The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1902-08-26
RIOT PRECIPITATED BY SECRET
ORGANIZATION OF NEGROES
EXCITEMENT PREVAILS
Six Persons are Seriously shot and
a Number OF Others Injured-Ne-
While i'm Their Own Premises.
Posses in Pursuit Are Fired on and
In Return Open Fire on the Ne
groes-Fiye Hundred Men Under

Tupelo, Miss, August 21-Six per-
sons seriously shot and a number in
jured is the reported result of a race
riot now in progress in the south end
Of Lee county, near Shannon.
Three negroes and three white men
are badly injured and Others probably
more or less so. This is the result of
a race riot precipitated by a secret or
ganization Of negroes firing upon and
wounding the Enbank brothers while
on their own premises. The shooting
occurred Tuesday soon after dark.
Posses in pursuit had a lively encoun-
ter with the negroes six miles south
Of Shannon yesterday afternoon when
more or less shooting was done. One
white man and three negroes were
badly wounded and several more ne
groes were slightly hurt. Other posses
are in pursuit and the affair is not yet
over. Deputy Sheriff Temple has just
reached the city with eight desperadoes
bound with chains and under a heavy
guard. He reports five hundred men
under arms and says great excitement
prevails. The officer took the train at
Nettleton and mad great difficulty in
getting away with the prisoners.
For some months negroes at Shannon
and Nettleton have been giving con-
siderable trouble, secret societies being
formed under the guidance of a foster
chool teacher or preacher. These or
CARNATIONS are said to be for the pur-
pose of resisting the whites and pro-
tpctino noOr0pS i'm daa1C of In uy1o=cnaCS
The alleged instigator of the serious
outbreaks of the last few hours is a
negro preacher named Jeff Rogers. He
has been held under suspicion by the
whites for some time as a bad charac-
ter.
He is a negro of some education and
has considerable influence in his
church.
The first serious trouble broke out
some time ago, when a negro named
Giles Jackson assaulted the Lauder
dales in a corn field. seriously wound
ing them. About a month ago this ne
gro died in the. county Jail from wounds
inflicted while resisting arrest. A few
avs ago a negro was seen taking corn
from a field belonging to Mr.. Eubanks,
who lives close to Shannon, and when
spoken to about it he became insolent
and defiant and a warrant vas sworn
out for his arrest.
On Tuesday evening a son of Eu-
banks living just across the road no
ticed a number of negroes c~ongregated
| around his home. He supposed they
meant to attack lis home and he cross
ed the road and Joined his father and
young brother. Shortly after Eubanks
went to his fathers house Il command
to fire was given and a binding volley
rang out from the guns carried by the
negroes. Both of the younger Eubanks
the shooting Of the Eubanks brothers
the whites Immediately organized
themselves into an armed posse to
bring to justice the guilty negroes.
Yesterday afternoon headed by Mar
shall Randolph. of Nettleton and Mar
shall Irby, of Shannon. this posse went
after two members of the negro mob
who were supposed to be hiding in a
cabin about six miles from Shannon
The posse, reaching the cabin, ordered
the door opened. but the command was
UNDECIDED. After waiting q momen
Randolph pushed the door open. He
was met with a volley Of bird shot and
fell across the threshold with blood
gushing from his face and shoulders
The negroes ran out of the house over
the Frustrated officer. They were me-
by a volley from the posse. Three ne
groes were injured SO badly that they
were left lying On the ground. The
others escaped in the darkness, som
leaving behind races of their wounds
A deputy has returned from han
and reports everything quiet there now