Crittenden press. [volume] (Marion, Ky.) 1879-1907, 1902-10-02
Pleasant Porter. governor Of the

civilized tribes, TO be held at South
McAlester on September 2G, for the
purpose of formulating a general
plan for bringing Indian Territory
into statehood at the expiration of
tribal government in 1906. Gov.
Porter says the Indians are opposed
10 statehood with Oklahoma.
A fight over a seat in the Nation
al Convention of Colored Baptists
at Birmingham, Ala, resulted in the
death of over a hundred delegates
and members of the audience, and
many others were injured. AT the
conclusion Of an address by Booker
Y. Washington, Judge Billion, a ne
gro lawyer from Baltimore, engaged
in an alteration with the choir
leader concerning an unoccupied
seat, and it is said blow was struck.
Some one in the choir cried, They're
fighting Mistaking the word
Fighting" for "lire," the congrega-
ton arose On masse and started for
the door One of the ministers
quickly mounted the rostrum and
admonished the people to keep quiet
He repeated the word quiet" several
time, and motioned to his hearers
to be seated. Again the excited con-
gregaton mistook the word quiet
for fire" and rushed pellmell for
the door. Men and women crawled
over benches, fought their way into
the aises, and those who had fallen
were trampled on like cattle The
ministers tried again to stop the
stampede, but no power on earth
could stay the struggling, fighting
mass of humanity The screams Of
women and children added to the
horror Of the scene, and through
mere fright many persons tainted,
and as they fell to the floor were
crushed TO death. The level of the
floor is about fifteen feet from the
ground, and long steps lead to the
sidewalk from the lobby, just out
side the main auditorium. Brick
walls extend on each side Of these
steps for six or seven feet and this
proved a veritable death trap. Ne
grocs who had reached the top Of the
steps were pushed violently forward,
and many fell. Before they could
move other, fell upon them, and in
fifteen minutes persons were piled
upon each other TO a height of ten
feet This wall Of struggling mass
Of humanity blocked the entrance,
and the weight of fifteen hundred
persons was pushed against 1t. More
than twenty persons lying on the
steps underneath the heap of bodies
died from sufiocation. The dead
bodies were quickly moved and the
crowd inside, finding an outlet came
pouring out Scores of them lost
their footing and rolled down the
long steps to the pavement, sustain
ing broken limbs and internal in
jurics. In an hour the church had
been practically cleared and the
sight which greeted the eyes Of those
who had come to aid the injured
was sickcning. Down the aisles and
along the outside of the pews the
dead bodies of men and women were
strewed, and the cries of the MANNED
and crippled were heartrending.
1t is feared the Mississippi river
will in a few years cut new chan
mel above Memphis and leave that
city, unless something is done to
hold the stream in its present course.
Discussing the situation the Com
mcFcial Appeal says; "Should the
river do its worst il would mean that
Memphis will be without a water
highway 1t will mean that the
present bridge of the Frisco system
will be useless, and that a new one
will have to be built. In addition
to these great and almost incalcula-
bic injuries to the prosperity and flu
turn of tho citV and tho nnnihi la