East Mississippi times. (Starkville, Miss.) 19??-1926, 1912-02-16

the beacon fire to the Saxon or
North American Indian. This
custom was revived and perpetuated
in the unhappy South, and late at
night the children of the planter
on the isolated plantation shivered
with a nameless dread as they heard
the throbblngs of the drum and
knew that the negroes were assem-
bling and marching for, they knew
not what. 1t was at such a time
as this when the negroes were be-
coming very insolent and unruly
that DR., Ellis, Of the Trim Cane
neighborhood in Oktibbeha county,
who was U. s. Commissioner
issued a warrant for the arrest of a
negro, Gabe Dotson, who had been
guilty OF some misdemeanor. This
warrant was served by Bob Ellis, a
nephew of DR.. Ellis, who was at
that time clerking for Mr., Hub
Saunders. Robt. Ellis made the
arrest and Immediately the whole
organized body or League of
negroes in that community armed
themselves and marched into Stark.
vile. They had been organized
and drilled by Bob McDuffie, a
negro who, it is said, had picked
up some crude ideas of military
science from service as body
servant with his master in the
Confederate army. AS they neared
Starkville and marched up Main
street, their guns were carried in a
wagon in the midst Of the column
and were covered with corn shucks
and thus concealed. Robt. Ellis,
who in the discharge of his duty,
had arrested their compatriot, was
the main object of their search.
When they neared the vicinity of
the present court house in Stark
vile one of their number named
Samson Wynn, espying Ellis on
the street, approached him and
began to curse him. Ellis imme-
diately shot him down. Bob
McDut1ie, the negro with the drum
seeing this struck it, and immedi-
ately the negroes rushed for their
guns and began to fall in line
returning the fire and shooting
down Ellis. By this time all the
white men on the street were rush
ing for their guns and the negroes
were firing on them. A general
and bloody battle in which the
negroes would have been extermi-
mated seemed imminent. Sheriff
Powers hearing the firing rushed
out Of his office about the time
the drum signal to begin firing was
given. The negroes in their
excitement, not knowing the differ
ence between a white Republican
and any other white man he was
shot in the neck with duck shot
and quite painfully wounded. Robt.
Ellis, who was seriously but not
mortally wounded, came limping
painfully to the door of Mr.. Hub
Saunders store and Saunders let
him in. The negroes armed and
organized had possession of Main
street for time. 0Capt. Hub
Saunders and all the white men in
town had rushed for their guns
however, and an organized attack
which the negroes could not have
withstood would have soon been
made.
Knowing what was in prepare.
tion Col. FL. l.. Muldrow rushed
out among the negroes and urged
them to dlsband at once and return
to their homes and thus avoid
further bloodshed. Afraid of the
white mans anger and demoralized
no doubt by the fact that they had
shot Powers, the negroes hearkened
to this wise advice and scattered to
their homes. They We're not TO
escape so easily however. A night
or two after posse, including sol
or rs men from Clay county, went
out to arrest the ring leaders
Among others, Gabe Dotson's
house was visited. The desperate
negro shot at them from his cabin
and Alb. Rainey, of West
Point, was wounded. After the
shooting the negro ran for his life
but must have been overtaken as
he was never heard of again.