The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-10-24
Fifty Blacks Pursued by a Posse, and
Nine Shot 10 Death, According
to Last Accounts.
LIVES OF OTHERS In DANGER
SITUATION so SERIOUS THE COVER
NOR HAS GONE TO THE SCENE.
Negroes Run Down with BloOdhOunds
at AshpOIe, N. c., and Four
Lynchings Probable.

| MEMPHIS. Tenn. Oct. 2S-A special to
| the Commercial-Appeal from Forest. Miss,
says: AS the result of attempt to arrest
negro near Harpersville, Scott county, in
the eastern part Of the State, one white
deputy is killed, three wounded, and. ac-
cording to the latest report, nine negroes
have been killed by the citizens of the Har-
persville neighborhood and the sheriff's
posse combined. The pursuit of about fifty
negroes which had joined the original of
fender 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 undoubtedly have assumed
larger proportions. The whole country Is
| terribly aroused, and the sheriff's posse has
been reinforced with men from all the
neighboring towns. Governor McLaurin
has gone to the scene, which is about ten
miles north of Forest, the nearest railroad
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 crowd
of white men, headed by Wallace Sibley
who deputized to arrest the man, went
to Burke's house. which is about a 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 surround
ing the house and in the house itself Wal
lace Sibley, the leader, fell dead at the first
volley and three more white members of
the crowd, James Johnson, James Hamil-
ton and James Wells. were wounded. The
whites returned the fire, but were unable to
do any execution. as their assailants were
all concerned. There were not more
than eight men in the white
crowd, and, finding it impossible to
resist effectively, they dispersed to-
wards Harpersville. 1t was not known at
that time that Sibley was injured, but upon
a return to the scene this morning he was
! found dead in the yard The wounded depu-
ties were able to come back to town with
| the assistance of their comrades. This oc-
! currence took place early in the night.
| When the crowd returned to Harpersville
the news spread like wildfre. During the
night a large crowd gathered from the
neighborhood They Immediately went to
Burke's house and got from his mother the
names of all parties in the crowd which
had ambushed the men the night before.
In all there were about forty negroes, who
! had gathered to prevent the arrest of
| Burke, and list was made up at her die
| tation. All of them had fled. Then the
| pursuit and search for each of the pre-
scribed darkies began. According to the
statement of reliable citizens six negroes
were found and killed by the crowd of
armed and determined citizens before the
sheriff arrived
This morning Sheriff J. M. Stevenson 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 to-
gether a posse of twenty or thirty men, 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 number in the posse as
| over three hundred men. Immediately after
! leaving the house where the first tragedy
was committed the negroes scattered
through the surrounding country. The
sheriffs pursuit has resolved itself into
chase of the negroes implicated and not of
mob which is keeping together as was
first reported.
A reliable telephone message received at
a late hour tonight states that three more
negroes have been found and killed, maxi
ing a total of nine to date, with about
| forty more to be heard from. Sheriff Ste
venson, realizing the danger apprehended,
Immediately wired Governor McLauren, at
Brandon, for aid in quelling a probable
widespread disturbance Upon receipt of
his telegram the Governor wired Adjutant
General Henry, at Jackson, to get together
company of the National Guard and pro-
ceed to the scene upon the first train Gen.
Henry Immediately responded that there
was no National Guard company obtain
able but that he would get together a COM
pany of armed men and render all neces-
sary assistance.
In the meantime the Governor procured a
special train at Brandon, and, accompanied
by posse of thirty men armed with shot
guns proceeded to Forest. Arriving here
early in the evening, and finding that there
was small danger of the riot assuming pro-
portions beyond the ability of the posse on
hand to keep in bounds, he wired General
Henry that it would be unnecessary for him
to bring his volunteers from jackson The
posse is operating in the swamps. about a
mile from Harpersville where most of the
fugitives are supposed TO be concealed
There is a message here TO the effect that
| the citizens are apprehensive of armed ne
groes entering the town Tonight, and guards
will be set to prevent surprise. The Gov
ernor and Mr.. Henry are naturally coun-
selling moderation, but in the excited state
of the public mind general fear is ex-
pressed that the posse win not regard the
suggestion favorably. Their presence, how
ever. will undoubtedly have good effect in
| restraining the number Of fatalities after