Lippincott's Magazine, August, 1885 Read online

  Feuds and Lynch-Law in the Southwest.

  A great deal has been said and written lately about feuds and lynch-lawin the districts around the lower Mississippi. The reports of recentlynching there have probably been very much exaggerated; and it wouldcertainly be unfair to form a positive opinion about the matter withouta thorough knowledge of all the circumstances.

  No one who visited that part of the country before the war could returnto it now without noticing the higher degree of order and the numerousevidences of progress. But lynching law-breakers and resorting to theknife or pistol to settle private disputes were once ordinaryoccurrences there, and they were usually marked by a businesslikecoolness which gave them a distinctive character.

  In the winter of 1853-54 I was clerk of a steamer owned in Wheeling. Thesteamer was obliged to wait some time at Napoleon for a rise in theArkansas River to enable it to pass over the bar at the confluence ofthat river with the Mississippi. Napoleon then had between three andfour hundred inhabitants, and was considered the worst place on theMississippi except Natchez-under-the-Hill. Some of the dwellings were ofconsiderable size, and, judging from their exterior, were kept in goodorder. They were the residences of the few who belonged to the betterclass, and who, to a certain extent, exercised control over their lessreputable townsmen.

  We were treated very kindly by the citizens, and they declined anyreturn for their hospitality. We soon noticed that we were never invitedto visit any of them at their dwellings. At their places of business wewere cordially welcomed, and they seemed to take a great deal ofpleasure in giving us information and affording us any amusement intheir power.

  Having some canned oysters among our stores, we twice invited a numberof our friends to an oyster-supper. Although our invitations includedtheir families, none but male guests attended. This, together with thefact that we rarely saw any ladies on the street, seemed very strange tous; but we made no comments, for we discovered very soon after ourarrival that it would not be prudent to ask questions about matters thatdid not concern us. At church one Sunday night we noticed that all theladies present--composing nearly the whole of the congregation--weredressed in black, and many of them were in deep mourning. This gave ussome idea as to the reason for their exclusiveness. Soon afterward amurder occurred almost within my own sight. Two friends were standing onthe street and talking pleasantly to each other, when they wereapproached by a man whom they did not know. Suddenly a second man cameclose to the stranger, and, without saying a word, drew a pistol andshot him dead. The murderer was instantly seized, bound, and placed inthe jail.

  The jail was a square pen about thirty feet high, built of hewn logs,without any opening except in the roof. This opening was only largeenough to admit one person at a time, and was protected by a heavy door.The prisoner was forced by his captors to mount the roof by means of aladder, and then was lowered with a rope to the ground inside. The ropewas withdrawn, the door securely fastened, and he was caged, without anypossible means of escape, to await the verdict and sentence of the jurysummoned by "Judge Lynch."

  The trial was very short. The facts were proven, and the verdict wasthat the murderer should be severely whipped and made to leave the townforthwith. The whipping was administered, and he left immediatelyafterward.

  Of course there was a good deal of excitement over this matter, and allthe male inhabitants collected to talk about it. The discussion extendedto some similar cases of recent occurrence and soon gave rise to angrydisputes. In a very short time pistols and knives were produced,invitations to fight were given, and it seemed that blood would soon beshed. By the interference, however, of some of the older and moreinfluential citizens, quiet was restored, and no one was injured. Wewere afterward told that there was hardly a man in the crowd who had notlost a father, brother, or near male relative by knife or pistol, eitherin a supposed fair fight or by foul means.

  At that time the hatred of negroes from "free States" was intense, whilethose from "slave States" were treated kindly and regarded merely aspersons of an inferior race.

  Some time before our arrival, a steamer belonging to Pittsburg hadstopped at Napoleon, and the colored steward went on shore to buyprovisions. While bargaining for them he became involved in a quarrelwith a white man and struck him. He was instantly seized, and would nodoubt have paid for his temerity with his life if some one in the crowdhad not exclaimed, "A live nigger's worth twenty dead ones! Let's sellhim!" This suggestion was adopted. In a very short time the unfortunatesteward was bound, mounted on a swift horse, and hurried away toward theinterior of the State. He was guarded by a party of mounted men, and inless than a week's time he was working on a plantation as a slave forlife, with no prospect of communicating with his relatives or friends.

  One morning the captain of the steamer and I saw a crowd collect, and onapproaching it we found a debate going on as to what should be done witha large and well-dressed colored man, evidently under the influence ofliquor, who was seated on the ground with his arms and legs bound. Hehad knocked one white man down and struck several others while they wereattempting to secure him. The crowd was undecided whether to give him agood whipping for his offence or to send for his master (who lived onthe other side of the river, in Mississippi) and let him inflict thepunishment. Finally, the master was sent for. He soon appeared, andstated that he had given his "_boy_" permission to come over toNapoleon, and had also given him money to buy some things he wanted. Hewas "a good boy," and had never been in trouble before, and if thecitizens of Napoleon would forgive him this time he, the master, wouldguarantee that the boy should never visit Napoleon again. The masteralso stated he would "stand drinks" for the whole crowd. This gavegeneral satisfaction. The drinks were taken, and the master and hisslave were enthusiastically escorted to their dug-out on the shore. Muchhand-shaking took place, in which the "boy" participated, and manyinvitations were given to both to visit Napoleon again; after which theyrowed contentedly to their home.

  J.A.M.