The Marlboro democrat. [volume] (Bennettsville, S.C.) 1882-1908, 1907-12-20
Rt DECEMBER 20, 1907 1
FIERCE RACE RIOT.
Thirty Blacks Reported Killed and
Five Whites Hurt /
Fifteen Blacks Burned to Death
When tho Whites Attacked tho

when tho Whites Attacked til
Lodge Room Of the Latter.
A special dispatch to the Mem
phis News-Scimiter from Columbus
Miss. says some thirty negroe
were killed one night last week an,
many moro were wounded as the re
suit of fierce race war in Picken
County, Ala. Five white men wer,
wounded.
| 1t is said that owing to the dis
coVery OF plot on the part Of tht
negroes to raise against the white.
every black in the community Is ir
danger. This plot was carried or
Oy means OF secret society which
had lodge rooms in remote districts
or Ptckens county
FIFTEEN negroes were burned to
death In u lodge room near Reform
Ala, Tuesday night, when whites at.
tackled the place and finding a mum
Der OF repeating rifles and shotguns,
| fired the building.
me blacks were penncd in by the
continual shooting of the whites and
those who were not killed in at
tempting to escape were roasted
alive.
Near Gordon, three negroes were
Killed when a posse of white men at
tackled lodge room. SO far as has
been learned, the burning Of the 9th
er lodge rooms was without fatali-
ties.
The trouble started with the ar
rest OF Tom Lowe, a negro, on a
charge OF stealing bale Of cotton
from Whig Lowe, a white planter,
who is also deputy sheriff.
Deputy Whig Lowe and several
other officers succeeded in arresting
the accused negro. AS they were
riding to Gordo with their prisoner,
they were fired upon from ambush
by party Of negroes headed by Bob
Lowe, the prisoners brother.
Tom Lowe fell dead from a shot,
which it is said was fired by his
own prother, at the deputy sheriff.
Deputy Lowe fell, mortally wounded.
dispatch to The Atlanta journal
from Birmingham, Ala, says long
distance telephone message from Re-
form, the nearest telegraph town to.
the scene stated that there had been
no persons killed since the Love
tragedy
The excitement in Pickenss county
was the result of the Killing OF
negro named Lowe and the serioug
wounding of a white man of thSg
same. name, the latter being con-
stable who was shot While friends
were trying to take the negro from
him.
The negro Lowe had been arrested
for stealing cotton. which had been
tagged When relatives and other
negroes approached the officer who
had him, shooting became promis-
cuous and the negro was killed and
Lowe was hurt.
Sixteen negroes are in Jail in the
western part Of Pickens county,
charged with participation in the ex-
citement. Many negroes are related
in that section Of the county and for
that reason the whites are armed to
bc tduH ioI ull emergencies.
The determined white men Of Pic
kens county, in the vicinity of Gordo
hearing reports that negroes were
preparing for an attack. raidcd a
lodge room and secured thirteen
Winchester shotguns, which were
loaded with buckshot, and every
trace of weapon taken in charge
The leader of the gang Of negroes
said to be getting ready for riot
was reported to have boarded Il
train for Birmingham, and efforts
have been made to have him stop
ped and placed under arrest No
killing took place during the raid
on the lodge room,
Gordo is not on a direct wire from
birmingham, and information being
received is meagre, though rumors
prevail that seven negroes have been
killed already since Saturday, when
the first trouble began between the
whites and colorcd.