The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1899-08-09
Race Riot in Greenvillc.

Race Riot In Greenvlllc.
GREENvILLE, S. c., August RE
ports of race riot in Greenville have
been exaggerated. On Sunday night a
difficulty started at the Poe Mill. Ac-
cording to the evidence Of witnesses,
negroes precipitated the riot by delib-
erately firing into the house Of John
r. Ellenburg, cotton mill operative,
living just across the Buncombe road
from the fertilizer factory. The shoot
ing occurred between 6 and Z o'clock,
or an hour before dark.
There were present at the house ut
the time of the shooting John r. Ell
lenburg, Mrs. r. Ellenburg, T. p. Ell
lenburg, the father of John r. Ellen
burg, MI. and Mrs. J. C. Phillips, Tay-
lor and Walter Carmon. When the
first shot was fired Mrs. Ellenburg was
in the rear end of the house. Her lit
tie child was playing in the yard and
she cried out:
''Don't shoot the children!'
This was answered by two more shots
at the house, one of which took effect
in the roof. John r. Ellenburg then
walked out on his front piazza and, adj
dressing the negroes, said sharply:
seYou had better shoot again"
They answered him with two more
shots.
Then the crowd from the mill village
began to gather and march down to the
fertilizer factory. There were in the
crowd of negroes Jack Moore, Will
Cunningham, Tom Jackson and George
Clements. Moore was captured and
carried to jail.
Seeing Moore led Oft, the negroes
Immediately seized the idea and con-
yiction that he was goiD Dg to be lynch
ed, and q courier was sent to the Mount
Zion Colored Baptist Church to give
the alarm and call for assistance. The
Rev. j. A. Pinson, the pastor, was ask
ed to announce from his pulpit that Il
negro was being lynched at the Poe
Mill, but Pinson, being cool-headcd
and a man of Judgment, refused.
This broke up the meeting, however,
and the negroes rushed from the build
ing to secure weapons and go to the
scene.
In the meantime Il negro had gone to
the home of Sheriff Gilreath and re-
ported the same thing to him. Chief
of Police Kennedy and Deputy Sheriff
Gilreath went to the scene about 10
o'clock, as quickly as they could get
there after being notified of the trouble.
At the Buncombe street railroad cross
ing they met Deputy Sheriff Whitmire
and Officer Atkinson.
A party OF between fifty and seventy
five negroes were cOngregated at the
crossing, and party of about twenty
five whites in the woods, a few hundred
yards away. guarding the operatives
houses. The officers persuaded this
mob of negroes to disperse. While the
other officers stayed at the crossing to
see that the negroes did not reassemble
after promising to go home, Chief
Kennedy and Deputy Sheriff Gilreath
crossed over by the fertilizer factory
into Highland avenue.
Here the officers met mob of about
100 frenxied negroes well armed. They
had revolvers, shotguns and axes, and
one in the crowd brandished a reap
hook. After parlcy Chief Kennedy
sent the Rev. Pinscn, negro Baptist
preacher, to Jail to ascertain if Moore
was a prisoner. He returned and re-
ported that Moore was in Jail. This
report ended the riotOus proceedings.
There was considerable firing of guns
and pistols, and one white man and
five negroes were wounded. In pass
ing through the streets of the city it is
reported that some shots were fired
into dwellings.
The only fighting was between Il few
operatives of the Poe Mill and strag-
Cling crowds Of negroes.
Later the Greenyille Light Infantry
was called out and remained on guard
until morning, but there was no further
trouble and the negroes went to their
homes. The names OF the leaders are
known and all will be arrested. If all
the different crowds OF negroes had
collected at one point the consequences
would have been serious. The officers
handled the different crowds and pre-
vented concentration.-Ncws and C""-
rief.
- 4 horse is never sick at the