The Billings gazette. [volume] (Billings, Mont.) 1896-1919, 1901-10-29
THREE WHITES AND ELEVEN
NEGROES KILLED.
r7a5
AT NEGRO CAMP MEETING
Armed Men FIocking to the Scene
Of Disturbance From Every
Direction.

New Orleans, Oct. 28-A special
from Amite City to the Picayunne
says: Three white men and IL ne
groes killed is the startling and ter
rible news from Washington parish
tonight.
Your correspondent has just con-
versed with a man from Franklinton
and he confirms the above informa-
ton but he knew nothing of what has
happened since yesterday evening.
The first news of the race riot was
brought here today by Cornelius
Nixon, who with his mother, left from
near Franklinton this morning.
He stated that white men rode into
Franklinton at o'clock this morning
asking for help, saying that the ne
groes were up in arms, threatening
to exterminate whites. The scene of
the trouble is at or near Balltown,
where the negro was burned last
week for criminally assaulting white
woman. This was not the cause,
however, of the murders yesterday in
which three white men and Ii ne
groes were killed and several wound
ed. Mr.. Nixon saw and talked with
many men from the scene and they
said more and worse trouble was ex-
pected today as armed men were
focking to the scene, and it was re-
ported the blacks were equally ac-
tive in preparing for battle.
P. B. Carter arrived from Frank
linton a little after dark tonight and
told your correspondent that the sit
uation was terrible and that trouble
is feared. He said that Joe Seals and
Chas. Elliott and another white man.
whose name he did not know, were
dead, and E. w. Thompson, white
man, was wounded and that II ne
groes were dead. His information
was up to last night and was obtained
from people who went to Franklinton
for help. At o'clock this morning
a posse left Franklinton for the
scene in charge of Sheriff Simmons,
and from all over the country armed
men are hurrying to the same place.
Mr.. Carter said that 500 men were
probably under arms today in Wash
ington parish. The trouble occurred
at a negro camp meeting and the
origin, as near as can be ascertained,
was as follows:
Greer Lott, a negro, was running a
refreshment stand, and constable,
a white man, name not given, went
to him and asked for his license; he
had none, and he became impudent,
resisted the constable and defied
him. The constable withdrew and OBJ
tanned assistance. He returned with
several white men when the negro
Lott rushed out and fired point blank
into the crowd, killing Joe Seals and
Chas. Elliott. The whites returned
the fire and killed Lott. Then ne
gro preacher, named Connolly, rush
ed out of the house with a gun in
his hand, attempting to shoot, when
he was killed, and his daughter was
killed, it is said, accidently. In the
shooting which followed, another
white man was killed and E. w.
Thompson wounded and seven or
eight negroes killed. The shooting
had no direct connection with the
buring of the negro Morris in that
section last week, but it is undoubted-
ly the sequel to that tragic event.
Since that time it is reported that
the negroes have been holding night
ly meetings preparing to attack the
whites.
Wanted Troops Sent.
Baton Rouge, La, Oct. 2S.-Gov-
ernor Heard received message this
afternoon from Deputy Sheriff Sim
mons of Washington parish, saying
that terrible conflict was in progress
between the whites and blacks in
that parish, 80 being already dead,
and requesting the governor to send
troops at once. The governor pre-
pared to &c so, but later advices re-
ported all quiet.