Year: 1877

Now that the fire eaters have control of the
local offices, the courts, and the machinery
for clearing themselves Of amy charge
brought against them, they propose, it
seems, to kill of all the white men who
had acted politically with the negroes


Judge Chisholm was the Republican
leader, and had been sheriff of the county
for seven years. He was brave man, and,
assisted by certain staunch friends, he
defended the political rights of the blacks
valiantly. He had a devoted family of
more education and culture than their
neighbors, which probably increased the
animosity of the Bashi-Bazouks of his
county, and led them to make him the


first victim of their vengeance. So an
absurd charge of murder was trumped up
against Chisholm, a friend of his named
Gitmer, and three or four others (all Re-
publicans!, for the purpose of getting
them into Jail, where couple of hundred
cowardly assassins might attack them
and kill them while they were in a de-
fenseless and helpless condition.


Gilmer was overtaken while proceeding
to deliver himself up on the charge, was
run down by the pack of wolves, and, as
the correspondent of the New York Tri-
bune says, twas killed like rat in trap"
Judge Chisholm also yielded quietly to
arrest, but bis family, suspecting that the
intention was to murder him, followed
him to the Jail. There it became evident


what the mob was going to do. The jail


was surrounded. The guns belonging to
the guard had been unloaded, and there


was no powder or shot at hand. Judge
Chisholm's daughter-a girl of eighteen
years, whose name must be enrolled in
the list CT heroines and martyrs-forced
her way back through the mob to her
fathers house under the pretext of getting


something to eat, but returned with
powder and shot concealed in her gar
,ments. The Bashi-Bazouks, numbering


over 200, after awhile mustered up suff-
,cient courage to attack family they sup


posed to be defenseless. But one guard


was true to his post, and he was shot


dead Forcing their way inside the Jail,


the fends killed son of Judge CHS.


holm-a brave boy of thirteen, who was
| clinging to his father-frst wounding


him, then numbering him in cold


blood. The daughter by this time


had succeeded in getting q loaded


gun to her father. He fred at the


crowd, and killed one man in the


advance. At this the cowsrdly pack


gave way and rashed back into the street.


There they began to howl for setting fire


to the Jail, and one devil, more ingenious


than the others, cried out that the Jail


was burning. The building was of frame,


and Judge Chisholm, to save his family,


resolved to face the mob that dared not


face him. The firing began as soon as


the hunted family appeared in the hall


below. Mrs. Chisholm fired off both bar


rels of the shotgun which she held, in the


hope of checking the assault. The judges


daughter chung around her fathers neck


with one arm and with the other pushed


away the guns leveled at him. Had there


been spark of manhood among this herd


of wild beasts. the heroism and devotion


of that daughter would have averted the


slaughter. But the brutes kept on firing,


wounded the poor girl in two places and
the Judge in eleven, then left them for
dead. When the family were carrying


the wounded man to his house, a short
distance away, few of the Bashi-B -Bazouks


returned, and were only appeased by the
brave daughter, bleeding from the wounds


they had inflicted, who assured them hel
father had died in her arms


This was not all of it. Mrs. Chisholm


had to secure a permit from the mob to
bury her boy, whom they had murdered
I She wrote a pitiful letter addressed to
Governor Stone, asking sufficient protec.
ton to enable her to take what remained
: of her family out of the county, the
Bashi-Bazouks having sworn that Judgt
Chisholm should not escape alive. Cap
tain Shaugnessy, a State official of 8
neighboring county, took this letter Ia
Governor at Natchez and offered to raise
: a company of volunteers to protect the
family in the effort to get away from the
neighborhood. This Governor Stone re-
fused to authorize, and merely replied
; that he would return to the capital as soon
! as possible-that is, as soon as he goi
through with his Masonic celebration a
Natchez-meanwhile leaving the CHS
holms to take care of themselves as bes
, they could. Here is where the case rest
! now. 1t remains to be seen what actor
l Governor Stone will take to bring the as
, ssssins to justice. If there is any decen
cy or humanity left among all the nativ
: white population of Mississippi, now i
the time to assert it. If this cold
4 blooded massacre be allowed to go unpun
ished the State of Mississippi will.
formally outlawed by the civilized world
: deserted as rapidly as possible by all tn
: decent people who are now there an
? , avoided as far as possible by all mankind
| Chicago Tribune.