Clearwater Republican. [volume] (Orofino, Idaho) 1912-1922, 1919-10-10
NEGRO UPRISING PLANNED
Confessions Secured Said to Have In
Dictated Conspiracy.

shot to death Sunday night, two others
were whipped and five were being held
it was said, for lynching by mob that
since daybreak had been securing the
swamps and canebrakes of Lincoln
county for Jack Gordon, a negro who
shot and killed Red Froman, a deputy
sheriff, and wounded citizen who at.
tempted to aid the deputy.
The negro who was killed and the
two who were whipped were said to
have made boastful remarks regarding
the killing of the deputy sheriff. The
five being held were captured near the
scene of the killing. Members of the
mob said they would be held until
Gordon, who was captured and placed
in Jail late Sunday, can be taken by
the mob to the scene. 1t Is the mob's
announced intention then to lynch all
six.
| More than 1000 persons packed the
courthouse square here and demanded
that Gordon be turned over to them.
Helena, Ark.-Bands of negroes in
southern Phillips county, of which this
city is the seat Of government, had
planned general slaughter of white
people in this locality, according to
members of the committee Of seven
appointed by civil authorities with the
sanction of Governor Charles Brough,
who announced Sunday that confess
sions made by some of the captured
negroes and other information indi-
Gated widespread plot.
Members of the committee said the
plans of the negroes included an up
rising 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 pick bale of cotton by that date,
taking the cotton to certain promin-
ent land owners, plantation managers
and merchants and demand settle
ment."
The confessions, as announced made
it appear to the investigators that
without further ado following this de-
mand the blacks were to shoot down
all whites in sight. A list of Fl names,
admitted to represent the men to
whom the demand would be presented,
is in the hands of the investigating
committee.
Killing of these 81, the prisoners
said, was to be the signal for all mem
bers of the organization to attack the
whites. An extensive courier system
was explained in the evidence provid-
ing for messengers known to the ne
groes as Paul Reveres." These cour-
iers had been duly appointed to ride
into all parts of the territory, accord
ing to the testimony, and summon
members to arms.
We've just begun" was the pass
word of the uprising, the negroes told
the investigators. This password and
the Paul Revere" couriers were con-
fessed 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-
if, had been wounded.
The confessions were taken to ex-
plain the rapidity 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
in the church at the scene of the shoot |
ing.
Questioned about their supply of |
shotguns, rifles and ammunition, ne
groes declared they often had been
advised by speakers always to keep
their racks full"
Fifty thousand pounds of ammuni-
ton were discovered in the branch
normal school at Pine Bluff. Ark, &C
cording to a telephone message re-
ceived here from Mayor Hollis of that
city. The institution is negro school
by the state. This report
and evidence found locally led author
tiles here to believe the contemplated
uprising was more than of a local ma
ture, possibly planned for the entire
south.