THE KU KLUX KHAN IN ACTION.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2629, 21 July 1871, Page 3

THE KU KLUX KHAN IN ACTION.

The New York Tribune relates a scene which : oolc place in the city of Meridian, in Mississippi, which shows the character of the Ku Kin* Klan, A negro schoolmaster named Tyler wag charged with making an incendiary speech, and a witness named “Jim Brantley” testified against him, Tyler here asked ptrmission of the court to speak, which was granted, asking Brantley at the same time not to leave the stand yet,- then, rising up from his seat, Tyler said to Brantley— 1 ‘ 1 can bring two witnesses to impeach your testimony, sir.” Coming from a negro to a white man, this remark, it is stated, “was like a firebrand in a powder magazine.” Every man sprang to his feet. Tyler, in fact, appears to have been the coolest man for a moment in.the house, On a table close by lay a hickory stick or cane. Brantley seized the cane and rushed towards Tyler, exclaiming two ’ or three times, “ What’s that you say, sir ?” He was seized by the City Marshal. Tyler, cool and determined, said to the Marshal, backing towards the Sher fTs room in the front of the building at the same time, and with his hand behind hjjjp, as if oh a weapon. ‘ 1 Stop him, or let mm come, and I will atop, him!” Some one fired a pistol shot, and the melee commenced. Who. fired the first shot is unknown, and it is equally uncertain whether the Justice was killed at the first shot or subsequently. Shot followed shot in rapid succession, all firing promiscuously at the blacks, who were making desperate i fforts tft escape. The hall was soon cleared. At the first report of firing in the court room, as if by a preconcerted arrangement, the long roll was beat, and from every'door issued men with guns in hand, who fell into line with soldier-like rapidity and precision to the number of fully two himdred. V-. bile the melee at the court house was at its height, the negro, Warne Taylor, appeared on the front '’porch and leaped down into the street, someone from below shooting him in the hip as he swung off. Regaining his feet, he ran rapidly, wounded as he was and hotly pursued. He darted into a small shop. At hisheele were a hundred men at least. He was at bay, and it is said, fought to, the last; but he fell, literally riddled with halls, even the boy's coming in for their shot. A little later the body of one William Dennis, was dragged from the court-room to the porch, and bleeding as it was from several bullet wounds, it was tossed to the streets below amid the shouts and jeers of the crowd. Signs of life. being still discoverable, someone kindly cut his throat. At this time there were lying dead in the rooms the bodies of Justice Brandfctte, a negro called Gus. Ford, with an old mau, Isaac Dec, badly wounded in the shoulder. All over the town crowds of frenzied whites were rushing in every direction, hunting this or that prominent black in order to kill him, and commiting outrages of every kind upon others. As niohtcame cn, a crowd of the Alabama Ku kFux appeared in the town, and took a hand with the rest. They were- heard shouting “ Hurrah for Alabama !” at various times. One of tin ir victims, after being stripped and flogged in a terrible manner, and having several buckshots tired into his body, was allowed to escape, and was last heard of lying in a helpless condition in a “ colored hotel ” in Jackson,