Letter from J. D. McAulliff to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; December 22, 1875

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Letter from J. D. McAulliff to Mississippi Governor Adelbert Ames; December 22, 1875

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People

Ames, Adelbert, 1835-1933 Birmingham, John Burns, Patrick Corbet, Mrs. Unknown Flanagan, Roland Flanningan, Unknown Holt, Unknown Jackson, Unknown Kattam, John McAulliff, J. D.Perry, Unknown Pierce, Unknown Rhodes, Travis Sheppard, Unknown Sullerville, Jim Tulervill, Jim

Events

Crime Crime--Assault and battery Crime--Forcible entry and detainer Crime--Lynching Crime--Murder Crime--Robbery Crime--Threat Crime--Torture Criminal Procedure Criminal Procedure--Arrest Criminal Procedure--Charges and specifications (Civil and Criminal)Criminal Procedure--Indictments Criminal Procedure--Release

Organizations

Clubs and Secret Societies Clubs and Secret Societies--Dixon Scouts Clubs and Secret Societies--Ku Klux Klan (19th century)Mississippi--Executive Department

Businesses

Circus Retail Stores

Occupations

Mayors Medical Profession Medical Profession--Physicians Merchants Secretaries

Places

Mississippi--Adams County. Natchez Mississippi--Yazoo County. Yazoo City

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Natchez Miss Dec 22^nd 1875

To the Hon Henry Ames, Governor Miss.

Sir

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I wish to lay before you for your con-sideration and advice in my behalf and the public generally—I arrived in Yazoo City in company with another young gentleman connected with me in business some 3 weeks ago. I paid my licenses, sent for a stock of goods, rented a store and opened up my business on the 15th—Last Wednesday A side show pitched a tent on a vacant lot in the lower part of the City on Thursday after noon the seventeeth the citizens under an organization known as the Dixon Scouts turned out with Guns and revolvers and ropes, tore down the tent, tied the propri-etor and his people with ropes, rushed from there to my store tied me and my employes and marched us before their flourishing revolvers to the Court House amidst the wildest excitement and threats of violence. The Mayor was sent for—He failed to find any person to make a charge or state what the arrest was made for. He ordered us untied & turned us loose—They ordered the Show party to leave town which they immediately done.

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Myself and partner receiving the same orders also from members of the Dixon Scouts having on hand a large stock of goods and important business to tend to, not knowing any reason why I should leave I objected to do so, about 12 oclock that night a mob came to my place of Resi-dence with drawn revolvers while I was in bed, took me to the woods—demanded my money—which I gave them. They insisted for more by taking off my clothes, every stitch I had on, on a cold bitter night and searching things through and through, Failing in that they placed a rope around my neck they swore they would finish me. I told them I would give them an order on Sheppard, a merchant I had deposited my money with—By alternative hanging and strangling those human devils put me through a course of punishment that night from which I am afraid I shall never recover. After about 3 hours of this torture those fiends pointed their revolvers towards me and told me if I turned towards the city or if they ever heard me speaking of it in any part of the country, they would

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follow me and kill me. After they had gone away I came back to my boarding house more dead than alive.

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I remained till morning. Sometime after daylight one Flanningan rode up to the house revolver in hand and told me to prepare to leave the city immediately as he was sent by the Citizens to give us this warning which I promised to do. late in the afternoon, a boat coming down we were placed on board by a mob with the promise we should never return. we took our departure. The men that I can identify to that midnight robbery and attempted murder was Roland Flanagan, Pierce. John Birming-ham, Jim Tullervill and others I could not recognize. Many prominent men next day advised me, to stay and have them indicted and prosecuted but not having any protection I declined to stay—Parties standing high in the city, of Integrity & reputation to whom you can refer for the truth of my asser-tions as Dr. Perry, and wife, Mrs. Corbet with whom we boarded Mr. Jackson Patrick Burns, Mayor Holt with whom I spoke. He disapproved and discounte-nanced any such proceedings but was,

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unable to suppress it. What I want to know is why this band of robbing murder-ers cannot be brought to justice. If guaranteed protection during the process of prosecuting those parties it would be a pleasure to me to be instrumental in placing them beyond the opportunity of ever doing anything of the kind again

By informing me at the earliest date of the best method to proceed against those parties and what assistance you will render me you will oblige a suffering Citizen

Direct your letters to Natchez Miss

J. D. M^cAulliff

John Kattam

Copy 95

Executive Office
State of Miss
County of Adams

From D D M^cAulliff
Add Natchez Miss
Date November 15 22 1875
Recd ^{,, ,, ,,} 28 ^{,, ,,}
Ans ^{,, ,, ,,} 30 ^{,, ,,}

Subject

Was Ku Kluxed in Yazoo City can identif the parties names Rowland Flanagan Pierce John Birmingham Jim Sullerville & others woud prosecute them if he can have protection wants advice

Adelbert Ames
Govenor

Travis Rhodes
Pri Secy