Democratic Sentinel, Volume 12, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 March 1888 — THE SOUTHERN STATES. [ARTICLE]

THE SOUTHERN STATES.

Texas dispatches give brief particulars of a horrible crime at a settlement known as Spanish Camp, about sixty miles west of Houston. Spanish Camp is composed of Mexicans, negroes and desperate whites, and is remote from railroads and telegraph lines. A negro cabin was set on fire and the occupants brutally shot down as they ran, half-awake, from the burning house. Five were killed outright, one severely wonnded, and two were consumed In the burning dwelling. In the same neighborhood the dead body of a negro was found yesterday hanging to a tree. The affair is said to be the outcome of a suit over the title of the land where the negroes lived, and which had been deeided in their favor. Mb. Davenpbot, the teacher of the public school at Borne, Miss., recently expelled two pupils. Wednesday last partisans on both sides met at the schoolhouse and had a pitched battle. R. A. Buttledge was instantly killed and his son died soon after. They were buried in the same grave. Several other parties received serious wounds. The sculling race for the championship of America came off on Lake Weir, near Jacksonville, Fla, the contestants being Teemer, Hamm and McKay. Teemer won in 20:03; McKay second, 20:05; Hamm third, 20:06. 1 Tbain-robbebs did a quick, clean job on

the St Louis, Arkansas and Texas Railway, twenty miles south of Pine Bluff, Ark., the following account of which is sent by telegraph “from the latter place: About a mils north of Kingsland the engineer I and fireman, who were looking ahead along the ! road, heard a noise in the rear, and, turning, | saw two men climbing over the coal, "Stop ; the train,* said one of the strangers, leveling a revolver at the engineer. The engineer snut on the steam and brought the train to a standstill. Conductor browning, who was back in the slooper, was aroused by the suddeu stop, . and, leaning out on the platform of the sleeper, gave the aigual with his lautern to go ahead. As he swung the lamp one of tne robbers leaned out of the cab, and, taking deliberate aiui at the lantern, bred. Tne glass was shattered into a hundred fragments. The light was extinguished, and Urn conductor dodged back iuto tho sleeper and remained there until the bandits ieit tbs scene. Alter giving tbe conductor his quietus' the robbers ordered the eugiueer and fireman to step down beside the track. Two of tne thieves then stepped behind the two trainmen, and with drawn revolvers ordered them to advance to the express car. The tru.mneu obeyed, and the messenger, who was armed, discovered he could not reach the robbers without killiug his friends. He had prepared for the attack, aud the doors of the car were barricaded with freight. The third robber, who had been meandering up and down beside the track keeping the passengers quiet, returned, and all tnreo men began firing a volley at the express car. The shooting created a Cic among the passengers, many of whom not awakened before the firing began. The usual scenes of confusion aud fright followed. Valuables were hidden among the seats, wood-boxes, and other places, but the robbers informed the passengers that they would not he robbed if they kept quiet-if they offered to interfere "in the proceedings forward every one would be robbed. None of the passengers offered to interfere, and all kept inside the cars. Finding that shooting at the express car would not open the doom, the fireman was ordered to take a heavy iron bar from the engine aud smash in the door. Harknett was compelled to obey, and after smashing at the door for ten minutes he was ordered to desist. One of the bandits then secured an oil-can trom the engine. Picking up cotton waste he soon had a brisk tire started on the platform of the express. This settled it and the messenger surrendered. The engineer and fireman were again used as a shield by the robbers, aud from behind them the robbers got the drop ox ExpressMessenger Calvin. Ho threw up isis hands, and, with the engineer and fireman ranged in a row, while held by ono of the thieves, the others rifled the car, Tho messenger was compelled to open the safe, and the entire contents were dumped into a sack. The robbers were just forty minutes at the work, And the amount of money taaon is placed at $13,000. The messenger fired on them as they rode away, and tne only response was *Ah, there,” and a fusillade in return. in ear Aberdeen, Ai s-., a row occurred over the expulsion of two pupils, and the jenemies and friends of the school-teacher chose sides and had an old-fashioned shootiug match. Two people were killed and several wounded.