Memphis Daily Appeal clipping
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MERIDIAN.
Review of the Statement of the Runaway Negro, J. Aaron Moore.
He Misrepresents Facts in Every Instance, and is an Arrant Falsifier.
Moore Knew all About the Intentions of Clopton and Tyler, the Rioters.
All About the Plot to Murder Justice Bramlette and Other Officers - Negroes Leaving Meridian.
From the Meridian Gazette, of Wednesday.]
MOORE'S STATEMENT MANUFACTURED TO ORDER.
Aaron Moore has been interviewed at Jackson by the editor of the Pilot, and we publish his statement, this morning, entire. He has certainly flavored it to suit the taste of Radicals, and, as it stands, it forms a sweet morsel to roll under their tongues. In reading it, the first thing that strikes us is Aaron's lamb like innocence, and his utter ignorance of anything connected with the affair, going to show his intimacy with the two desperate negroes, Clopton and Tyler, or his knowledge of their design to bring on a collision with the whites. He pretends to be merely "passing the court-house" when he "heard some persons apparently speaking." This is truly refreshing, in view of the fact that it was known here, several days previous to the meeting, that the negroes expected him to address them, that the court room was secured for the purpose, and that the large crowd of country darkies present on the occasion, were attracted to the city by the announcement of his coming.
"ZE BRASS CHEEK."
He certainly has more "cheek" than we gave him credit for, and must be a hardened hypocrite, indeed, to be able to pretend ignorance of a meeting so notorious, and innocence of participation in proceedings which had been "cut and dried," and in which, as a rigid investigation will show, he was expected by his deluded followers to take an active, if not a leading part. He did perform very well, so far as words go. He could denounce white people, abuse the county officers, and warn Meridian of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, but when the storm was raging which he had helped to raise, where was Aaron? At home while the town was in flames. In bed while one of his confederates was endeavoring to organize a negro mob, and to his cowardice, it is more than probable, a scheme failed, which successfully carried out, would have deluged the city in blood. He was absent, because he knew what was about to happen, and anticipated the time when it would be necessary to "know nothing, personally."
A CALM REVIEW
of all the circumstances, the intimacy of Moore with Clopton and Tyler, his knowledge of their violent character, the state of feeling which existed at the meeting, throw strong suspicion on his labored plea of innocence, and his strange absence from the scene of a destructive conflagration, which drew together all unsuspecting citizens, cannot be accounted for satisfactorily except upon the supposition that he expected certain events to happen that would make home the safest place.
ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT'S RIOT.
As to the reported disarming of the negroes on Saturday night, it was an absolute necessity. No less than four white men are known to have been shot at in going to the fire - two of them, Messrs. Hancock and Rea, were wounded. The town was full of armed negroes. Clopton had given the signal, and Tyler and his associates were in arms to carry out his behests. In one place, before the close of the fire, more than twenty negroes armed with muskets and shot-guns, were found drawn up in line. Added to this, the bell at the African church had given the signal to gather the negroes, and but for the prompt action taken to disarm them, the city would, before morning, have been in ashes, and hundreds murdered.
THE SHERIFF'S ORDER.
To show how Moore misrepresents facts, it is well known that the Sheriff ordered the disarming of both blacks and whites; and that the order was but partially carried out, or, in other words, that it extended only to those found armed on the streets, is proven by the fact that the pickets around Moore's church on Sunday night were well armed, and that weapons were not lacking among the negroes on Monday.
AFFAIRS OF MONDAY.
We come now, to the affairs of Monday. It can be proved by a number of witnesses that Warren Tyler stated before he went into the court-house on Wednesday that he would have a difficulty there and might not leave it alive. He declared he would kill the first man who spoke to him about leaving the city, and at least five or six negroes can be found who will testify as to his statements of the difficulty that he expected would take place during the trial. He declared he would "kill and might be killed," and even went so far as to give directions about how he should be buried in the event of his death. This was all well known to the negro population of Meridian on Monday. The whites were wholly ignorant of it.
MOORE A CONFEDERATE OF TYLER.
We charge that Aaron Moore must have known of the murderous intentions of Tyler. They were intimate friends and had been together on Saturday and Sunday. It is not probable Tyler would have told so many others of what he intended to do and said nothing about it to his confidential friend, Moore. There are many circumstances that have come to light since the riot that indicate that the intention of Tyler and his confederates was to murder Judge Bramlette and the Sheriff, Mosely, and the Deputy Sheriff, Belk. Tyler and Clopton feared they might be sent to jail, and they desired to put the officers out of the way. The plot failed because their confederates became alarmed when the firing commenced and ran off. If Moore was not an accomplice and a confederate, why did he fail to disclose the threats of Tyler?
MOORE GUILTY OF A WILLFUL FALSIFICATION OF FACTS.
Moore's whole statement is an attempt to create a false impression by concealing a part of the truth. He knows very well that Warren Tyler fired the shot that inaugurated the reign of terror, and the exclamations, "Shoot him, shoot him," were not uttered until Tyler had killed Judge Bramlette and was trying to make his escape. He may have been excited, but must have known how the affair commenced, and he is guilty of a willful falsification of facts. He also misrepresents Mr. Brantley's testimony. Taken altogether, the mendacious report of J. Aaron Moore brands him as an unprincipled man, a disgrace to the religion he professes, unworthy the confidence of his race, and the friendship of white men, and makes his name a foul blot on the rolls of the Legislature.
LEAVING MERIDIAN.
A great many negroes are leaving Meridian. Every train takes away sundry sable sons and daughters. They think it is no place for them, now that Warren Tyler is "mouldering in the ground," and the soul of General Billy Clopton is marching where peace and rest can never dwell.
Review of the Statement of the Runaway Negro, J. Aaron Moore.
He Misrepresents Facts in Every Instance, and is an Arrant Falsifier.
Moore Knew all About the Intentions of Clopton and Tyler, the Rioters.
All About the Plot to Murder Justice Bramlette and Other Officers - Negroes Leaving Meridian.
From the Meridian Gazette, of Wednesday.]
MOORE'S STATEMENT MANUFACTURED TO ORDER.
Aaron Moore has been interviewed at Jackson by the editor of the Pilot, and we publish his statement, this morning, entire. He has certainly flavored it to suit the taste of Radicals, and, as it stands, it forms a sweet morsel to roll under their tongues. In reading it, the first thing that strikes us is Aaron's lamb like innocence, and his utter ignorance of anything connected with the affair, going to show his intimacy with the two desperate negroes, Clopton and Tyler, or his knowledge of their design to bring on a collision with the whites. He pretends to be merely "passing the court-house" when he "heard some persons apparently speaking." This is truly refreshing, in view of the fact that it was known here, several days previous to the meeting, that the negroes expected him to address them, that the court room was secured for the purpose, and that the large crowd of country darkies present on the occasion, were attracted to the city by the announcement of his coming.
"ZE BRASS CHEEK."
He certainly has more "cheek" than we gave him credit for, and must be a hardened hypocrite, indeed, to be able to pretend ignorance of a meeting so notorious, and innocence of participation in proceedings which had been "cut and dried," and in which, as a rigid investigation will show, he was expected by his deluded followers to take an active, if not a leading part. He did perform very well, so far as words go. He could denounce white people, abuse the county officers, and warn Meridian of the fate of Sodom and Gomorrah, but when the storm was raging which he had helped to raise, where was Aaron? At home while the town was in flames. In bed while one of his confederates was endeavoring to organize a negro mob, and to his cowardice, it is more than probable, a scheme failed, which successfully carried out, would have deluged the city in blood. He was absent, because he knew what was about to happen, and anticipated the time when it would be necessary to "know nothing, personally."
A CALM REVIEW
of all the circumstances, the intimacy of Moore with Clopton and Tyler, his knowledge of their violent character, the state of feeling which existed at the meeting, throw strong suspicion on his labored plea of innocence, and his strange absence from the scene of a destructive conflagration, which drew together all unsuspecting citizens, cannot be accounted for satisfactorily except upon the supposition that he expected certain events to happen that would make home the safest place.
ABOUT SATURDAY NIGHT'S RIOT.
As to the reported disarming of the negroes on Saturday night, it was an absolute necessity. No less than four white men are known to have been shot at in going to the fire - two of them, Messrs. Hancock and Rea, were wounded. The town was full of armed negroes. Clopton had given the signal, and Tyler and his associates were in arms to carry out his behests. In one place, before the close of the fire, more than twenty negroes armed with muskets and shot-guns, were found drawn up in line. Added to this, the bell at the African church had given the signal to gather the negroes, and but for the prompt action taken to disarm them, the city would, before morning, have been in ashes, and hundreds murdered.
THE SHERIFF'S ORDER.
To show how Moore misrepresents facts, it is well known that the Sheriff ordered the disarming of both blacks and whites; and that the order was but partially carried out, or, in other words, that it extended only to those found armed on the streets, is proven by the fact that the pickets around Moore's church on Sunday night were well armed, and that weapons were not lacking among the negroes on Monday.
AFFAIRS OF MONDAY.
We come now, to the affairs of Monday. It can be proved by a number of witnesses that Warren Tyler stated before he went into the court-house on Wednesday that he would have a difficulty there and might not leave it alive. He declared he would kill the first man who spoke to him about leaving the city, and at least five or six negroes can be found who will testify as to his statements of the difficulty that he expected would take place during the trial. He declared he would "kill and might be killed," and even went so far as to give directions about how he should be buried in the event of his death. This was all well known to the negro population of Meridian on Monday. The whites were wholly ignorant of it.
MOORE A CONFEDERATE OF TYLER.
We charge that Aaron Moore must have known of the murderous intentions of Tyler. They were intimate friends and had been together on Saturday and Sunday. It is not probable Tyler would have told so many others of what he intended to do and said nothing about it to his confidential friend, Moore. There are many circumstances that have come to light since the riot that indicate that the intention of Tyler and his confederates was to murder Judge Bramlette and the Sheriff, Mosely, and the Deputy Sheriff, Belk. Tyler and Clopton feared they might be sent to jail, and they desired to put the officers out of the way. The plot failed because their confederates became alarmed when the firing commenced and ran off. If Moore was not an accomplice and a confederate, why did he fail to disclose the threats of Tyler?
MOORE GUILTY OF A WILLFUL FALSIFICATION OF FACTS.
Moore's whole statement is an attempt to create a false impression by concealing a part of the truth. He knows very well that Warren Tyler fired the shot that inaugurated the reign of terror, and the exclamations, "Shoot him, shoot him," were not uttered until Tyler had killed Judge Bramlette and was trying to make his escape. He may have been excited, but must have known how the affair commenced, and he is guilty of a willful falsification of facts. He also misrepresents Mr. Brantley's testimony. Taken altogether, the mendacious report of J. Aaron Moore brands him as an unprincipled man, a disgrace to the religion he professes, unworthy the confidence of his race, and the friendship of white men, and makes his name a foul blot on the rolls of the Legislature.
LEAVING MERIDIAN.
A great many negroes are leaving Meridian. Every train takes away sundry sable sons and daughters. They think it is no place for them, now that Warren Tyler is "mouldering in the ground," and the soul of General Billy Clopton is marching where peace and rest can never dwell.
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Memphis Daily Appeal, “Memphis Daily Appeal clipping,” Mississippi State University Libraries, accessed December 22, 2024, https://msstate-exhibits.libraryhost.com/items/show/813.
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