The Montgomery advertiser., 1901-12-06
How the Riot Started,

Marshall Atkinson was notified last night that a negro had stolen a pistol from a white man and had barricaded himself in house in the turpentine quar- ters. This quarter of the little town is inhabited by negroes who work in the turpentine stills about Opp and the Mar shall knew the desperate character of the men of that neighSorhood.
 Nevertheless he determined to arrest the negro. Summoning three deputies one of whom was J. w. Dorsey, a promi nent merchant and Councilman of Opp; another John D. Fitzsimmons-he went to the house where he had been told the negro was hiding.
 Inside the house fifteen negroes had as- sembled to protect their fellow workman from arrest. They had armed themselves with Winchester rifles and pistols. The entire crowd was drunk and therefore doubly desperate.
 As Marshal Atkinson and his party ad- vanced on the house, the door was sud- denly thrown open and the drunken ne- groes poured from the cabin, swearing that none of their number should be ar- rested. Suddenly, when the MarshaPs party had reached point about fifty feet from the crowd, a negro stepped forward and leveled his rife at the advancing of- ficers. There was a sharp report stream of d fire illuminated the darkness and Marshal Atkinson staggered backward against one of the deputies. He was shot through the breast.
 Fire on them. boys" he gasped. They are trying to kill us all"
 At the same time he drew his pistol and opened the battle from his side. His com panions followed his lead and before the echoes of the Winchester had died away the shot was answered by a fusiade from the officers guns Atkinson emptied his pistol and then sank 10 the ground.
 The negroes scattered at the first fire of the officers. all but two. These had been hit and they reeled and fell as their companions ran. Both were dead when later a posse arrived on the scene.
 The fleeing negroes if d as they ran for shelter. One of their bullets struck Dor sey and he tumbled forward dead. An other hit Fitzsimmons in the leg and while he was falling second pierced his hip He continued to shoot, though down, and the other deputy stood by him and fired until his revolver was emptied. They shot two of the running negro oes, but the bullets Cnt through them without stop ping their fig't. They were found des- pcrately wounded later by the posse with dogs.
 The deputy who has escaped from the battIe unhurt spread the WIS of the
 
 fight. Tn a short while the entire town was wild with excitement. M went to the scene and removed tn wounded of ficers to comfortable places They car ried the body of Dorsey to his home and then began to form for pursuit Of the negroes.
 A message was sent to Andalusia and Sheriff Bradshaw with his dogs proceed ed at once to Opp. There he headed a party of twenty or more and they went out for the chase. One by one the negroes were overtaken. The dogs ran several down in the woods. while others were traced back to the turpentine quarters. In all the Sheriff arrested twenty-one, one of whom was believed to be the ring leader of the crowd who fired on Mar shal Atkinson and lis party
 While they were out chasing the ne- grocs Marshal Atkinson died of his wound.