Omaha daily bee., 1919-10-03
Five Whites and II Negroes
Known to Have Been Killed
in Battles at Elaine, Mel
wood and Other Points.
SITUATION INTENSIFIED
BY DEATH OF ALDERMAN
Gov. Brough and Chaplain
, Narrowly Escape Injury
When Three Bullets Whizz
Over Their Automobile.

Cl di lIOOpS pdlIOlIlllk Tic NilldSC Vi
Elaine, detachments on duty at
Melwood and other towns in the
southern part of Phillips county
and company of soldiers stationed
in Helena, as precautionary meas
ure, the situation, due to race riot
ing in the vicinity of Elaine, while
intensified today by the killing of
0. R. Lilly, member of the board
of aldermen of this city, and the
death of Corporal Luther Earl, was
believed to be we'll in hand tonight
Both Governor Brough of Arkan-
sas, at whose request 500 soldiers of
the third division, stationed at
Camp Pike, were sent to the scene
Of the disorder, and Col. |. c. jerks,
in command of the soldiers, ex-
pressed confidence early tonight
that the force on hand will be
ample to restore normal conditions.
Governor Brough accompanied the
troops from Camp Pike tfgs morn
ing.
White Dead Number Five.
The killing of Mr.. Lilly, who was
shot to death by one of four
negroes who had been taken
prisoner and whom he was guard
ing in an automobile en- route to
Helena, increased the number OF
white dead, as result Of the dis
order, to FIVE. Eleven negroes are
known to have been killed, and sew,
eral others are reported to have
lost their lives, but their bodies
have not been located. The four
negroes were in the automobile,
when one of them seized Liliy's
pistol and shot him. Other posse
men then fired on the negroes, kill
ing all of them. Other incidents of
the day were the finding of negro
woman fatally wounded near
Elaine, and the wounding of two of
the soldiers, Sergeant Earl Gay of
the headquarters company and Cor
poral Luther Earl of Company H,
Fourth infantry, the latter of whom
later died. He was shot in the face
and seriously wounded. Sergeant
Gay was not badly hurt.
Governors Narrow Escape.
Governor Brough and Chaplain
E. c. Sliney of Boston narrowly es-
capped injury when three bullets
whizzed over the automobile in
which they were accompanying a
detachment of soldiers beating the
canbrake near Elaine for hiding
negroes. They abandoned the car
and followed the troops afoot
While the killing of w. D. Adkins
Tuesday night and the wounding of
two other men deputized to investi-
gate alleged disorderly conduct on
the part of white man in the
Elaine neighborhood precipitated
the outbreak propaganda circulated
by white and negro agitators tend
ing to create rebellious action on the
part of negro tenant farmers is said
to have formed the basis for the dis
order, which had been brewing for
two weeks or more.
Organizing Secretly.
According to information received
today, negroes of the county have
been organizing secretly. providing
themselves with high-powered rifles
and holding semi-weekly meetings
to drill and prepare for the day
when, according to the promises
made by the organizers, they were
20 be called upon by the government
to join in demanding SO cents a
pound for their cotton. Under the
mystic plan, according to informa-
ton secured by local officials, the
negroes were promised the govern
ment was to pay them for their cot
ton direct and they, in turn, were to
settle with the landowners.
One report said to have been cir
culated among the negroes was that
a strike of cotton pickers was to be
declared IN a few days and tenant
farmers would be expeeted to re-
main idle until after the coming
meeting of the world cotton con-
gress in New Orleans, when dele
CATION was to come to the cotton
belt to adjust matters with the ne
gro cotton raisers.
One of Ringleaders Killed.
A. E. Johnson, one of the negroes
killed, after Mr.. Lilly had been ia
tally wounded, is alleged to have
been one of the ringleaders in the
alleged plot to incite members of
his race. o. S. Bratton, a white
man, who was arrested last night,
was still being detained late today
pending an investigation. Nearly a
score Of negroes also were arrested
by civil officials last night and early
today about dozen are being held
at military headquarters at Elaine
and a number of other negro men
and women were given quarters un-
Continued on rsge Two. Column seyen.)