted: Governor. during the recent
yellow fever epidemic, when your SER
vices at Jackson were needed, you could
not be found. Where were you then?
Now. when you are not needed, you
come to stick your nose in our busi-
ness. Go back to Brandon"
The governor paid no attention. but
persuaded the crowd to permit the
sheriff to take the prisoners to jail.
The governor returned to Brandon yes
terday. Sheriff Stephenson placed
guard at the Forest Jail to prevent the
lynching of the rioters now in custody,
on account OF open threats being made
here to storm the prison. Last night
the negroes under arrest made n full
confession. The funeral Of the mur-
dered officer Sibley, occurred at Har-
persville yesterday and was attended
by hundreds OF people. 1t Is reported
that two OF the murdered mans broth
ers are on their way from their home
In TaZoo county bound for the scene
OF the race war 1t was feared that
when they arrived a determined and
successful attempt would be made on
the Jail and all the rioters confined
there taken out and lynched. Sheriff
Stephenson considered the situation so
serious last night that he decided to
take the prisoners to Meridian for safe
keeping. A large posse was organized
and the negroes were stealthiy placed
on the o'clock train.
The trouble originated last Friday,
when a negro named Bill Burke had
an Atercation with his employer,
Charles Freeman. a white man. In
which the negro got the better Of the
difficulty. The next night a crowd OF
white men. headed by Wallace Sibley.
who was deputized to arrest the man.
went to Burke's house, which is about
mile from Harpersville. They were
greeted by a fusillade from the ne
groes concealed in ambush in the
bushes surrounding the house and In
the house itself Wallace Sibley, the
leader. fell dead at the first volley, ana
three more white members OF the
crowd-James johnson, James Hamil-
ton and James Wels-were wounded.
The whites returned the fire. but were
unable to do any execution, as their as
sailants were all concealed. There were
not more than eight men in the white
crowd and. finding 1t impossible to re-
sist effectively. they dispersed towards
Harpersville. raised u posse and started
after the negroes.