The Dillon herald. [volume] (Dillon, S.C.) 1894-????, 1919-10-09
ARKANSAS BLACKS
PLANS SLAUGHTER
PLOT AGAINST WHITE PEOPLE
INPHILLIPS COUNTY,
Confession of Proposed Uprising Sc.
cured by Investigators OF Re-
cent Race Disturbances.

Helena, Ark, Oct. 5-That iorgani.
zed negroes of southern Phillips coun.
ty, of which this city is the seat OF
government, had planned a general
slaughter of white people in the local
ity tomorrow was definitely revealed
today by authorized investigators OF
the past weeks disturbances in tha.
section.
According to those authorities, the
plot included widespread uprising in
the event certain demands were not
met With October set as the day
for the uprising, negro prisoners are
said to have confessed, each member
of the organization at specified places
was to have picked a bale of cotton
by that date, take the cotton to GER
tain prominent land owners. planta-
tion managers and merchants and de-
mand settlement.
The confessions, as announced,
made it appear to the investigators
that without further ado following
this demand the blacks were to shoot
uOWu oii Whitco III SiSuI. - iiSI VI q
names, admitted to represent the men
to whom the demand would be plac-
ed, is in the hands of the investigat-
ing committee.
Paul Revere Messengers.
Killing of these 21, the prisoners
said, was to be the signal for all
members of the organization to attack
the white population. An extensive
courier system was explained in the
evidence, providing for messengers
known to the negroes as Paul Re-
veres". These couriers had been duly
appointed to ride into all parts of
the territory, according to the testi-
mony, and summon members to
arms. The organization concerned was
declared to be the local lodge of the
Progressive Farmers and Household
Union of America, confiscated litera-
ture of which designated Washing
ton, D. c., as national headquarters,
with state offices at Winchester,
Arkansas.
We've just begun,' was the pass
word of the uprising, the negroes
told the investigators. This pass word
and the Paul Revere" couriers were
confessed to have been employed last
Tuesday night and Wednesday morn
ing in summoning blacks to Hoop
Spur, Is miles south of Helena, after
w. A. Adkins, special agent of the
Missouri Pacific railroad, had been
killed and Charles Pratt, deputy sher-
iff, had been wounded.
The confessions were taken to ex-
plain the rapidity with which armed
blacks were assembled at Hoop Spur
and the reighboring town of Elaine,
following the incident. The statement
added that at the time Adkins was
killed there were $50 negroes in the
church at the scene of the shooting.
Some of these were women, it was
said, carrying automatic revolvers in
their stockings.
Questioned about their supply Of
shotguns, rifles and ammunition, ne
groes declared that they often had
been advised by speakers always to
keep their racks full" and ''if your
rack isn't full, fill it now.''
Ammunition I'm School.
Fifty thousand rounds of ammuni-
tion was discovered last night in the
Branch Normal school at Pine Bluff,
according to telephone message re-
ceived here today from Mayor Hollis
of that city. The institution is a
negro school maintained by the state.
This report and evidence found local
ity led authorities here to believe the
contemplated uprising was Of more
than a local nature.
Members of the investigating COM
mittee declared there is every evil
dence that mercenary individuals
have been inciting the negroes in the
name of the federal government.
Among other things, it was stated,
they were led to believe a part of the
government at Washington upheld
them in arming and organizing
against the whites; that large tenn
pie and armories were to be erected
at washington Tor the conVenlng OF
their congress" and for federal
training of 5000 soldiers to protect
them in their uprising.
Much of the evidence 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-
ton. Only two whites were in GUS
tody here today following the weeks
disorders. A man named Fuller was
brought in from Postelle last night
and placed in the county Jail. o. S
Bratton of a Little Rock, Ark, law
firm, has been in custody several
days, pending investigation.
Services at the Methodist Church.