The Aberdeen weekly. [volume] (Aberdeen, Miss.) 1878-1933, 1910-01-21

CONTINUED from last issue. /,


became very boisterous and drank
a great deal. He once got into a
dispute with Walter Malone and
pushed him out of wagon on the
road from Aberdeen to their homes.
Again, it is told, that he spoke dis
respectfully before Malone's wife
and Malone came very near killing
him then, but did not do so. This
too happened on the above men
toned road. A few days after the
latter occurrence he was visited by
large party of Ku klux and few
negroes who had been pressed into
service. He had lodged them once,
but this time he was surrounded
and his home broken open. lie
was pulled out from under his bed,
tied by another negro with ropes
cut from lis own bed 10y his own
wife, and then led away. whipped
until almost dead, then hanged, his
neck cut and was buried by log
near an old field. This occurred at
ter the whipping of s. +. Higgins.
the famous carpet Dagger, who was
then active in having these men
arrested and brought before the
Federal Court at Oxford, Miss.
The defendants were arrested by
IIuggins as special deputy under
II. c. Blackman, United States
Commissioner, on an indictment
found by the grand jury at the
June term of the Oxford court, un-
der the sixth and seventh sections
of the Enforcement Act. The trial
was held before the Hon. r. A.
Hill. United Statess District Judge.
beginning June IS, 1S71.N The
case was entitled Exparte Walton
ct al, and the defendants" appeared
in court on a petition for i writ OF
habeas corpus.
There was very able counsel on
both sides. f. O. Sykes, J. d.
McClusky, r. f. Houston. r. o.
Reynolds. S. j. Gholson. and w.
F. Dowd were the LAWYERS for the
defendants, and had volunteered
their services in defending them
Counsel for the United States were
lC. w. Wells, United States Attor-
ney for the northern district, III. {.
Blackman, +. F. jacobson. attor-
neg for southern district, II. w.
Walter, =. II. Manning. and g. z.
NJ. Turner. The trial lasted eight
days, and there was company OF
United States cavalry and infantry
present to keep order. The petit
TONERS above mentioned denied the
allegation in the bill of indictment,
and declared that the witnesses
who swore to the facts therein per-
iured themselves: furthermore. that
the District Court of the United
States had no jurisdiction over this
case because the accused and the
deceased were all citizens of Missis-
sippi. The question involved the
constitutionality of the Enforce
ment Act. The court decided that
the act was constitutional: that
congress had power by virtue of the
fourteenth amendment to protect
colored citizens supporting the
Union, hence the jurisdiction in
said case. The Judge released SIX
teen of them on recOgnlZanee OF
$500 each, eight at $1,000 each. pro-
vided they appear at next court.
The case was very expensive to the
citizen witnesses of Monroe county.
about forty-tive in number, some
of whom took their families and
bore expenses going and returning,
besides the time they lost from
their crops. There was great re-
joicing and popular demonstration
when the party returned to Aber-
deem. Cannons were fired and the
defendants were showered with con-
gratulations.
There were a few men whipped
in Monroe county. among whom
were the following: A. p. Hug
gins, Joseph Atkins (eol.) Santee
Butler (col. Simon Durham (col.)
All Whitfield (col.) ALT Skinner.
The Boutwell, report does not give
the causes of the punishments and
have not been able to ascertain
these facts elsewhere.
Note Boutwell's Report, |,
SOL. 362. 27s. 269. go. 5s7; IL.
1851, 1888, 1141, S44, S45, SAG.
$40, 9O5, 9O6, etc.
VU.-EDUCATIONAL.
HUGGINS AND THE SCHOOLS.
In Monroe county there was a
tax of ten mills allowed for build
ing purposes and five mills for a
teachers fund. The school board
IF which Higgins was president,
agreed on ten and half mills, hut |