Louisville, KY., December. 21. – The Courier-Journal’s Vicksburg special to-day says: Advices from Lake Village, Chicot county, Arkansas, say, in regard to the affair of the 14th inst, that john Sanders, Furet Garrett and Owen Duggan became involved in a political discussion wth a negro lawyer named Wyan, which resulted in a quarrel between Sanders and Wyan in which the former stabbed and killed the latter. The three white men were promptly lodged in jail, but, on Friday last, a large crowd of armed negroes forced the sheriff to give up the keys of the jail, took out the prisoners, and shot, beat and manged them in a most horrible manner, besmearing the walls and fences with blood. The mob then commenced tearing down the houses, and compelled nearly all the white families to leave the place.
The negroes still hold the town. The are some 300 strong with a strong picket on all the roads to prevent any one entering the town. Only one white family is left in the place.
The negroes are ransacking houses, stores, barns, &c.
The governor has been telegraphed, and Senator Clayton has been appealed to at Washington for aid. If no measures are promptly taken to restore order, it is believed the white citizens will organize and march on the town, when a bloody time may be anticipated.
Originally published in The Cairo Bulletin of Cairo, ILL on 24 Dec 1871 pg 2.
