Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1919-10-07
ARKANSAS NEGRO
!. FOUND At BOTTOM
OF PLOT To SLAY
WHITE CITIZENS
Robert D, Hill Is Declared to
Have Been Responsible for
the Uprising Which 0c-
Cured There Last Week,
EACH MEMBER REQUIRED
TO PAY ENTRANCE FEE
Promoter Preyed Upon the Ig-
noranCe of Superstition of
His Race For Monetary
GainSj Whole Plot Barred,

10y MORNING JOURNAL SPECIAL LEASED wIREl
Helena, Ark, oct "a statement
was made today on the recent riots by
f. NJ. Allen of the committee of seven
authorized by local 0ficers and Gov
ernor Brougb to investigate the trou-
Bile, charging that the affair was an
organized negro uprising. Fostered by
negro who preyed on "the ignorance
and superstitition of race of children
for monetary gains"
Mr. aAllen, who was one of twenty
one leading men marked for death,
after hearing confessions, examining
circulars and other evidence procured
by state and military officers in con-
nection with the work of the commit
tee. issued the following statement to
explain what the committee had found
to be the situation leading TO the kill
ing of five white men ana upwards OF
a score of negroes:
Deliberate Insurrection.
THE present trouble with the me-
groes in Phillips county IL not a race
riot. 1t is a deliberately planned in
surrection of the negroes against the
whites directed by an organization
known as the Progressive Farmers
and Household Union of America" es-
tablished for the purpose Of banding
negroes together for the killing of
white people. This union was started
by Robert l.. Hill, negro 26 years
of age of Winchester, Ark, who saw
in it an opportunity of making easy
money. He had been a farmer all his
life but lately had been posing as a
private detective doing work in this
and all foreign countries
He started his first union work In
April of this year. He organized the
Ratio Lodge in May of this year. He
told the darkies that he was an agent
of the government and because the
senators and representatives In Wash
ington were white men and in SYM
pathy with the white men of the
south, it was impossible for the me-
groes to get the rights that had been
promised tl1v al Tor SCiylCe "a euG ,tlAlI
and SO the government had called into
existence this organization which
would be supported by the govern
ment in defense of the negroes against
the white people He told them il
was necessary for all members of the
union to arm themselves in prepara-
ton for the day when they should be
called upon to attack their white OPP
pressors.
Slogan of Organization.
THE slogan of the organization Is
We Battle for Our Rights The pass
word of all the negroes was We Have
Just Begun
He told them that those members
who were unable to buy ammunition
would be supplied by the union from
the government storehouse at Win.
chester.
THE purely mercenary side of i
develops rs follows:
Negro men were charged $50 en-.
trance fees and negro women fifty
cents. At the second or third meeting
he would bring DR., Y. E. Powell, OF
Winchester with him, who purporteG
to he the examining physician for the
government, in it's work of registering
the negroes in defense of their rights
A certificate was filled out and sign
ed by the doctor and given to eacf
negro upon payment of fifty cents
This certificate was supposed TO bt
the registration document. Those ne
groes who were possessed of funds ir
amounts from So to $25 were enrolled
in an advanced section of the unior
and upon payment of whatever sun
he (HilD could procure in excess ol
SIS certificate was given emitting
the holder 20 attend the congresses
of the union at Winchester and speak
on the floor of the meeting regard
ing any questions brought up and tc
assist in keeping the constitution oi
the United States from being ques
toned.
Another Form of Extortion.
Another form of eXtortion was e
sell shares of $40 each to the negroe!
in a proposed building to be erected
by the union at Winchester. Hill haC
so planned his campaign that any
negro possessing from fifty cents tC
fifty dollars was given an opportunit!
to invest in something connected witt
the union.
"Iie then advised the members tina
the general attorney of the union IL
Little Rock would for an additiona
consideration represent all of the ne
groes in their settlement with land
lords during the ginning season. HI
went to several of the meetings will
typewritten powers of attorney which
he had signed by the negroes. collect
ing amounts from s25 to $50 an,
pledging payment of the balance o
| fifty dollars each.
"He further told the negroes tina
the plan of Secretary Lane to provide
homesteads for the soldiers had beer
| carried out where the white soldiers
| were concerned, but the negroes haf
even refused participation in 1t. W.
found where negro soldiers at Elaine
| had sold their discharge papers fo
sums ranging from $50 to 500 on th'
| theory that such discharge entitled
| the holder to forty acres of govern
ment land He produced government
maps of state lands in Elaine count!
which he said could be bought 70
5000. This amount was raised an
paid to him The land was all de
scribed and certain negroes had de
signated which parts of the various
| farms (all in cultivationD, they de
sired to take over for themselves afte
| the white people had been driven off
Carefully Laid Plans.
ale urged all lodges to decide upol
a plan OF campaign when the da.
came to strike and designated th,
part to be played by every man. HI
| told them that the government wa
erecting at Winchester three hug
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