The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1898-10-24

Scene to Prevent IA General Upris-
mysterious Race war and Election
Troubles In North Carolina.
Forest Miss, oct. 24.-As the result
OF an attempt to arrest a negro near
Harpersville, Scott county, in the east
ern part of the state, one white deputy
was killed, three wounded and accord
ing to the latest report nine negroes
have been killed by the citizens OF
Harpersville and neighborhood and the
sherlff's posse combined.
The pursuit of about 80 negroes who
had Joined the original offender, with
the avowed determination to prevent
his arrest and capture and which am
bushed the party attempting the ar
rest, 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 a negro named Bill Burke had
an alteration 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 deputzed to arrest the man,
went to Burke's house, which is about
q 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, 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 as
sailants were all concealed. There were
not more than eight men in the white
crowd and, finding it impossible to re-
sist effectively, they dispersed towards
Harpersville.
When the crowd returned to Harpers-
vile the news spread like wildhre.
During the night a large crowd gath
cred from the neighborhood. They i'm
mediately went to Burke's home and
got from his mother the names of all
parties which ambushed them the
night before. Then the pursuit and
search for each of the prescribed
darkies began. According to the state
ment of reliable citizens six negroes
were found and killed by the crowd Of
armed and determined citizens before
the sheriff arrived.
Yesterday morning Sheriff j. M
| Stevenson was wired to get together &
posse at once for Harpersville. Gath
| ering together a posse of 20 or 30 mer
| the sheriff started at once for the
place When he arrived in the after
noon he was Joined by crowds of citi-
| zens until a conservative estimate
| placed the number in the posse as over
| 300 men, and the pursuit is still on. II
has resolved itself into a chase of the
negroes implicated. A reliable tele-
phone message received at a late hour
states that three more negroes have
been found and killed, making a fetal
of nine to date, with about 40 more to
| be heard from.
Sheriff Stevenson, realizing the dan
ger apprehended, Immediately wired
| Governor McLaurin at Brandon for aid
in quelling a probable widespread dis
! turbance. Upon receipt of this tele-
| gram the governor wired Adjutant
! General Henry, at Jackson, to get to-
! getner a company OF Ine NauOndl
| Guard and proceed to the scene upon
! the first train. General Henry imme-
diately reported that there was no Ma
tional Guard company obtainable, but
that he would get together a company
of armed men and render all necessary
| assistance.
In the meantime the governor secured
a special train at Brandon and, ac'
companied by a posse of 80 men arm
ed with shotguns, proceeded to Forest
Arriving here early in the evening, anC
| finding that there was small danger ol
the riot assuming proportions beyond
the ability Of the posse on hand to
keep in bounds, he wired General Hen
ry that it would be unnecessary for
him to bring his volunteers from Jack
| son.
The governor and General Henry are
naturally counselllng moderation, but
in the excited state of the public mind
a great fear is expressed that the posse
will not regard the suggestion favor
ably. Their presence, however, will
undoubtedly have a great effect in re-
stricting the number Of fatalities.