The Savannah morning news., 1901-10-29
RACE WAR IN DELTA
MANY KILLED AND MORE SERIOUS
TROUBLE FEARED.
AT BORDER OF TWO STATES.
TWO GOVERNORS HURRYING
TROOPS TO THE SCENE.

Amite City, La, Reports Three White
Men and Eleven Negroes Killed in
Washington Pnrish-Attempt by
White Constable to Arrest Negro
Vendor at a Campmeeting Started
the TrOubIe--A Negro Preacher
and His Daughter KiIIed--Negroes
Have Been Threatening outbreak
Since Negro Was Burned at stake
for Rape at Balltown.
New Orleans. Oct. 2S.-The Pic
ayune's Amite City special says:
Three white men and eleven negroes
killed is the startling and terrible
news from Washington parish tonight.
Your correspondent has just conversed
with a man from Franklinton and he
confirms the above information, but
he knew nothing of what has happen
ed since yesterday evening.
The first news Of the race riot was
brought here to-day by Cornelius Mix
on, who, with his mother, left from
near Franklinton this morning. He
stated that white men rode into
Fsanklinton at o'clock this morning,
asking for help, saying that the ne
groes were up in arms threatening to
exterminate the whites. The scene of
the trouble is at or near Balltown,
where a negro was burned last week
for criminally assaulting a white wo-
man. This was not the cause, how
ever, of the murders yesterday in
which three white men and eleven
negroes were killed and several wound
ed. Mr.. Nixon saw and talked with
many men from the scene and they
said that worse trouble was expected
to-day as armed men were fiocking to
the scene and it was reported the
blacks were qually active in preparing
for a battle.
P. B. Carter arrived from Franklin
ton a little after dark tonight, and told
your correspondent that the situation
was terrible and trouble is feared. He
said Joe Seals and Charles Elliott and
another white man, whose name he
did not know, were dead. and E. H
Thompson, a white man, wounded, and
mation-was up to last night, and wa:
obtained from people who went t.
F'ranklinton for help. At o'clock thi:
morning a posse left Franklinton fol
the scene in charge OF Sheriff SIM
mons, and from all over the country
armed men were hurrying to the same
place. Mr. Carter said that probably
500 men were under arms to-day in
Washington parish. The trouble oc-
Cured at Il negro camp-meeting, AMI
the origin as near as can be ascertain
ed was as follows:
Began at n Campmeeting
Greer Lott, a negro, was running a
refreshment stand and a constable, a
white man, name not given, went to
him and asked for his license. He had
none and became impudent, cursed the
constable and def1ed him. The con-
stable withdrew and obtained assist
ance. He returned with several white
men when the negro Lott rushed out
and fired point blank into the crowd,
killing Joe Seals and Charles Elliott.
The whites returned and fire and killed
Lott, Then a negro preacher named
Connolly rushed out of a house with
gun in hand. attempting to shoot,
when he was killed. His daughter also
was killed, it is said, accidentally. In
the shooting which followed another
white man was killed and Z. H.
Thompson wounded, and seven or
eight negroes killed.
The shooting had no direct
connection with the burning of
the negro Morris in. that sec
ton last week, but it is undoubtedly
a sequel to that tragic event. Since
that time it is reported that the ne
groes have been holding nightly meet
ings. preparing to attack the whites.
Balltown is about 20 miles from
Franklinton. in a sparsely settled sec
ton. 1t is isolated and almost entirely
cut off from the outside world. Frank
linton is 27 miles east of this place and
there are no telegraph or telephone
lines.