Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-06
NEGROES PLANNED
BIG SLAUGHTER Of
ARKANSAS WHITES
Today Was Date Set for Gen.
eraI Uprising Among Blacks
---EXpoSure of Plot Saves
Lives and BIoOdShed,

Helena, Ark, oct. 5.-That organ
lied negroes of southern Phillips
county, of which this city is the seat
of government, Ia1 planned a ger
eral slaughter OF white people in the
locality tomorrow vas definitely ~.
vealed here today Ny authorized NJ
yestigators of the past weeks disturb
ances in that section.
According to these authorities he
plot included a widespread uprising
in the event certain demands were ~:
met. With October 6 set as the DAY
the uprising, negro prisoners are sail
TO have confessed, each rember o.
the organization at specified places
was to pick a bale of cotton by that
date, taking the cotton to certain
land owners, plantation managers
end merchants aaI demand a settle
ment."
The confessions, as announced,
made it appear to the investigators
that without further ado following
this demand, the { acks wer to "hchl
down all whites in sight. A list OF
twenty-one names, admitted to rep
resent the men to whom the demand
would be presented is in the hands OF
the investigating committee.
Killing of these twenty-one, the
prisoners said, was to be the sign Il
for all members of the organization 70
attack the white population An eN-
tensive courier system was explained
in the evidence providing for mes
sengers known TO the negroes as
paul Reveres" These Couriers hau
been duly appointed to ride into an
parts of the territory, ACCORDING -
the testimony, and summon memLerf
to arms
Told to Keep Their Racks tul''
We've just begun was the pass,
word of the uprising, the negroes tod
the Investigators. This password ana
the paul Revere" couriers were con-
fessed TO have been employed last
Tuesday night and Wednesday morn
ing in eummoning blacks to Hoop
Spur eighteen miles south of Helena,
after w. A. Adkins, special agent OF
the Missouri Pacific railroad, had
| been killed and Charles Pratt, deputy
Dsheriff, had been wounded.
The confessions were taken to eX-
| plain the rapdity with which armed
| blacks were assembled at Hoop spur
and the neighboring town of Elaine
| following the incident. The statement
added that at the time Adkins was
! killed there were $50 armed negroes
| N the church at the scene of the
shooting.
Questioned about their supply OF
| shotguns, rifles and ammunition, ne
groes declared they were often ADVISED
| by speakers always to keep theH
| racks full"
Fifty thousand rounds of ammunl~
lion we're discovered last night in the
| branch normal school at Pine Bull
| Ark. according to a telephone mes
| sage received here today from Mayor
| Holly of that city. The institution Is d
| negro school maintained by the state
| This report, the evidence found locai-
/ ~. led authorities to believe the
| contemplated uprising was more than
| local one, possibly planned for the
entire south.
Members of the investigating com
n1ittee declared there is every eNl-
dence that mercenary individuals nave
| been melting the negroes in the name
| of the federal government. Among
| other things, il was stated, they were
| led TO believe n part of the govern
| ment at Washington upheld them IN
| arYning and organizing against the
whites, that large temple and armor-
les were to be erected at washington
| for the converting of the CONGRESS
and for federal training of 5000 sol
diers to protect them in their uprising
Much of the investigation is known
TO be directed in an effort to establish
conclusively, connection of white men
with the agitation, and there is said TO
be strong indications of such rela-
| tion Only two whites are in CUSTODY
here today following last weeks DIS
| orders.
Pending investigation, thirteen al
legged leaders of the negro organiZa
tion have been brought to the loeal
iail from Elaine since yesterday, a
| drive through the Lakeview territory
south of this city was to be made late
| tonight and early tomorrow morning
in an effort to round up other prime
movers.