The Madison journal. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1888-current, 1913-10-04
MANY KILLED IN
MISSISSIPPI RIOT
TWO BLACKS PARADE STREETS
SHOOTING AT EVERYONE
IN SIGHT.
STATE MILITIA is CALLED OUT
Countryside Aroused-Train Shot up.
Two Trouble-Makers Killed by
Whites.

Western Newspaper r,,ion News S.r,irc
Harrison, Mss. Two drug-'raZod
negroes, brothers, ran amuck here
and before they were killed and the
attendant disorder Quel,cd four white
men, three negro men and negro
woman were shot TO death and five
white persons and several negroes
wounded 4 serious clash between
the races was prevented by the arrival
OF company of militia from Natchez
aboard a special train
The trouble started about o'clock
Sunday morning and continued inter
mittently until 10 o'clock when Wal
ter Jones, the elder of the two negro
youths who started the firing. was
lynched just after the soldiers arrived
His brother. viii, had been shot by
citizens earlier in the day. Soon after
people who had barricaded themselves
in their homes began to cautiously
emerge from their hiding places, and
by noon the town was quiet. No fur
the disorder is anticipated.
The shooting was started by Walter
Jones, aged 20, in the negro quarter,
where the negro woman and Thead
Grayson were shot and killed Walter
then went 10 the home of his mother
and aroused his brother. rs years of
age. Together. they proceeded through
the main street of the little town, fir
Ing at everyone in sight. Citizens,
aroused by the shots. peered out of the
windows and then hastened TO cover.
The negroes went to the home of
former Constable Frank Keinstly, and
when he came to the door he was shot
through the head. Death was instan-
taneous. Keinstly's son, William, grab
bed for a gun when he saw his father
fall, but before he could fire, he re-
ceived a bullet in one Of his hands.
The Yazoo and Mississippi Valley
depot is near the Keinstly home, and
the two negroes walked in that direc-
ton. A train had arrived from Match
eZ just few minutes before. Conduc-
ton Appleby was standing at the sta
tion talking TO Flagman Bond. With
out warning, the two negroes fired on
them, and both fell Then they direct
ed their fire at Claude Freeman, who
was waiting for a train. He was in
stantly killed. The negroes next open
ed fire on the train, terrorizing many
of the passengers, and after il left turn
ed their attention to a sleeping car
from Natchez, which was left on the
tracks to be picked up by the through
train from Memphis TO New Orleans.
Many windows of the sleeping car
were broken, but none of the passen-
gers was hurt.
Next the negroes made their way to
a cotton seed warehouse, where they
barricaded themselves.
Frightened citizens by this time had
gathered their wits and telephoned for
Sheriff Hammett at Fayette, who ar
rived about . o'clock, accompanied by
former Sheriff Gillis. A small crowd
OF men with him, Sheriff Hammett,
seedhouse. Seeing this move II is
believed Walter Jones took to the
tall grass near by and as Hammett
approached the negro fired, killing the
sheriff instantly. A shot from the
seedhouse brought down Gillis.
BY this time the countryside had
been aroused and farmers came pour
ing in from every direction. Every
one began firing at the seedhouse. A
call was sent TO Governor Brewer for
troops.
Finding his hiding place too precari-
Gus Will Jones started to run toward
the coal chute near by, but had gone
only few steps when bullet ended
his life. A rope was placed around the
body. it was strung up to a telegraph
pole near the station and became a
target for everyone not shooting at the
seedhouse.
the special train bearing the Natchez
guardsmen arrived, and this seemed
to have cowed the desperate. AS they
were detraining the crowd rushed the
seedhouse. Not a shot greeted them.
and as the leaders went into the place
with drawn weapons they saw Jones.
completely unnerved, but not injured.
They quickly placed rope around his
neck and rushed him to the coaechute.
AS the negro was drawn up the rope
broke and he fell heavily to the ground.
Not a word or act of protest came
from Jones as a larger rope was drawn
around his neck and again he was pull
ed up-and the crowd looked on as he
| strangled 10 death.