The north Mississippi herald. (Water Valley, Yalobusha Co., Miss.) 1888-1929, 1919-10-03
l8 Killed and Scores Injured as Result
of Race Riot in Phillips County
---15OO Armed Negroes Prepared
to Battle, while Federal Troops
with Machine Guns Are Rushed to
Scene of Disturbance.
Negroes Were Prepared.

Reports from the negro trusty and
wounded officer indicated that the at
tack on the posse was made by an
organized band of negroes, and the
developments today amply bear out
this theory. Posses were hastily or
ganIzed this morning and sent to
Hoop Spur to search for the slayers
of Adkins. The first posse to arrive
was met by an armed force of ne
groes, and calls began to come from
Elaine, two miles south of Hoop Spur.
for assistance. The call stated that
negroes were assembling in force and
that flrlng on whites had already been
begun. Additional men from Helena
and centers of population in the conn
ty were sent forward to relieve the
situation, and within an hour renorts
came of pitched battles in the streets
of Elaine.
Other reports told of men killed
and wounded, and the situation be-
came tense. Leading negro citizens
We're asked to meet the leading white
cltlzens, and at this meeting there
was a frank discussion of the condi-
tons recited in reports from the low
er parts of the county. Expressions
OF mutual confidence were piven
voice, and pledges to maintain order
IN Helena were exchanged Ministers
OF white and negro churches also held
meetings and reached a harmonious
agreement so far as Helena was con-
cerned, and attention was then turn
ed to the situation in the southern
part of the county.
Deputies Rushed to Sea-.
Early reports said that 900 to l.
oOO negroes had assembled in the vi
entity OF Elaine, and were attacking
the white residents, using high pow
cred rifles. A girl telephone opera
tor, between screams, told an official
here that fighting was in progress in
tne streets, and other messages called
for additional endorsements, guns and
ammunition and the sheriff was asked
to request the governor to send troops
from Camp Pike and Little Rock.
Messages following announced the
death of young Clinton Lee and the
wounding of James A. Tappan and
Ira Proctor. Every available man was
sent to the scene and an urgent mes
sage was sent to the governor for
troops. AT one period of the fighting
Chief Deputy j. r. Dalsell, in charge
OF the posse at Elaine, telephoned
that he must have help; that his force
was greatly outnumbered and that
hrlnng had become general. Special
trains were rushed backward and for
ward between Helena and Elaine
one train from the south brought
James A. Tappan, who was shot in
the head and shoulder. He died early
IN the evening. The body of young
Lee came on a late rain, which also
brought Ira Proctor, fatally wounded
in the head.
Later reports stated that negroes
had been driven from Elaine. but that
tighting was still in progress a mile
to the north, where the outlaws had
rallied and are supposed to have re-
celved reinforcements. 1t was here
that lighting finally died down in the
late afternoon, and struggling parties
or tired possemen began to dribble
into Helena. They brought all kinds
OF stories, but through it all ran the
strong suspicion that the rioting was
due to propaganda furnished by white
men. Whether these white men were
connected with the gang of bootleg
gers which has been operating in the
caRebrakes near Elaine and Lam
brook could not be learned. 1t is
pretty certain, however, that an or
ganization of negroes antagonistic to
the whites exists in the southern part
of the county