The news scimitar. (Memphis, Tenn.) 1907-1926, 1919-10-02
Helena Streets PatroNed.

\ children from Elaine and other points
| IN the trouble zone arrived in Helena
last night and were given accommoo-
| datlons by the people here, One train
bearing refugees concealed In a steel
| gondola was fired upon by negroes who
had climbed trees beside the railroad
tracks where 1t runs through dense
cane brakes, None OF the refugees was
| hit.
Parties Of armed men who came to
Helena from Clarendon, Mariana,
MARVEL and other points near Helena
on the Arkansas side OF the river and
other parties from Lula, Tunica FriaI
Point and Clarksdale. Miss, aided In
patroIling the streets of Helena last
night and assisted in~preserving order
visitors left for their homes this morn
ing. ....
Helena was closed tight last night
even the drug stores being closed and
women and children kept within doors
| From three to five armed citizens pa
troled each block In the downtown and
| residential sections of the city, and a
small army waited at the Phillips coun-
ty courthouse to respond to emergency
calls, Rifles and shotguns with ample
supplies OF ammunition were received
| from Memphis and other cities, and
the courthouse had the appearance OF
an arsenal. County Judge III. ID, Moore
l
| Sheriff +. II. Kitchens, who has beer
| seriously III, sat at a desk with tele-
| phone at his elbow and kept In constant
communication with posse leaders ai
| Elaine. At one time he received ar
| urgent message from one leader al
Elalnef to have 100 men in readiness
| to dispatch on a special train. The
message said that negroes were as
| sembllng In force and that another bat
| tie appeared to be imminent Judge
\ Moore Immediately arranged with AZ
| sistant Superintendent j. d, Moore, OF
the Missouri Pacific railway here, L
send q special train to Elaine at q
message from Elaine said that the sit.
uation was unchanged and all was
quiet except for an occasional shot OF
challenge by sentry, and this condi'
ton continued throughout the night.
Helena Is Quiet.
No uneasiness In felt about condi
lions In Helena. So far as known nc
negro here has any connection witt
the trouble at Hoop Spur and In the
\ vicinity Of Elaine. At a meeting Of
white and negro ministers yesterday
perfect harmony prevailed. and mutua
confidence was exchanged. The negro
minister's were headed by Rev. Il. G
Norris, for more than 30 years pastor
Of Centennial Baptist church here, ant
| for more than % years president O.
the American Baptist association, tht
largest association Of negroes In thu
world. DIR. Morris holds the confidence
| Yields n powerful influence among
members Of his own race, He gave as
surance at the meeting yesterday tina
| there would BIO no occasion for worr,
with respect to the negro population
OF Helena, and Developments through,
out the night INDICATED his statements
There we're no negroes on the streets
and the whole city was absolutely quiet
With the arrest Of the leaders amone
the belliEerent negroes In the trouble
zone, II Is now felt that there will bt
no further cause FOR alarm.
Cause of Trouble.
The trouble at Elaine Tuesday night
began with the discovery OF an alleged
negro plot to rise against the white
| residents OF the southern part of Phil
| lips county when Deputy Pratt with
Adkins and a negro trusty were am,
pushed opposite a negro. church a.
| Hoop Spur, two miles north OF Elaine
| while on their way to arrest members
of the Glen family, who were said <
be involved In a row among themselves
| sheriff Kitchens, who has been i'll
could not accompany them.
A man named Glenn. alleged boot
logger had been reported on Q ram.
page in 4 message to the sheriff from
| Elaine authorities. Glenn II was as
serted. had threatened TO Kill his wifi
ana other members OF the family, in
| Guiding w, n, Glen, formerly a con
| tractor OF this city, but now a resident
| OF Elaine, had become involved, TIT
message requested that deputies b.
10 prevent further disturbances.
The automobile in which Pratt Ad
| l{ins and the negro truSty were riding
| II is related was stopped before thu
| Hoop Spar church to repair a puncture
and while working on the car the part,
identified persons. Adkins dropped
dead and Pratt was wounded. TIL
| truBty, who escaped unwounded, mad'
his way to a nearby railroad statior
and telephoned q report OF the tnoiden
to the sheriff. Pratt made his way t
Helena this morning despite his shat
tered knee and was taken Immediately
to the hospital.
The accounts of the deputy and Thu
negro trusty indicating the attack OF
the three had been made by an or
Eanized band OK negroes, posses wert
hastily organized by the sheriff ant
rushed TO Elaine.
/ force OF armed negroes and I'm
nedlately sent back urgent calls for re
Inducements, declaring the negroe
we're assembling In large numbers an
had begun promiscuous firing on whit
pereons. Additional posses were orga
I,ized here and at other centers 0
population in the county and rushed I
the scene. Within an hour report
came OF IA pitched battle In the street
OF that town between the posses an
negroes.
K prominent white woman of tn
section said she had passed a negr
church Sunday and that all the negroe
carried guns,
II is stated on good authority that ne
rroes OF the vicinity Of Elaine hay
been holding secret meetings at nigh
and that unidentified white men hay
been circulating literature among then