Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-10-24
DEPLORABLE.
Is the Situation in Mississippi Be-
tween the Whites and Blacks.
A Renewal of the Trouble Yester-
day, and Number Of Men Killed.

tween the w mites ana BLACKS.
A Renewal of the Trouble Yester-
day, and a Number of Men Killed.
Memphis, Tenn, October PA spe-
cial to the Commercial Appeal from
Forest, Miss, says:
AS the result Of an attempt to arrest
a negro near Harpersville. Scott county,
in the eastern part of the State, one
white deputy was killed, three wound
ed, and, according to the latest re-
ports, nine negroes have been killed by
the citizens of Harpersville and neigh
borhood and the sheriff's posse COM
bined. The pursuit of about fifty ne
groes 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, ard by morning
the number of fatalities will undoubted-
ly have assumed larger proportions
The whole country is terribly aroused
and the sheriff's posse has been rein
forced with men from all the neighbor-
ing towns. Governor 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, Chas.
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 fusilade from
the negroes concealed in ambush in the
bushes around the house. Wallace Slb-
ley, the leader, fell dead at the first
volley, and three more white members
of the crowd, James Johnson, James
Hamilton and James Wells were wound
ed. The whites returned the fire, but
were unable to do any execution, as
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 Harpersville. 1t was
known at that time that Slbley was in
jured, but upon return to the scene
this morning he was found dead in
the yard. The wounded deputies were
able to get back to town with the as
sistance of their comrades. This oc-
currence took place early in the night.
When the crowd returned to Harpers-
vile the news spread like wildfire.
During the night large crowd gath
cred in the neighborhood. They i'm
mediately went to Burke's house and
got from his mother the names OF al
the 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 a list was made up at
their dietation. All of them had fed.
Then the pursit and search for each
of the prescribed blacks began. Ac-
cording 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.
This morning Sheriff ]. NJ. Steven
son was wired from Harpersville of the
threatening condition of affairs. and
he was asked to get together posse
and come at once to Harpersyille. The
sheriff lives at Morton, ten miles from
the scene. Gathering together 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 place the number
in the posse over 800 men. Immediate
~ after leaving the house where the
first tragedy was committed. the ne
groes scattered through the surround