Rensselaer Republican, Volume 21, Number 16, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 December 1888 — MORE RACE TROUBLES. [ARTICLE]

MORE RACE TROUBLES.

An Uprising of Negroes at Wahalak, ; ■ Mississippi. A Terrible Fight In Which Many Men Are Ktile<<—Troopa and Armed Citunng to' the Rescue- LQyfl'vUng Particulars. A special from Columbus, Miss., received Monday evening, says: “Reports reached here this morning of a riot between whites and negroes at Wahalab, Miss., a station on the Mobile & Ohio railroad, of about two hundred inhabitants, that surpasses in horror anything that has happened in this State for years, and recalls most forcibly the remembrance of the bloody riots of 1875. Tne particulars gathered from the most reliable sources are as follows: Yesterday evening, two boys, one white and the other a negro, gotTnto a fight. Mr. Tom Nicholson, the father of the white boy, attempted to separate them, when Maurice, the father of the negro, jumped on him and beat him up most terribly. Mr. Nicholson swore out a warrant against Maurice, which was placed in the hands of the constable. The constable,after searching for Maurice, found him, with quite a crowd of other negroes, barricaded in a hon e. They refused to pay any attention to tae officer, or his warrant, »nd defied the law and the authorities, saying Maurice should not be arrested. Not satisfied with defying the law, they attacked the officer and beat him until he was more dead than alive, before they would allow him to go. He returned to town and summoned a posse of twelve white men, who proceeded at once to the point where the negroes were fortified to demand the surrended of Maurice. The negroes, however, had abandoned their house and were secreted in the woods near by, and as the constable and his posse neared the house they were fired upon from ambush. Constable T. L. Cobb and four of his posse fell dead at thejfirst volley, and there was only one man among the twelve vho • scaped entirely whole, some being seriously wounded. The whites, seeing that they were only a handful compared to the large crowd of negroos who were opposed to them and who numbered several hundred, retreated, leaving their dead on the field, followed by the jeers and shouts of the black murderers, who were armed to the teeth, and had used double-barreled shotguns with such deadly effect on the officers of the law. Upon the return of the remnant of the posse to the town the scene was of the wildest excitement. The situation was telegraphed to the neighboring towns and preparations were at once made to attack the negroes as soon as reinforcements arrived. The news of the slaughter caused intense excitement wherever it was made known, and offers of assistance came from all quarters. A special train was made up at Meridian with about seventy-five determined men aboard, and left for. the scene of conflicu The number Was im creased at every station along the road. No engine could be had north of Wahalak to take a special train, but preparations were made at all points to go on the, evening train. Telegrams were sent from various points, and preparations are being made at almost every place along the line »o send squads of armed men to the rescue. The negroes have not been idle. Reports from the country where they are congregating state that their number is being constantly increased by reinforcements, and that they are fully armed and determined to fight to the end.

Advices just received from the scene of the trouble state that the negroes have become alarmed at the number of reinforcements the whites have f om airquarters and have retreated to the swamps, where they are fortifying themselves and making every prepration to resist all attacks. They are armed with shotguns, muskets and pistols, and are abundantly supplied with ammunition.. The whites are mostly armed with Winchester rifles, shotguns and side-arms, and are determined to put a stop to all such outbreaks. The present scene of trouble is about five miles from Wahalak, and reports are effect that the whites and blacks are now about equal in numbers, and the whites were about to advance to the swauip. Judging the present by the past, the situation is anything but reassuring. Those who remember the riots of 1875 shudder as they contemplate all the horrors of aracejwar. The military here have made every preparation and are ready to leave at any moment, but up to the present writing have received no orders from the Governor, and Will not go as on organization without orders. Business houses have closed and groups of men are standing around on the streets discussing the situation and awaiting developments. Since the bulletins in front of the Dispatch office have been taken down the negroes have quieted down atid dispersed. The Wahalak affair has nothing Yo do with politics, unless the Republican sucess of the late campaign has made the negroes more" arrogant than usual. The affair is greatly regretted by ail good citizens, who foresee that much bloodshed may be the result*, and while there is no doubt as to who will be the victors when the crisis combs, still it is a most deplorable affair, and one that will have a baneful influence on the South. Rumors are coming in constantly. The latest, upon which too much credence should not be placed, sa s that the whites attacked the blacks in the swamp with fearful results to the latter, the number of killed being placed at" twelve whites and 150 negroes. This rumor ought to be verified before it is believed.