“‘A lot o’ widders an’ folks lak dat what couldn’ he’p deyse’fs los’ dey homes an’ ever’thing dey had.  De papers de gran’ jury make out ’bout it were stored in de sheriff’s office.  De sheriff give out dat his office done been broke open an’ all dem papers stole.

“’Den Mr. Chisolm’s brother got hisse’f p’inted[FN:  appointed] sheriff an’ make Mr. Chisolm deputy.  Dat’s when he started runnin’ things, sho’ ‘nough.  Nex’ thing you know, Mr. Chisolm is de sho’ ’nough sheriff, hisse’f.

“‘Den he gather all his kin’ o’ folks ‘roun’ ‘im an’ dey make out a black lis’.  De folkses names dat were on it were de ones de Chisolms didn’ need.  It were talked ‘roun’ dat de firs’ name on dat lis’ were Mr. John Gully’s name.  A heap o’ Kloo Kluxes’ names were on it, too.  Mr. Chisolm send de Kloo Kluxes’ names to de Gov’nor an’ spec’ him to do somethin’ ‘bout runnin’ ’em out.  But, course, he couldn’ do nothin’ ’bout dat, ‘cause it were a sperrit.  But ever’ now an’ den somebody what’s name were on dat lis’ ’ud git shot in de back.

“’Afore de ‘lection come in November (it mus’ a-been in ’75) de Niggers had been a-votin’ an’ doin’ ever’thing de Chisolms say.  Dey were still a-harpin’ back to dat forty acres an’ a mule dey were promised what dey aint never got.  It were turnin’ out to be jus’ de same wid ever’thing else Mr. Chisolm had been a-promisin’ to give ’em.  Dey aint never got none of it.  De white democratic folks won dat ’lection.

“‘Soon Mr. Chisolm run for somthin’ or ‘nother an’ got beat bad.  Den he were mad sho’ ’nough.  He went to Jackson to see de Gov’nor ’bout it.  Soon a heap o’ white democratic men in Kemper got arrested for somethin’ or nother.

“‘Den Mr. John Gully got shot an’ ever’body were sho’ de Chisolms done it.  Ever’body were dat mad.  Chisolm an’ dem had to go to court.  But dey were slippery as eels an’ Walter Riley’s name come out. (He were a Nigger.) Dey give out at de trial dat Walter were hired to shoot ’im by de Chisolm folks.  Dat were not de reason, but dey was blood ‘fore folks’ eyes by dat time.

“’It got worse dat Satu’d’y when Mr. Gully were buried.  Folks all over Kemper done hear’d ‘bout it by now, an’ by nine o’clock Sund’y mornin’, people were a-comin’ in over ever’ road dat led to DeKalb.  Dey all had loaded guns.  It were on a Sund’y when all de killin’ happened—­I mean, de windin’-up killin’.  I were dere ’fore a gun were fired.  I were dere when de firs’ man were wounded.

“‘De cullud people had gathered in DeKalb at de Methodis’ Church.  Dey hadn’ a gun fired yet.  Mr. Henry Gully goes to de cullud people’s church.  He walked in at de front door an’ took his hat off his head.  Dey were a-packed in de house for preachin’.  He walked down de aisle ’til he got in front o’ de preacher an’ he turn sideways an’ speak:  “I want to ask you to dismiss yo’ congregation.  Dey is goin’ to be some trouble take place right here in DeKalb an’ I don’t want any cullud person to git hurt.”  De preacher rise to his feet, ever’ Nigger in de house were up, an’ he dismiss ’em. (Mr. Henry Gully were Mr. John Gully’s brother an’ a leadin’ man o’ de right.)