The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1909-12-24

CONTINUED from last issue

time. They wore red shirts or red
and gray shirts. Elkin and Hatch
had command of the artillery and
soldiers. Here again the house
was crowded with negroes and the
democrats were az successful as at
Cotton Gin Port.
The third day there was speak
ing at Quincy. Miss. little town
in the eastern part of the county IN
what was then a sparsely settled
country, but solid democrat This
place being only eight miles from
the Alabama line, there were Ia
great number of Albanian sympa-
thizers there. in addition to the
people from the northeast part of
the scounty That day George
Clemens got into trouble, claiming
that he had been insulted, and
wanted to fight. The exact cause
is not known, but nothing came of
the affair, although a riot was
probably averted.
Leftwich and Sykes are authority
for the above.
The next meeting was at Willis
school house Sulphur Springs)
about twelve or fourteen miles from
Aberdeen, on the Aberdeen and
Columb bus road. There was also a
big crow dsat that place. The day
proved a very boisterous and excit-
| ing one The negroes came out in
military array, and were even large
enough In number to excite some
fears of conflict. One of the ne
groes had a kettle drum with which
he made an annoying racket. Dur
ing the speaking he and the officers
of the military sat on the front seat
and led the cheering of the repub-
licans, when they made strong
points, by beating his drum. The
republicans finished, and made as
if they intended leaving before
hearing Col. Beeks, of Georgia. a
drummer. The move was counter
acted by some men like Plummer
| Willis, men of war records, who
closed the doors and windows and
struck the negroes on their heads
with pistols in order to prevent them
from escaping They demonstrated
with the drummer, but to no avail +,
until he had been struck over the
head with a pistol and his drum
seized and cut up. The demo-
Gratis, however, made up a sub
scription and paid the negroes for
their drums before leaving.
Thus far most of the speaking
had been east of the Tombigbee
river or near it. The negroes called
the affair at Sulphur Springs a
riot. +" The next scene of action
was advertised for Muldon, at
Paines Chapel, a small place in the
prairie region and in the heart of
the negro country. Eastside demo-
Gratis were prepared to go there to
aid in doing things as they ought
to have been done, but learned the
morning previously that the meet
ing had been called off, and return
ing visitors confirmed their ideas.
The republicans We're unwilling for
another sulphur Springs affair to
occur, 50 there and afterwards they
had no joint debates, but each side
tried To influence the negro as
mnch as possible.
| am indebted to Mr.. EO.Sykes
for a narration of this campaign
and election, also to Mr.. q J.
I.eftwich and others for additional
| tiilOtilldttOl
As time passed the tension be-
came greater and greater. The re-
publicans began to entertain some
vague apprehension of defeat, be-
cause Of the furious, earnest de-
termination of Democrats to win at
all costs. The following letters
serve to confirm these facts:
From Amcs' collection of letters
found at State Library i'm Jackson
Hon. A. Amcs, Jackson, Miss.
Hon Sir: Things are getting in
an awful condition here Yesterday
the Democrats attended Republi
can meeting and cut the heads out
Of drums and beat colored men over
the heads with pistols and but for
few they would lave precipitated
4 riot Today they have been betting
colored men over the heads and
shooting at them on our streets.
The Democrats are thoroughly
organized and armed and they are
exceedingly aggressive. and do not
hesitate to say that they intend to
carry the election by force and they
are pr, pared to do it. What can
we do? The executive committee
is at the head OF it or some of them.
They have pound cannon
and ammunition or 'needle gums
Yours and Co.
This letter baS rafarapoa ~ tLa