The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-09-03
DECATUR COUNTY OUTRAGEs.
But the Whitecaps stopped Their
Work From Fear of Court.

w
Work From Fear of Court.
cambridge, Ga, Sept. "A state of alb
solute lawlessness has prevailed in the
western part of Decatur county, more or
less evident at different times for the past
three weeks.
1t seems that the Ogletree affair. to-
gother with the assassination of John
Clarke, by the negro Noah McCrary, and
the part that a negro Odd Fellow lodge
in that community, ID is supposed, took
in harboring the assassin and aiding him
to escape, has incensed some Of the White
men with a vengeance.
Because of these affairs some of the
lawless whites have organized themselves
into Whitecapping bands for the purpose
of regulating the negroes" Their out
RACES approximate the outrages of the
kuklux in former days.
In spite of the efforts of the respectable
citizens on the west side, this band of
Whitecaps have caused considerable trou-
BILE and damage Those who have form
ed themselves into what they call vigil
ance committees, are mostly young men,
led by some older ones whose age has
added nothing to their discretion.
This gang Of semi-desperadoes have
formed a habit of whipping every negro
their conduct they have created such con-
sternation among the negro labor on the
turpentine farms on the west side that
the latter have begun to leave in large
numbers. Some of the turpentine farms
and mills have been almost depleted Of
their labor; the only mills and farms that
have escaped are those using convict la
Dor.
Among those who have suffered most is
Mr. j. c. Ausley an extensive turpenune
operator, whose stn is located at Iron
CITY. So repeatedly have these fellows
raided his camps and whipped his negroes,
that at one time in the past week he
thought thai he would have to suspend his
business entirely.
Others whose labor has been run off are
Shingler & Co., and the Sharpe Com
pany. turpeutine men, and the Lukens
Lumber Company, saw mill men
Callahan & johnson, a arm conducting
a turpentine business who work ccnVicts
received notice that they would have to
abolish Their convict camps; adSo the
Flowers Lumber Company Of Idkiu. have
received a similar notice. 70 OF these
concerns of course uisreg irded lie notice,
and have heard nothing further from H..
Several negroes on the pc THESES of the
Smith Lumber Company have Gecn Sc
verely whipped by this gang
The citizens of Iron City and Donaldson
Vile have petitioned Judge W. N. Spence
of the Albany circuit, to convene spe-
clal term of the Superior Court, for the
purpose of inquiring into these outrages,
and the Judge answers to-day, saying that
should another outbreak occur, he will
convene a special term Immediately.
There is not a semi-respectable citizen
of the county implicated in these outrages.
They have been perpetrated by some ire
sponsible men, who seem to have taken
license from the public sentiment support
ing the action of the mob in the unfortu-
nate Ogletree affair, for their lawlessness.
Since it has become known that petit
ton has been sent to Judge Spence for
special term of the court, things have
been more quiet, and no more trouble Is
expected