A RACE RIOT IN AMERICA.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XL, Issue 7189, 6 January 1902, Page 4

A RACE RIOT IN AMERICA.

Thirty Persons Killed

New Orleans, La., November 8. Thirty persons, whites and negroes, were killed last night and to-day in a raco war at Balltown, Washington Parish, La.-

Balltown is in the extreme eastern portion of Washington parish, two miles from Pearl Eiver, which divides Mississippi and Louisiaua on the east, four miles from tho Mississippi lino on the north, and twentyone miles from Columbia. The country is wild, there being no railroads and few means of communication. The population is mainly white, there being few negroes. " Bill " Morris, a negro, was burned at the stake last Wednesday, for assaulting a white woman, Mrs John Ball, who is still in a precarious condition. The negro was chained to a pine sapling and a pile of pine knots saturated with oil placed around him. These were set on fire by a negro whom the mob compelled to perform this service.

This burning caused intense indignation among all the negroes in the neighborhood, because it was one of their own race who started tho fire.

At a negro meeting held in Balltown at four o'clock yesterday afternoon the action of this negro was denounced, and it was resolved to mete out to him the same fate Moms had met. A party of negroes was formed for that purpose and went to his house to lynch him. When the news reached the white citizens that the negro who had simply carried out their will was to suiter death several of them went to his rescue. The light then began. First news of the riot was received when a party of men rode into Columbia, Miss., from Louisiana, and bought up all the guns and ammunition they could lind. They reported that twenty men, five whites and fifteen negroes, had been killed, mv trouble was still going on. ■The news to-night is that ten more negroes have been killed, which would indicate that there had been n° Particular fighting lately, hut that the white men were simply running down those negroes who had been principals in the troubles and had killed ten of them. Squads of men are reported patrolling the country around Balltown looking for negroes. The latter had ontrenchod-. themselves and a great

deal of firing resulted. Some of the negroes fled ovor the lino into Mississippi to escape the mob. Sheriff Simmons found it impossible to control the mob and tolegraphed to the Governor for assistance.