Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-03-08
RACE RIOT IN FLORIDA.
Three Negroes and Two White Men
Killed,

Killed.
With three negroes dead as a result
Of race riot in the neighborhood of
Palmetto yesterday, the wrath of the
residents in that section seems to be
asSuaged The sum total Of deaths Is
three negroes and two white men. with
one white man in the emergency hos
pital here with a bullet hole through
his head.
The last Of the three negroes impli-
Gated in the murder of the two dep
uties and the fatal wounding of the
third. was lynched at dusk this after
noon in the palmettos on the banks of
the Manatee river. He had fallen asleep
and when he awoke was gazing into
the barrels of dozen rifles and shot
guns Even then he showed resistance
and reached for his rifle. In a second
he was riddled with bullets.
The dead are Samuel Stribbling, con-
tractors superintendent, Tampa; Dep
uty Sheriff Edward Matthews, Wade
Ellis, negro: Samuel Ellis, negro; un-
known negro.
Sam Ellis. enc of the two negro
brothers charged with the responsible
ity of the trouble, was riddled with
bullets by a posse today, not, however,
before he and his brother, Wade Ellis,
had mortally wounded Deputy Sheriff
j. =. Morgan and seriously wounded
Deputy Max Burn"tte. Wade Ellis es-
capped.
At daybrcak Deputies Morgan and
Burnette, who We're placed on guard
at bridge. saw two negroes approach
ing and commanded them to halt. For
Deputy Morgan fell mortally wound
ed. Sam Ellis seized the fallen mans
gun and raised it to fire on Burnette.
Burnette was too quick and shot the
negro through the head. The shot was
not fatal. The other negro opened fire
on Burnette and one of the bullets took
off his lower lip. When the desperate
had emptied his gun he disappeared in
the swamp.
Burnette tied the wounded negro to
tree and carried his fellow officer to
Il nearby house. a short time later the
posse arrived and after learning of
what the negroes had done, riddled Sam
Ellis with bullets.
After shooting the negro to death.
Int Ia. .,f IL
brother The posse. composed Of seN-
eral hundred men. was divided :" that
Il Gordon of heavily armed men was
drawn around the swamp where the
negro took refuge.
The trouble which has resulted thus
fatally. grew out of Il dispute Sunday
between Strbbling and Il negro named
"Ruddy" over wages Ruddy shot and
killed Stribbling and sunday night
DEPUTY Sheriff Matthews was killed
by either Ruddy or one of the Ellis
negroes. when the officer, at the head
of Il posse, had surrounded Il house
10 which bloodhounds had trailcd the
murderer of Stribbling.
The country was aroused and hun
dreds of citizens. heavily armed, have
secured the country for the past ~
hours Tonight several hundred of
the men came into Palmetto, the scene
of the first killing, and reported that
the two Ellis negroes. brothers. and
Ruddv had been killed and their rid
died bodies left in the SWampS
The negro Ruddy was killed single
handed by Henry WaSgamc. Il MEM
Der Of the sherili'S posse, last night in
the edge Of Il swamp near the negro :
hOuSe His body was found this al
ternOOn.
j. +. Morgan was brought /" Tam
pa tonight and placed i'm tn" Emcr-
gcncy hospital. Physicians say his
condition is hopeless.
Telephone reports from Palm"it"
late tonight bring the information
that every fcrry-b"at coming across
the river from the section whcr" th"
trouble occurred is loaded to capacity
with blacks getting away from tn"
scene. Labor is very much G"moral-
lied and crops will suffer i'm c"nSc-
qucncc. No further tI',lhl" iS Hntici-
patCd