The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1898-10-25
A RACE WAR ON.
White Deputy Dead, Three Wounded.
and Nine Negroes Reported Killed.
Gov. McLaurin Arrives on the Scene-The
Governor Was Accompanied BY
Posse of 80 Armed Men-An-
other Battle Expected.

is killed, three wounded and according
to the latest report nine Negroes have
been killed by the citizens of the Har-
persville neighborhoOd and the sher>
ifs posse combined. The pursuit of
about so Negroes which had joined
the original offender with the
avowed determination to prevent
his arrest and capture and
which ambushed the party attempting
the arrest continues and by morning
the number of fatalities will undoubt-
eddy have assumed larger proportions.
The whole country is terrible aroused
and the sheriff's posse has been rein
forced with men from all the neighbOr-
ing towns. Gov. McLaurin has gone
to the scene, which is about ten miles
north of Forest, the nearest rail
road point. The trouble originated
last Friday when Negro named
Bill Burke had an alteration with his
employer, Charles Freeman, a white
man, in which the Negro got the best
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.
When they arrived upon the scene
and called for Burke they were greeted
by fusillade from the Negroes con-
cealed in ambush in the bushes sur
rounding the house and in the house
itself. Wallace Sibley, the leader, fell
dead at the first vOlley, and three more
white members of the crowd, James
Johnson. James Hamilton and James
Wells were wounded. The whites
returned the fire, but were IN
able to do any execution rs
their assailants were all concealed.
There were not more than eight men
in the white crowd, and finding it i'm
possible to resist effectively, they dis
perSed towards Harperyille. sit was
not known at that time that Sibley
was injured, but upon Il return to the
scene Sunday morning he was found
deHd in the yard. Tie wounded depu-
ties were able to get back to town
with the assistance of their COM
rades. This occurrence took place
early in the night. When the crowd re-
turned to Harpersville the news spread
like wildfire. During the night large
crowd gathered in the neighborhood.
They Immediately went to Burke
house and got from his mother the
names of all parties in the crowd which
had ambushed the men the night be-
fore. In all there were about forty Ne
groes who had gathered to prevent the
arrest of Burke, and a list was made
up at her dictation. All of them had
fled. Then the pursuit and search for
each of the prescribed darkies began.
According to the statement of reliable
citizens, six Negroes were found and
killed by the crowd of armed and de-
termined citizens before the sheriff ar
rived.
Sunday morning Sheriff J. NJ. Steven
son was wired from Harpersville of
the threatening condition of affairs
and he was asked to get together a
posse and come at once to Harpersville.
The sheriff lives at Morton, ten miles
from the scene. Gathering together a
posse of citizens the sheriff started
at once for the place. When he
| arrived in the afternoon he was
,, joined by crowds of citizens until a
conservative estimate places the num-
Der in the posse as over 800 men. In
! mediately after leaving the hOuae
where the first tragedy was committed
! the Negroes scattered through the sur
! rounding country The sheriff's pursuit
has resolved itself into a chase of the
Negroes implicated and not of a mob
which is keeping together as was
first reported. A reliable telephone
message received at a late hour Sunday
night states that three more Negroes
have been found and killed, making a
total of nine to date with about forty
more to be heard from. Sheriff Stew
ensOn realizing the danger apprehended
Immediately wired Gov. McLaurin for
aid in quelling a probable widespread
disturbance. Upon receipt of his tele-
gram the governor wired Adjt. Gen.
Henry, at jackson, to get together a
company of the national guard and
proceed to the scene upon the first
train. Gen. Henry Immediately re-
sponded that there was no national
guard company Obtainable, but that he
would get together company of armed
men and render necessary assistance.
In the meantime the governor pro-
cured special train at Brandon and
accompanied by posse of 80 men arm
ed with shotguns proceeded to Forest.
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