Bismarck daily tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, Dakota [N.D.]) 1881-1916, 1901-10-30
A RACE WAR IS RAGING
Eleven People Are Killed in a Battle
Between Negroes and Whites
in Mississippi.
Officers Posse Started Out to Arrest
Negro and Was Ambushed
by Gang of Negroes.
Two of the Posse and Nine Negroes
Including Three Women, Are
Dead as a Result.

Columbia, Miss, Oct. 3O.-Tne town
Of Columbia and it's vicinity was
thrown into great excitement by sew
eral messengers from the vicinity of
Balltown, La, about rs miles below
here, who brought the news that
race riot had been precipitated be-
tween the whites and blacks of that
section by the shooting and burning
of the negro Bill Morris, who criminal
ly assaulted and almost murdered Mrs,
John Ball a few days ago. Several
runners brought the news that numer-
Gus white men were killed and that
che negroes were arming themselves
for the fray. This information Great
ed the widest excitement and a num-
Der of men, headed by Deputy Sheriff
Branton Of this equity and Marshal
T. T. Ford of Columbia, all fully arm
ed, left for the scene of the trouble.
1t seems a negro named Crea Lott
was really at the bottom of the
trouble. It was reported tteele officers
of Washington parish that Lott, who
lived near Booth, La, was running
meeting at Live Oak church, where
negro revival was in progress. The
constables of the district gathered "a
posse and started to investigate. Lott
was apprised of the approach in ad-
vance and was ready for trouble when
it reached Live Oak church.
Ambushed by Negroes.
The posse was about 100 yards from
the church house when ambushed and
the negroes opened fire from two or
three directions. The constable bade
his men pay no attention to the firing
as it was from distance. He said all
he wanted to do was to capture Lott.
When the restaurant where Lott had
his goods ewas reached the posse was
fired on by Lott and negroes who we're
concealed behind the counters on the
inside. The fight became general be-
tween the posse and the restaurant
crowd and also between whites and
negroes all over the ground.
At this juncture the posse deemed
it necessary to fire the Lott restaur-
ant, in order to dislodge his gang.
Lott rushed out when the torch was
applied and discharged a double-bar-
relied shotgun into the crowd of whites
twenty-five buckshot took effect in
the side of Joe Seals, one of the posse.
from the effects of which he died. A
negro who followed Lott shot a man
named Elliott, one of the posse,
through the stomach with 3S-calibre
pistol. The negroes then tried to es-
cape but others Of the posse had their
guns leveled and completely riddled
their bodies with bullets. Lofts head
was almost shot from his shoulders.
He was shapeless mass Of blood and
brains before his body hit the ground.
Negro Preacher Also Killed.
During the fight a negro preacher
came out Of the church, armed with
musket. He was shot and killed be-
fore he could use it.
After the smoke of battle had clear
ed away there were five dead negro
men, including the preacher, three
women, two burned beyond recogni-
tion, who perished in Lofts restaur-
ant. and one child who was with its
mother in the restaurant and perished
with her.
The fences, trees. church house and
camps were thoroughly riddled with
bullets. There must have been fully
1000 shots fired. It is rumored that
since the fight one negro has been
found dead in the swamps and several
wounded have applied for assistance
at neighboring houses. The negroes
took to the woods like scared rabbits
after and during the shooting and no
one can be found in the neighborhood.
Sheriff Simmons of Washington par
ish and posse, assisted by Deputy
5heriff Branton of Marion county and
posse, were on the ground early in the
morning and assisted in burying the
dead and taking care of the wounded.
Quiet prevails, according to the lat
est reports from Balltown, but further
trouble is not at all unlikely. IT,
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