The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-10-30
Church Perforated with Bullets and
the Preacher and His Daughter
Killed at Their Home.
A LOUISIANA PARISH IN ARMS
REIGN OF TERROR THAT ENDED
WITH FLIGHT OF NEGROES.
Bodies of the CoIored Victims Thrown
Into HOIes-NO Further Trouble
After the Blacks Fled.

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. pa dispatch to
the Picayune from Balltown. La, says:
race war between the blacks and whites,
started at a negro camp meeting at Dun
cans Chapel Sunday afternoon at o'clock.
has left a carnival of blood up the Pearl
river valley unequaled in the history of
the country.
One white man is dead, another is now
dying with a bullet hole through his stom-
ach, and a third white man is badly wound
ed 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 GER
tain death in the brush away from care.
Many are perforated with lead The cas-
ualties follow:
JOSEPH SEAL. white, son of Willis Seal,
aged thirty-two years, residence at Varan-
do, La, killed
CHARLES THOMAS ELLIOTT, white,
aged twenty-six, fatally wounded now dy
ing, Varando La.
EDWARD THOMPSON, white aged for
ty-five, shot through thigh and fieshy por-
ton Of leg Varando.
Dead Negroes
REV. ALEXANDER CONNOLLY, aged
fifty, pastor Duncan Chapel.
MARY DAVIS, aged thirty. his daughter.
CREAR LOTT, aged forty-sx.
JULIA PETERS. his daughter. aged
tWenty-four.
MELLIN PETERS, her child, aged four
years.
AMY TONY. aged seventy-ive years,
mother-in-law of Crear Lott.
LEWIS DUNN, aged eighteen years son
of Helen Dunn. living in Poplarvile.
THOMAS PARKER, aged twenty-four.
KID BEVERLY, aged eighteen years,
turpentine worker from Georgia.
No one is able TO estimate the number of
wounded negroes who escaped the carnage
behind the church. They scattered TO the
four winds. Some are known to have been
shot. but they have not been found. The
fierce conflict ragged for half an hour.
Those at a distance say the firing sounded
like a pitched battle between 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 pres
ent. On last Thursday the meeting opened
with several hundred negroes encamped
around the church. in tents and in rudely
constructed shanties. II 10 continue
one week. There they ate and slept and
held services in the chapel.
One day previous to the camp meeting
the negro Bill Morris, 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 a license and Crear Lofts tent
became the center of contention. Some
trouble occurred Saturday evening. but no
bloodshed 1t came up again Sunday after
noon, when Constanble Boon and a posse
rode up TO Lofts tent with a warrant.
Lott came out and is reported to have
shouted with oath: "One nigger has
been burned, but - white man will be
next"
Wade Walker, one of the constab bles posse,
was struck over the head with a Winches-
ter, and then the slaughter begun. The
blacks fled from the frail wooden church,
for it was no shelter from the rain of bull
lets. Lott retired into his tent shooting
and fighting. Joe Seal received his death
wound. a torrent of lead was sent whizzng
through the tent and through the church,
| while the negroes fled.
Preacher Connolly was shot while stand
ing in his yard. His daughter fell just in
side the house. The other negroes around
Lofts place kept up a steady rain of bull
| let's. 1t was death and blood, and the
shrieks of the wounded and dying were
! heard on ever side. Lofts old mother-in-
law. his two daughters and the little boy
| fell in heap inside the shelter. Sophie Lott
| saved her life by cOnceaing herself behind
| the stove. Then she escaped and the men
| did not harm her They were after Crear
| Lott He was barrlcaded and the next
| move was TO fire the place, which they did
| When the fire forced him from under cover
| he appeared in the doorway and twenty
4
! fell in heap. headforemost on the ground
! Parker and Beverly, both blacks, fen with
him.
! Washington parish has never seen such a
! slaughter. For twenty-fOur hours il looked
! like a general uprising to wipe out the
/ black race in Washington parish. The news
! spread like wldfire and yesterday over 900
| armed men had reached the scene of the
/ battle. They came for miles and miles
/ some from far away as Monticello.
| Yesterday afternoon the nine negroes
| who were left in a heap where they had
died. were piled into three unmarked
! graves, dug near the charred remains OF
/ Lofts PENTHOUSE. There was no ceremony
The minister and his daughter filled one OF
/ the holes, the women and child another. the
men a third. AT the same time prominent
/ citizens held a conference which was at
! tended by Sheriff Simmons and a MESA ge
/ was sent 10 the negroes
DO YOU want any more?" was the query.
| NO" came the reply.
This had quieting effect and peace again
] reigned. The negroes left the country.
! They carried all the personal effects possi-
! ble. All who could rode on horseback and
| i'm buggies. and those who could not ride
/ took to the woods afoot Those who We're
| little bolder lined the roads. getting out
of the community. This afternoon ali was
! quiet. The negroes are cowed and the
| whites believe there will be no further trou-
BILE.