The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1901-09-25
THE SOMERYlLLE RIOT.
Nobody Is Dead, but Three Mel Are
Very Seriously Wounded.
TWO ARE WHITE, THE OTHER A NEGRO
The Blacks Opened the ARRAY by Firing
on Crowd OF White Men--odoin
OF the Trouble,

Brenham Texas, September a. Monday
night was an exciting one In the history
OF Washington and Burleson counties.
About 10 o'clock Mr., Amos Smith who
resides In Somerville, but who was down
here on business, received telegram from
that place which read: Bring help aud
come as soon as possible j. S. Miles"
Mr.. Smith hunted up Mr. Rufe Keller.
also Of Somervillc. and acquainted him
with the contents OF the telegram. and
they telephoned for further particulars.
and the report of desperate conflict
between the negroes and whites. In which
several men had been shot, was sufh-
client TO alarm them aud they began gather
Ing up friends 10 go TO the scene, but a
second telegram from the same party
stated: Get all the help you can and
come on No IS
With this alarming state Of affairs and
the further information ,llt hundreds II
shots had been exchanged and several men
shot. Mr. Smith reported the matter 10
Sheriff n. f. league and a citizens posse
was soon organized, but as guns and am
munition seemed TO he scarce II was de.
clded that the sheriff had better call out
the militia; but as Someryllle is in Bur
Lesson county Sheriff Tengue telegraphed
Governor Savers for permission to carry
the BRENNAN Signal corps and In just
eleven minutes received u favorable an
swer.
No. 1s northbound passenger, due here
at 11:55, was due to leave before the
military boys could be called out and get
ready for the trip and the fire bell was
sounded to arouse them and get out
sufficient citizens posse TO overwhelm
with numbers any belligerents that might
be left in Somervllle, The train was held
ten minutes for the Signal corps, Captain
Schumacher in command. with n posse
Of forty or fifty citizens. armed with pump
shotguns, Colts sixshooters and double VAR
rel shotguns with an occasional winchester
formidable array boarded the train and
the engineer opened the throttle to reach
the scene as soon as possible
The train was stopped within about 100
yards Of the station and Captain Schir-
machcr In charge OF the Signal cor.s and
sheriff league In charge OF the citizens
marched up TO the depot.
Somervile was as quiet as Il perhaps
ever was save for the groups Of citizens
gathered in different places discussing the
events OF the night
One of the eyewitnesses TO the whole
affair stated that while gTuup OF men
were seated on the railing of the foot
Santa Fe track and the Harvey lunch coun-
ter, posse of negroes were seen coming
some distance from the track. negro
came up within thirty or forty steps Of
the bridge and opened on the crowd with
a Winchester.
threw his hand to his forehead and reelcd
as it be was going to fall, aud as the sec
ond shot was cred he fell on the railing
or fourth shot Brakeman u. W Long top
Piled on the bridge, shot In the lie side
and the others jumped down in the ditch
general, the other negroes that had stopped
just back of the one that had fired into
the crowd, Joining In the fusiade
White men from every section OF the
town who were armed commenced shoot
ing toward the streams of FIRE coming frt m
down the track and across on the east
side.
George Johnson, brakeman on The Beau
mont branch of the Santa Fe came run
Ming from the east side OF the track with
a single barrel breech loading shotgun in
his hands and some one from the depot
In which number of citizens had taken
refuge to avoid stray bullets, fred through
window at him, dropping him In his
tracks. and he lay there for some time
supposedly dead
There was another negro With gun
running toward the scene Of the malu con
smoke from the gun hred from the window
blinded the man behind the gun So that
he could not put In his second barrel with
effect
The shooting was kept up for ten min.
utes or more and hundreds OF shots wee
hred In that time and the wonder is that
more people were not killed, but this is or
planned upon the hypothesis that ench side
was firing recklessly and the men on each
side taking refuge behind whatever oh
jects offered the least protection
ri
sso,pe one picked up the gun that had
Ihha out out Of the hands Of George Johnson
loaded with buckshot shell and several
wCrc picked up where he fell
when things Ind somewhat quleted down
Tour 10 persons o In women's clothes approach,
bore hm away, but 1t was said that the
four negroes were men In women's cloth
Several searching parties started ont in
different directions to try and arrest lobe
Lewis but he had not been found ot nm
early hour Tuesday morning
One OF the searching parties appron chad
house a few hundred yards south az the
depot, In which there was a dim ught
be hard TO describe, ms In the excitement
that followed each one of the party saw
things differently. One version OF the al
fair is that as the lights were blown ont
n shot was fired at the men that were sur.
rounding the house, and fusllade Of ner
h9ps, twenty-five shots rang out. and start
that direction Some one suggested the
danger OF rushing down there among the
party that had preceded this one and thai
were shooting, as ii was impossible 10 Toll
which way they were shooting, and n hait
WAS called The shooting ceased and Can
tain Schirmach detailed JIeutanant
Nowakewsky and a squad 10 double oIilck
10 the scene and ascertain the causp ar re
suit Of the firing and they returned and
reported that so far as known no one had
been hurt.
some Of the posse demanded entrance 70
the house and as they entered tho front
door a negro ran ont AT the back door and
was shot at twice by ono OF the posse but
II was not known whether ne was hit or
not II was the opinion OF some that this
was Tohe Lewis. the negro said 10 have
shot the two railroad men
Upon the entrance Of the posse into the
house Ave negro men we're found there
but they protested their Innocence Of any
connection with the trouble. and some of
them were known 10 the members Of the
posse. two ~ them being Brenham negroes
one ~ whom begged Constable Burch IN
escort him out and let him come home, MS
he no longer desired residence In Somer
Vile
The women NJ whom there were several
present, were praying to the Lord for pro
lection They said they had found George
Johnson. the wounded negro. aud brought
him there. and that he needed medical at.
tention Drs. Bailey and Lennert OF Bren.
ham who went up with the posse dressed
his wounds one OF which was in the stotn.
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