Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1899-03-24
RACE WAR IS ON.
Intense Excitement in Little
River County, Ark
SEVEN NEGROES LYNCHED.
Kumbf May Be Larger, and Work
Is Not Yet Done.
WHITE MEN GATHERING, ARMED,
Trouble the Result of Discovery OF
Negro Conspiracy ito Inaugurate
War Against the Whites-Ail the
Conspfrators to lie Wiped Out.

TEXARKANA, ARK, March pa race
war is on in Little River county. and
during the past forty-eight hours an in
definite number of negroes have met their
deaths at the hands of an infuriated white
population. Seven are known TO have
been lynched, and the work is not yet
done.
The bodies of the victims Of the mob's
vengeance are hanging to the limbs of
trees in various parts Of the county,
strung up wherever taken. The county
is in intense excitement. White men are
collecting in mobs, heavily armed and de-
termined; the negroes are fleeing for their
lives, and the community is i'm an uproar.
The exact number OF negroes who have
been summarily dealt with. or Of those
who may yet fall into the hands Of the
mob before order is restored, may never
be known.
SEVEN BODIES FOUND.
Seven bodies have been found, and other
victims are being hunted, and will meet
n similar fate when run to earth.
The known dead TO date are General
Duckett, Edwin Goodwin, Adam King,
Joseph Jones, benjamin Jones, Moses
Jones' and an unknown man.
Joe King and John Johnson were also
taken in hand by mobs and whipped.
They were afterwards turned loose, ard
have disappeared.
ORIGIN OF THE TROUBLE.
Little River county is in the extreme
southwest corner Of the State, bordered
on the west by the Indian Territory and
on the south by Texas. The negro pCpu-
lation Is large, and has for a long time
proved very troublesome TO the whites.
Frequent murders have occurred, and
thefts and fights have become common
affairs one or two negroes nave pre-
viously been severely dealt with when
the people found 1t necessary 10 take the
law into their own hands, but IL was
not until Tuesday that trouble took on
a serious aspect.
1t then developed that carefuly-laid
plans had been made by a number of
negroes to preclpitate a race war, and
that many white men had been marked
for victims. II IS learned that thirteen
negroes were implicated in this plot and
the whites are now bent on melting out
summary punishment TO the entire cote
RE of cOnspirators.
ALL CONSPIRATORS TO BE WIPED
OUT.
Seven have been killed and the work Of
Wiping out the entire list continues with
out relaxation. All OF those implicated
I'm the plot are known, and parties Of
white men, varying in numbers from
twenty-five to fifty are securing the
| country for them. Wherever one is found
he is quickly strung up, and his body Is
perforated with bullets. The work Of dis
patching the first two or three was an
| easy matter, but the news soon spread
among the negroes, who. instead OF
making the resistance and Offering the
battle that they had threatened, became
pauic-stricken and began getting out OF
| the community as quickly as possible.
| Two whose names were on the list OF
| conspirators got a good start and sue
| ceeded I'm reaching the Texas State line
| before being captured. They were swung
| up without ceremony.
KILLING OF WHITE MAN
The trouble arose over the killing OF
| James Stockton by Duckett Just prior
10 the lynching of Duckett, the negroes
| had planned the Inauguration or race
war. Duckett was the leader, ana AT MS
death the negroes let the matter out The
citizens became greatly cnraged. Joe
King and John Johnson were taken 10
the woods and whipped. Other negroes
| made threats. but nothing occurred until
Yesterday, when the wholesale lynchine
| began. In the gang that were plotting
for a race-war were twenty-three negroes
ard it is likely the entire number have
been strung up i'm the thicket. 1t Is
known that the seven ringleaders are
dead. The negroes are fleeing from the
district. Three wagons full or them ar
rived at Texarkana tonight.