Semi-Weekly Mississippian [Jackson, MS], August 17, 1860
The Excitement in Texas.—By our Texas exchanges we receive further particulars in regard to the excitement growing out of the suspected abolition conspiracy.
The Nacogdoches Chronicle, of the 7th inst., has the following items on this subject:
Ellis County.—A young man who had employed in a store at Waxahatchie, was hung a few days since for giving strychnine to slaves to put in wells.
Smith County.—The man who was shot in the attempt to set fire to Tyler, has been found dead.
Cherokee Nation.—The Paris Press speaks of a rumor that a bloody fight had taken place in the Nation, between abolitionists and pro-slavery men, in which 159 of the former were killed, and 7 of the latter. The story is most probably a fabrication.
Wood County.—On the 29th ult., an armed committee escorted the notorious J. E. Lemon out of Wood county. Just before which, he signed a document binding himself under penalty of his life not to return to Wood county, nor publish nor circulate abolition documents in the State.
Cherokee County.—The citizens of Cherokee have organized for their protection.
More Incendiarism.—Another attempt has been made to fire buildings near Tyler, also in Brenham, and at Georgetown.
Another Great Fire.—The Houston Telegraph, of the 11th, says:
We learn from a gentleman who passed through Henderson, in Rusk county, on last Monday morning, that the town of Henderson was set on fire last Sunday night, the 5th inst., and was almost entirely consumed.—Every house on the square, except one, including all the business houses in the place, was destroyed.
The people of Henderson, our informant says, put no faith in the reported conspiracy, and neglected to appoint a patrol or keep watch. The fire was discovered on Sunday night about 9 o’clock. No clue had been discovered to the perpetrators of the deed.
Preacher Hung at Veal’s Station.—The Fort Worth Chief, of the 1st inst., has the following brief notice of the execution of an Abolitionist conspirator:
We learn that a preacher by the name of Buley was hung at Veal’s Station last week, for being an active abolitionists . A majority of three hundred men condemned him.
A Discovery in Brenham.—The Brenham Ranger, of the 10th inst., says:
A few days since, several negroes were arrested on Mill Creek, in this county, who acknowledged to their having poison given them by white men, for the purpose of poisoning their owners and families, and that the day of election was the time fixed for general insurrection. They also implicated some negroes about town as being concerned in the murderous plot.
Trouble in Tennessee Colony.—The Fairfield Pioneer, of the 9th inst., has the following:
Mr. Teague, a printer in our office, has just arrived from Tennessee Colony, Anderson county, and brings the news that he witnessed the hanging of two white men in that place on Sunday, the 5th inst., who were proven to be guilty of inciting insurrection among the slaves of that neighborhood. Their names were Antoney Wyrick and his cousin, Alford Cable. They were engaged near the Conoly at their trades of wagon making and blacksmithing, where they have been living for three or four years. Wyrick had been previously taken up for harboring and selling liquor to negroes. Negroes were found in the possession of firearms and strychnine, furnished by these men.
Another Emissary.—The Houston Telegraph, of the 11th inst., says:
On Monday last, a white man rode up to Mr. Dick Breeding’s, near Round Top, at noon, and finding nobody but a negro girl at home, questioned her about runaway horses, &c., and finally asked her how she and the negroes were satisfied. He then went off, and fifteen minutes after returned with three negroes, demanding something to eat. The woman gave them food. After eating, they broke open a trunk, in search of money. They then put a shovel full of fire in the bed, and left. After they were gone, the negro woman extinguished the fire, and then ran to the overseer’s house, to tell him what had happened. The affair caused a good deal of excitement.
Evidence seems to be accumulating, to show some concert among a set of desperadoes, in deeds of outrageous villiany .
The Choctaws.—We learn from the Fort Worth Chief:
That the Choctaws are about to call upon the General Government for assistance to procure provisions for the people of the Nation, as their crops have almost entirely been destroyed by the drouth . We learn from good authority that there will not be corn enough raised in the whole Nation to last them until Christmas, and as the appropriation of the money due the Nation failed in Congress last session, they are going to appeal to the Government for assistance in some shape, to keep them from starving.
Drouth .—In many quarters of Texas the long continued drouth has at last been broken, though it is believed too late for much benefit to the crops.