THE PERIL OF THE HOUR by Editor

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Apr 11, 1871

THE PERIL OF THE HOUR.

By Editor

The letter of William Sturgis, expelled mayor of Meridian, Miss., which we print this week, fully supplements the report of the Senate's Committee of Investigation, and proves the rebel spirit still rampant and murderous. Mississippi is a strongly Republican State; Meridian is a Republican city; and yet her Republican mayor is hunted out like a wolf, though he is neither charged with any offense nor suspected of any wrong. Remember that we had the rebel bulletin of this atrocity by telegraph several days since, and, while it stated the fact that he had been driven away, it did not even intimate any other reason for this than his northern birth and Republican politics. Mr. Sturgis' own account of the matter elucidates it, but is not in conflict with that telegraphed by the confederated murderers. They indeed assert that a negro shot Judge Bramlette, and would fain create the impression that this was the beginning of the fray; to which Mayor Sturgis responds as follows:—

“The Ku Klux will endeavor to make the people of the North believe that Judge Bramlette was killed by a negro. They may make some believe it; but I do not believe that any of the arrested negroes had any weapon other than a pocket-knife, as I was present at the trial for some time, and sat close to the accused, and saw none. But in a direct line from the sheriff's office door to the main hall there sat one of those negroes; and I believe, although I saw not the shooting, that one or many of the Ku Klux, in carrying out their design, shot Judge Bramlette. After the negro was shot, he jumped out of the two-story window, after which he was killed. Gen. Dennis, colored, was shot in the Court-room, after which he was thrown from the two-story window on to the brick pavement below, and as that did not kill him, they cut his throat. After they had killed J. A. Moore, they went and burned his house; and so they continued their hellish barbarities. They surrounded my brother's house. They were all armed with double-barreled shot-guns, and as I was told were 200 in number. Many good citizens of Meridian pleaded for me, as well as many in the Ku-Klux columns, who were in them, not from choice, but from necessity. They appointed committee after committee to wait upon me, and to inform me that I must leave by 10 o'clock next day. Their principal commanders visited me. I wanted to know the whys and wherefores, but they said they came not to argue any question of right—the verdict had been rendered. They treated me respectfully, but said that their ultimatum was, that I must take a northern-bound train. I yielded. At about 12½ o'clock at night, perhaps 300 came and escorted me to the cars.”

We are sure that no impartial judge can doubt that this is the truth, and that the pretense that a negro shot Judge Bramlette—for which no pretext is alleged, and no conceivable motive is even suggested—is a naked lie, invented to screen the Ku-Klux murderers from general execration. It might as plausibly be contended that the negroes ran off Mayor Sturgis.

Account of the Meridian Court-room riot, by the Hon. J. Aaron Moore, a colored victim—The shooting of Judge Bramlette.

All the accounts of the recent riots and murders at Meridian, Mississippi, thus far received, both by telegraph and mail, have been from rebel and Ku-Klux sources only, except the letter of Mayor Sturgis. The Jackson Pilot publishes a statement from the Hon. J. Aaron Moore, a colored member of the Mississippi Legislature, who resides near Meridian, and who arrived at Jackson after a flight on foot. The reporter took down his words as he lay in bed, prostrated by fatigue. It was Mr. Moore's house which was burned on Monday evening after the first riots, and concerning which a “Citizen's Committee” made a report intimating that it was burned for the insurance, the furniture being previously removed. The truth appears to be, that the house was threatened by the whites, and that if it had not been deserted there would have been greater loss of property, if not, indeed, loss of life. A meeting of colored people was the immediate cause of trouble. Moore and several other colored men were arrested for making “incendiary speeches,” and it was at their examination on Monday that the shooting of Judge Bramlette and the subsequent general slaughter of colored men occurred. The account given below of the shooting contrasts strangely with that given by the first telegrams. No hint was given in those of the threatened attack on a negro by a witness which preceded the shooting. Mr. Moore was among those arrested and examined. He says:—

“At the examination, where I arrived about 3 P. M., Judge Bramlette was presiding. The charge of making speeches on Saturday was being examined. The defendants were Warren Tyler, Wm. Clopton, alias Dennis, and myself, all colored. Mr. Ford, the prosecuting attorney, asked what I had to say. I said I was not guilty, and did not know anything of it. I needed no attorney, for I had done nothing. The witnesses were then examined. They seemed to agree that Tyler and Clopton had made flaming speeches, but that mine was on the side of peace and good order. Mr. Brantly, a white man, gave his testimony. At this time all the colored policemen were called in. The mayor had been in the room, but only remained a few minutes. The prosecuting attorney asked Brantly what he had heard Tyler say on the street that (Monday) morning. He answered that he was passing along the street when he heard “this boy here” (he did not know his name) say that “the Democrats were getting frightened.” Brantly testified that he called Tyler a d—d liar, and that he had a great mind to shoot him down or blow his brains out on the spot. At this, Tyler said he desired Brantly to keep the floor for a moment, until he could go out and get two men who would impeach his (Brantly's) testimony. Brantly replied, “What did you say?” Tyler repeated his remark, when Brantly caught up the hickory stick of the city marshal, from a table near, and with it started for Tyler. The last I remember of it, Tyler was retreating backward toward the sheriff's room. I heard several say, “Shoot him! shoot him!” I had just got behind Judge Bramlette when I heard the shot, and the judge fell to the floor. I fell with him, he falling directly upon my left shoulder. I was not hit, but the blood from Judge Bramlette covered my clothing and arm. The firing became general. I cannot say who fired the shot at Judge Bramlette. I was at the time of the mind that it had been aimed at me and hit him. There was soon firing all over the room. I heard the marshal shout out for the firing to cease, as the magistrate was killed. I saw that he was dead and remained quiet. When the crowd was dispersed I looked up and saw Clopton also dead. Deputy Sheriff Belt was nigh with a pistol in his hand, and I sought his protection. He averred that he could not protect anybody.”

“Soon thereafter I picked up my hat and walked away covered with blood, and everybody supposed that I was mortally wounded. I only told one person that I was not hurt. I reached home, told my wife she must take care of the children and herself, gave her what money I had, and left. I only went about three-quarters of a mile when I sent a friend back. He soon returned to tell me that 100 men were at my house looking for me. I traveled all that night and until 2 o'clock Tuesday morning, when I reached a friend's house. I staid there all that day. Another friend came there and told me that my home and all I had in it, with the church, were burned up. Then I left that place and traveled on foot day and night, and got here this morning at 9 o'clock.”