Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1901-11-06
The BalItown Riot.

New Orleans, La, October 29.-A
special to the Pioayune from Ball
town, La, says that the race war be.
tween the blacks and whites, which
started at a negro camp meeting at
Duncan Chapel Sunday, forms a
story of blood unequalled in the his
tory of the Pearl River Valley.
One white man is dead, another is
dying, with bullet hole through
his stomach, and third white man
is badly injured.
Nine negroes were killed in the
bloody affray, five men, three women
and one small child. A dozen or
perhaps more negroes escaped to
the woods and swamps with wounds
that are believed to be certain death
in the brush away from medical care.
The dead, white: Joseph Seal,
son OF Willis Seal, aged 80, residence
at Varando, La. Wounded, white !:
Clarence Thomas Elliott, aged 26,
fatally wounded, now dying, resi-
denc eVarando, La; Edward Thomp.
son, 45, shot through thigh and
fleshy portion of the leg, residence
Varando.
Dead, colored /: The Rev. Alexan-
der Connolly, SO, pastor Duncan
Cheapel; Mary Davis, 80, his daugh-
ter; Crear Lott, As; Julia Peters,
Lofts daughter, %; Mellon Peters,
her child, aged a; Amy Tony, rs,
mother-in-l Law of Crear Lott Lewis
Duncan, 18, son of Helen Dunn,
living in Poplarville Thomas Parker,
"a; Kid Beverley, 18, a turpentine
worker from Georgia.
No one is able to estimate the
number OF wounded negroes who
escaped the carnage behind the
church. They scattered in all dircc-
tions. Some are known to have
been shot, but they have not been
found. The conflict ragged for half
an hour. Thoes at a distance say
the firing sounded like battle be-
tween troops.
TO the camp meeting negroes had
come from 200 miles, all up and
down the valley. Elder Stephen
Duncan, of New Orleans, for whom
the chapel was named, was present.
On last Thursday the meeting open
ed with several hundred negroes
encamped around the church in tents
and in rudely constructed shanties.
One day previous to the camp
meeting, when the negro, Bill Nor
ris, had been burned at the stake
near Balltown for an assault on Mrs.
J.J. Ball, public feeling was at a
high pitch.
Under those conditions the negroes
gathered at Live Oak. There was
trouble over license and Greer
Lofts tent became the centre of con-
tention. Some trouble occurred
Saturday evening, but there was no
bloodshed. 1t came up again Satur-
day afternoon when Constable Boon
and a posse rode up to Lofts tent
with warrant.
Lott came out and is reported to
have shouted with an oath
zone negro has been. burned, but
white man will be next"
Wade Walker, one of the consta.
ble's posse, was struck over the head
with a Winchester and then the
slaughter began. The blacks fled from
the frail wooden church, for it was
no shelter from the rain of bullets.
Lott retired into his tent, shooting
and fighting. John Seal received his
death wound.
Preacher Connolly was shot while
standing in his yard. His daughter
fell just inside the house. The other
negroes around Lofts place kept up
a steady rain of bullets.
Lofts old mother-in-law, his two
daughters and the little boy fell in a
heap inside the shelter. SOPHIE Lott
saved her life by concealing herself
behind the stove. Then she escaped
and the men did not harm her. They
were after Creer Lott. He was barri-
caded and the next move was to fire
the place, which they did. When tho
fire forced him from under cover he
appeared in the doorway and twenty
rifle balls went crashing through him.
lie fell in heap headforemost on the
ground. Parker and Beverly, both
blacks, fell with him.