The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1907-01-03
NINE men DEAD
IN RACE RIOTS
Mississippi Mob Still Staying
Negroes.
HURRyING TROOPS TO THE SCENE.
Troops Withdrawn, When Rioting
Breaks Out Afresh at Scooba and Five
Negroes Are Slain in Fight Between
Whites and Blacks Wagons Meeting
in Narrow Road Cause of Trouble.

Meridian, Miss. Especially. - Nine
dead and three wounded is the record
of the race riot in Kemper County
since the trouble started Sunday
morning, Eight of the dead are ne
groes, while but one white man was
killed.
When the troops arrived at Wa
halak Monday night they found the
little town in a fever of excitement
over the clash between the races ear
lier in the day. Colonel McCants,
the commander of the Second Regl-
ment, was informed that the negroes
had fortified themselves two miles
from Wahalak and a party of sol
diers went out to dislodge them, but
when the troops arrived on the scene
the blacks had disappeared. Two
negroes were killed near Wahalak
by whites early Monday night, but
no further trouble occurred there
in that section had either fed or Sc
creted themselves in their homes,
and believing the trouble over Colo
mel McCants returned to Meridian
with the soldiers this afternoon.
Tuesday rioting broke out at
Scooba, town in the same county,
five miles south of Wahalak, as a re-
suit of which five negroes we're killed.
The sheriff of Kemper County was
unable to control the situation, and
sent Governor Vardaman an urgent
appeal for troops. The Governor i'm
mediately notified the militia at Meri-
dian, Macon and Columbus to pro-
ceed to Scooba by special train.
All of the white people in the
country are up in arms, and a deadly
clash is on between the races. The
negroes are said to be heavily armed
with rifles and shotguns, and it is
believed that much blood will be
shed before the troops arrive. Two
of the alleged slayers of the negroes
at Scooba have been placed under
arrest, and Governor Vardaman mas
ordered a company of state troops
from this city to prevent their es-
cape
The race war is an outgrowth Of
the killing of two conductors on Mo-
bile and Ohio Railway trains by ne
groes-one Sunday and the other
Tuesday
Conductor Robert Harrison, of this
city, was shot and killed by an un-
known negro at Crawford, a station
above Wahalak, where the race riots
occurred Monday. The assassin was
Immediately killed by R. o. Minis,
formerly yardmaster of the Mobile
and Ohio Railroad. When the
freight train on which were Harrison
and Minis reached Crawford, a hot
box was discovered, and Harrison and
Minis got off the train to Investigate.
AS they stepped to the ground, the
negro stepped out from concealment
and fired point blank at Minis, but
the shot struck Harrison. Minis is
said to resemble the young fireman
who was with Conductor Cooper Sun
day morning when the conductor was
badly slashed in trying to eject an
intoxicated negro who raised a dis
turbance, following which Cooper
pulled his gun and killed a negro
companion of the drunken negro and
mortally wounded the latter. This
case of mistaken identity is believed
to be the cause Of Tuesdays fracas.
According to advices received. the
moment the negro shot Harrison,
Minis drew his revolver and killed
the assassin, who has not been posi-
lively Identified up to the present
time.
AT 10 O'Clock Tuesday night, the
Meridian troops ordered out by Gov.
ernor Vardaman to prevent a repeti-
tion OF race riots, confiscated a loco
motive on orders of the Governor,
and twenty-five were rushed to
Scooba, five miles this side of Wa
balak.