The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1919-10-03
Two White Men and Seven Ne
grOeS Known to Be Dead
from GunShOt Wounds
TROOPS RUSH TO SCENE
Women and Children Fleeing
for Safety are Fired Upon
BY Negroes-RiOt May Spread
% To Helena.

men, Clinton Lee, and j. A. Tappan.
OF Helena, and seven negroes are
known to be dead at Elaine, near here
as result of clashes yesterday at
Elaine between a posse searching for
the presons who from ambush fired
upon and killed w. ID. Adkins. rail-
road special agent, according to re-
ports reaching here tonight. third
white man, Ira Proctor, and num-
ber of negroes are known to have
been wounded. Troops from Camp
Pike, at Little Rock, armed with
machine guns, are said to be en- route
to Elaine.
The situation at Elaine is critical
and growing more so, according to a
message received here from Joseph
Meyers, who is heading the posses
Meyers, is quoted as saying he ex-
pected another clash at any moment
and requested that additional rein
forcements be sent. Five hundred
United States soldiers from Camp
Pike, Ark, are due to reach Elaine
at midnight.
Tappan who was a prominent bus
mess man here, succumbed in local
hospital to the wounds received in
fighting in the streets of Elaine. Pro
ctor, who was brought home. is not
expected to live according to physi
clans. The body of Lee, who died from
his wounds at Elaine, also was
brought to his home here
Lee is said to have been shot acct
dentally while Tappan and Proctor
were wounded during the fighting.
Charles Pratt, deputy sheriff, who was
with Adkins when the latter was
killed, was wounded in the knee. Lee.
Tappan and Proctor are members of
the local post of the American legion
and were deputized by Sheriff Kitch
ins with number of other civilians
when he received word the situation
at Elaine was getting out of control.
An engineer of the Missouri Pacific
railroad who arrived in Helena said
he pulled gondola loaded with wom-
EN- and children out OF Elaine and
that his train was fired upon by ne
groes from trees along the track.
The white prisoner was brought to
this city with group OF 15 negroes
who were placed in the county Jail.
The white man is alleged TO have
been the leader of the negroes who
fought the sheriff's posses through
out the day. The Jail is under strong
guard
More than a hundred negroes and
white man who is alleged to have
had in his possession quantity of
questionable literature had been ar
rested by posses operating in Elaine
and vicinity when he left. according
to former Sheriff Amos Jarman. A
number of the prisoners have been
brought to Helena and others, accord
ing to Jarman, are on the way under
heavy guard
Advices here said the trouble had
its beginning when the posse was
fired upon by crowd of men, said
to have been negroes. at Elaine The
fire was returned and in a few min
utes became general in the streets of
Elaine, according to reports.
Late yesterday a telephone message
was received here from Elaine stat
ing that the posse had taken 175
prisoners and was bringing them to
Helena.
Women and children of Elaine ani
vicinity are being brought to Helena
on special train for safety. il is re.
ported here.
The local situation is tense, but no
trouble has broken out here. Armed
men are patrolling the streets.
The trouble began with the discov.
cry OF an alleged negro plot to rise
against the white residents OF the
southern part OF Phillips county
when Deputy Sheriff Pratt. with Ad-
kins and a negro trusty were am
bushed opposite negro church at
Hoop spur, two miles north OF Elaine,
while on their way to arrest members
OF the Clem family, wko were said to
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