Anderson County, Texas - News: Palestine, Texas, 1910 ---------------------------------------------------------- Submitted by: Don R Brownlee USGenWeb Archives. Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ---------------------------------------------------------- From New York Times July 31, 1910 Page 1: PALESTINE, Texas, July 30. - As the result of a race war at Slocum, fourteen miles south of here, eighteen negroes are known to be dead and the total will reach twenty or more, as dead bodies are scattered over a large area. The trouble originated between a white farmer, Redin Alford, and a negro, whose note Alford had indorsed some time ago. The negro left town and Alford was obliged to pay the note at one of the local banks. A few days ago the negro returned, when Alford called on him to account for his conduct. The negro grew insulting and trouble followed. It was reported to-day that some two hundred negroes had armed themselves and congregated at Denison Springs, twenty miles south of here, and were ready for trouble. The white people of the little communities in that neighborhood were without arms and were uneasy over the situation, and this morning, following the killing of the negro at Slocum, the trouble started. Messages were sent to Palestine and other places in the vicinity asking that white men with arms and ammunition be sent to Slocum at once, as the negroes were advancing on that place and trouble would follow. Sheriff Black also received an urgent appeal to come to Slocum, and left early this morning with a large posse. The news spread like wildfire over Palestine that a race war was on at Slocum and that the people of that place wanted help immediately. By noon over 2oo men, armed to the teeth, had left for the scene, and all day long groups of men with arms departed for that place. District Judge Gardner appointed Capt. Godfrey Reese Fowler, who figured recently in the Nicaraguan revolution, as a special deputy to go to the scene and appeal to the people to avoid bloodshed, and also to summon witnesses to appear before the Grand Jury, which will reconvene Monday afternoon, especially to probe the killing of the negroes. All saloons in Palestine were closed ths morning, and orders were given to dealers in firearms and ammunition not to sell or rent them. Messages were also sent to Gov. Campbell urging him to send troops and State Rangers here as soon as possible, as further trouble was feared. Not one white man was hurt, and at a late hour this evening everything is quiet and no further trouble is feared by the officers. Large posses of men from Elkhart, Denison Springs, Crockett, Grapeland, and other places arrived at Slocum in the afternoon, and several hundred men have returned here, but others remain at the scene of trouble, as people of that section of the country are terrorized and fear another outbreak. The negroes of Palestine have been very quiet to-day, and this evening scarcely any can be seen on the streets, which are crowded with groups of men discussing the many killings, but no further trouble is anticipated by the officers. Several State Rangers arrived in the city at 7 o'clock from Austin and a company of State militia arrived from Marshall at 7:30. They will patrol the city to-night. No names of the negroes killed could be secured at this hour, owing to the intense excitement, but eighteen bodies have so far been found scattered in the woods.