Greene County herald. (Leakesville, Miss.) 1898-current, 1907-01-04
CONDITIONS
EXAGGERATED
REPORTS SENT OUT FROM KEN.
PER COUNTY GREATLY COL
ORED.
lWELVE PEOPLE KILLED
And Same Number Wounded AS Re-
suit Of the Trouble. $3.50 Re-
ward is offered for capture of Mich
6lson's Murderers.

Meridian, Miss.-Gov. Vardaman
and the state militia have returned
to Jackson. The governor announced
that he wiA exhaust every means to
capture and punish the alleged muir
derers of negro named Nicholson.
He offers rewards of $3.50 for the ar
rest of Earnest Bryan, Hal Byrd and
Dan Kerr, who are suspected of hav-
ing something to do with Nicholson s
murder. Official returns place the
dead at twelve and the injured at the
same number.
Gen. Fridge issued order to the
militia to be in readiness for another
emergency call, because of rumors
which have reached him.
The body Of one more negro was
found in the woods near Scooba, but
it is believed he had been dead sever
al days.
The people of Scooba are Indignant
because of exaggerated reports sent
out, and claim that they have been
guarding the incoming trainc to pre-
vent white people from the outside
coming and precipitating further
trouble.
"We, in Scooba understd the sit
nation better than outsiders possibly
can," prominent citizens is reported
as having said, "and if anybody is
to be killed We know who it is, we
know the innocent negroes from the
guilty and our greatest anxiety IS
from outsiders coming in and causing
further trouble" "
Tom Simpson, father of the negro
who started the trouble at Wahalak
was arrested at DeKalb and brought
to this city. The slayer of OBrien IS
said 10 be at large, although the state
ment is made that he was captured
Ind lynched in the swamps Of Kemper
county. The sheriff was severely con-
demned by the governor for leaving
the county during The trouble, and IS
said have been negligent in leaving
part of the work to deputy.
Governor Vardaman said he did
not think there was any danger of
further trouble whatever over the
feeling against the negroes in Kemper
county. He referred to the wounding
of Conductor Cooper "by lot of
drunken niggers" as an atrocious
crime; that the whole trouble will be
thoroughly invested and that he will
have more to say"
Up to date tie number of known
dead is six, John O'Brien, deputy sher
iff, and five negroes. There are two
white men and one negro wounded,
the former being Conductor ]. II.
Cooper, of the Mobile and Ohio rail-
road, and Deputy Sheriff Oliver East
land 1t was also reported, but un-
confirmed, that a negro woman and
child were burned to death in house
occupied by Dob Bird.
The most authentic story of the trou
bile, from its origin with the assault
pn Conductor Cooper, to the present
time, was related at the citizens meet
Eng by Capt. F. d. Carr.
Sunday drunken negroes on the
train began to create row and Con-
ductor Cooper tried to stop the fuss
and one Of the negroes cut Cooper up
seriously and made his escape at Wa
halak John O'Brien, an officer, at
tempted to arrest Tom Simpson, the
negro who had cut the conductor, and
Simpson shot and killed O'Brien. A
crowd Of citizens then proceeded to
capture Simpson, who was helped by
other negroes to make his escape. The
following negroes were killed. Bob
Simpson, brother of the murderer,
and Isham McNeis and Calvin Nick
elson. Chas. Neal, a negro, was Sc
riously wounded.
1t was thought for some time that
the negroes were organizing to pro-
ceed against the whites, but if such
was the case they soon became dis
organized after the military compa-
nies appeared in the scene. Citizens
from all over this section of the state
went on a special train to the scene
of the disturbance. When they ar
rived at Wahalak not a negro was to
be seen or heard.
At Crawford on Monday, a negro
named Nose Longstrest, was in the
Allowance for Mrs. Gorgas.