Jasper County Democrat, Volume 9, Number 39, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 29 December 1906 — HAS THE LOOK OF WAR [ARTICLE]

HAS THE LOOK OF WAR

Reports from Wahalak, Miss., Seem to Indicate a Large “Butcher’s Bill.’’ FACTS APPEAR HARD TO GET Many Whites and Negroes Reported to Have Been Killed. Latest Story of the Origin of the Affair Does Not Agree with the First—Labor Riot in Kentucky. Memphis, Tenn., Dec. 26.—A longdistance telephone message from Scooba, Miss., says that seven persons have been killed in a race clash in that vicinity. Jackson, Miss., Dec. 26. Late at night Governor Vardaman received a telegram from J. A. Quarles, a prominent citizen of Seooba, Miss., stating that a further uprising had occurred in which five unknown negroes were killed and that their slayers had been captured, and asking that twenty-five troopers be dispatched to that place to help hold the prisoners. Governor Vardaman promptly instructed the colonel commanding at Meridian to ask for a special train over the Mobile and Ohio railroad and to go to the scene as quickly as possible. Men Are Slow at Responding. But at midnight the troops had not sur-eeeded in getting away because of an insufficient number responding. It was announced that a company of infantry and a battery of artillery would J?ave on the regular train. The best information obtainable confirms the report of rioting, and places the killed at six negroes and one white man, with another white man believed to be fatally wounded. Another report stated that the white dead reached four, making a total of ten. This, however, was not confirmed. Looks Like a Regular War.

Wahalak, Miss., Dec. 20. Conductor Robert Harrison, of the Mobile and Ohio railroad, who was ambushed and seriously wounded by a negro, is dead. The racial troubles at this place were caused primarily by the meeting in a narrow roadway of wagons driven by a white farmer and a negro, respectively. The negro abused the white ntan, who reported the occurrence to the white villagers at Wahalak. Whites immediately organized themselves, and in a fight with the negroes of the commanity a number of white men was killed, including one of the most prominent men of the vicinity. The number of negroes killed in the rioting ha* never been approximated, but dead negroes have been found in many parts of the settlement since the trouble started. SOME DETAILS ARE TOLD News Brought by Troops That Had Been at Wahalak. Meridian. Miss., Dec. 20.—From the officers of a force of troops who returned here yesterday from Wahalak. supposing the trouble ended, the following is obtained: After the arrival of the militia at Wahalak no disturbance occurred, although It Is believed that three negroes, including George Simpson, one of the principals in the disturbance aboard the Mobile and Ohio train, had been lynched just before the arrival of the troops. The citizens of Wahalak will not admit the fact that the men were captured by a mob, but say they were “lost in the swamp” while on their way to town. Two sons of Simpson were shot to death later As near as can be ascertained at this time the casualties resultant from the trouble are as follows: Unknown negro. shot by Conductor Cooper on the train: Constable O’Brien, killed by precipitator of the trouble, George Simpson, when an attempt at arrest was made; George Simpson, lynched: Tom Simpson, son of George Simpson, shot to death by a white mob near Wahn!ak: Jim Sltnpson, another son, shot to death: two unknown negroes, lynched; Conductor Cooper, seriously Injured by being cut nnd stabbed seven times by George Simpson on the passenger trnln; behind Sparkman, soldier, flesh wound In left knee, accidental discharge of his own pistol. Officers of the company state that on their arrival at Wahalak no county officials were on hand to which they could report, and thnt during their slay there none of the county officials appeared among the troops. Colonel McCant*. who was In charge of the troops, forbade armed bodies of men riding through the country, and would permit no acts which Indicated violence. The soldiers say they found armed men from other places In charge when they reached the scene. LABOR RIOT IN KENTUCKY Strikers and Mine Guards Indulge la a Fatal Fusillade. Owensboro, Ky„ Dec. 20. Three men were killed and four wounded In a battle between guards employed by the West Kentucky Coal company at Sturgis, Union county, and the strlkIng miners at that place. The dead are: C. J. Dougherty, mine guard; Billy Malloy and Will Gray, miners. The wounded are —L. I. Moore, mlna guard, will die; Sam Barneby, miner, dying; William Goch and Henry Delaney, miners, shot In the arm. The fight occurred In a downtown street about one mile from the min*.