The Little River news., 1920-01-24
FORM POSSE AT DUMAS
 TO TAKE BAD NEGROES
Armed Negroes Forced Sheriff to Re. lease Negro Prisoners; Big
 Posse Searching Them.

Little Rock, Jan. 22.-Prompt dis patching of federal troops to Dumas. Desha county, today prevented and possibility of further racial disturb ances, Governor c. H. Brough, who is at Dumas, said over long distance to- night
 The governor said that the negroes were greatly impressed by the soldiers from Camp Pike with their two mach inc guns and that if the negroes ever had any intention of offering armed resistance to the legal authorities, i they had abandoned it., The troops ! and the governor will return to Little ifRock tomorrow morning.
 The detachment of troops did not go to the scene of yesterdays clash as civilian posses previously had as- certained that the negroes who were 1 responsible for that affair had fled across the Arkansas River into d wild region where pursuit is inn practicable, The troops were halted before they reached the little negro settlement known as "niggertown' and returned to Dumas. Governor Brough was marching on foot along 1 with the soldiers when the expedition was halted and turned back. vly Ioy l>s is being formed here tonight and early tomorrow morning will take the field in, search of armed negroes, who this afternoon forced Deputy Sheriff J. H. Breedlove to surrender negro prisoner at negro settlement eight miles east of Dumas
 It Is believed that the negroes are well armed and organized and bitter fight is feared. Immediately after the affair this afternoon phone wires be- tween Dumas and settlement where the trouble occurred were cut, sup posedly by negroes
 Deputy Breedlove and two white ! men who were accompanying him escaped uninjured after exchanging a volley of shots with the attacking negroes
 Sheriff George Lacy at Arkansas City immediately ordered deputies from all parts of the county to assem- ble here as rapidly as possible. The sheriff will arrive during the night to assume command of the big posse. Governor Brough has been asked to send troops here if the trouble assum- es formidable progress.
 The trouble started this afternoon when white employees of a saw mill attempted to capture Doe" Haynes, ] negro, who had been charged with l stealing and killing nogs on a planta- tion east of the city, Haynes escaped and returned to the sawmill carrying a rifle None of the saw mill men were armed and Haynes drove them into the
 woods. Officers here were notified and Deputy Breedlove With two white men, arrested Haynes at the negro set tlement near the saw mill.
 l Breedlove said when he started tG leave with the prisoner eight or ten
 negroes, all armed, emerged from the house and ordered him to release ] Haynes. When he refused, the negroes opened fire. Haynes ran and escaped
 Breedlove, who had but three rounds of ammunition in his rife, covered
 the retreat of his two companions who
 were armed with revolvers. Breedlove
 believes that he hit some of the neg
 roes. It was decided to postpone fur
 ther action until larger force could
 be assembled here.
 1 A section between here and the Arkansas river is populated largely
 by negroes. The only white people
 living there are plantation owners and their families and several saw mill crews. The negroe population of the district out numbers the whites 30 to | l.