The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1901-10-31
THE RACE WAR NEAR RAlLTOWN.
La, HAS LEFT A TRAIL
OF BLOOD.
DOZENS FLY TO THE SWAMPS
Believed Numbers of Them Will Die
without Medical Attention-Nine of
Them Left Dead on the Ground and
Are Buried Without Ceremony-One
White Man Killed and Another Fa-
tally Wounded.

White Man Killed and Another Fa.
tally Wounded.
Balltown, La, Oct. 3O.-A race war
| between the blacks and whites, which
started at negro camp meeting at
| Duncan's Chapel, Sunday afternoon,
has left trail of blood up the Pearl
River valley. One white man is dead
another is now dying with a bullet
hole through his stomach and third
white man is badly wounded. Nine
negroes were killed in the bloody af-
fray-five men, three women and one
small child. A dozen or more negroes
escaped to the woods or swamps with
wounds that are believed to be certain
| death in the brush away from medical
care. Many are perforated with lead.
No one is able to estimate the num-
Der Of wounded negroes as they scat
tered to the four winds. Some are
| known to have been shot but they
| have not been found. The fierce con-
f1ict ragged for half an hour. Those
at a distance say the firing sounded
like a pitched battle between troops
10 the camp meeting negroes had
come from 200 miles, all up and down
the valley. On last Thursday the
meeting opened with several hundred
negroes encamped around the church,
IN tents and in rudely constructed
shantles. 1t was to continue one
week. There they ate and slept and
held services in the chapel.
One day previous to the camp meet
ing, the negro, Bill Morris, had been
burned at the stake near BalltoWn for
an assault on Mrs. J. J. Ball. Public
excitement was at a high pitch,
A Terrible Scene Of Slaughter.
There was trouble over license
and Crear Lofts tent became the CEN
ter Of contention. Some trouble &C.
Cured Saturday evening but no blood
shed. 1T came up again Sunday after
noon when Constable Boon and "a
posse rode up to Lofts tent with
warrant. Lott came out and is re-
ported to have shouted with an oath:
One Niger has been burned, but
= - white man will be next"
Wade Walker, one Of the constables
posse, was struck over the head with
a Winchester, and then the slaughter
began. Lott retired into his tent,
shooting and fighting A torrent of
lead was sent whizzing Through the
tent and through the church, while
the negroes fled. 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 It
was death and blood and the shrieks
of the wounded and dying were heard
on every side. Lofts old mother-in-
law, his two daughters and a little
boy fell in heap inside the shelter.
Lott was barricaded and the next
move was to fire the place, which they
| did. When the fire forced him from
under cover he appeared in the door,
way and 20 rife balls went crashing
through him. Parker and Beverly.
both blacks, fell with him
General Uprising Was Feared.
Washington Parish has never seen
such a slaughter. Joe Seal and
Charles Elliott and Edward Thomp-
son, the wounded whites, were carried
away to the house of F. P. Sones,
about three-quarters of mile through
the pine woods, which was hastily
converted into hospital. There Seal
died Monday and there Elliott now
lies dying. For "a hours it looked like
general uprising to wipe out the
black race in washington Parish. The
news spread like wildfre and over
1000 armed men had reached the
scene of the battle.
Sheriff Norman H. Simmons and J..
K. johnson, clerk Ct the court of the
parish. arrived from Franklin Mon
day morning and the feeling subsidized.
The nine negroes who were left in
a heap where they died. were later
| piled into three unmarked graves, dug
| near the charred remains of Lofts
PENTHOUSE. There was no ceremony.
At the same time prominent citizens
held conference which was attended
| by Sheriff Simmons and a message
was sent to the negroes.
DO you want any more?" was the
query.
NO. came the reply.
This had quieting effect and peace
again reigned. The negroes have lef
| the country. They carried all the
personal effects possible. The negroes
| are coWed, and the whites believe
| there will be no further trouble.