Trouble in Alabama
September 5, 1896
Summary
Race relations devolved into a violent battle in an Alabama town after a black prisoner was arrested.
Transcription
Birmingham, Ala., August 30
Considerable excitement exists at Camp Hill, Ala., and an uprising between whites and blacks is liable to occur at any time. The starting quarrel occurred yesterday. The town marshal had arrested a colored man. The prisoner's friends, a dozen in number, attempted to take the man from the officer. The white people of the town sided with the marshal, while the colored people flocked to the prisoner's side. Shooting began, and four colored people were seriously though not fatally shot. Clubs, bricks, stones and other missiles, were used, and more than twenty men were injured. A riot between the two races is imminent.
Considerable excitement exists at Camp Hill, Ala., and an uprising between whites and blacks is liable to occur at any time. The starting quarrel occurred yesterday. The town marshal had arrested a colored man. The prisoner's friends, a dozen in number, attempted to take the man from the officer. The white people of the town sided with the marshal, while the colored people flocked to the prisoner's side. Shooting began, and four colored people were seriously though not fatally shot. Clubs, bricks, stones and other missiles, were used, and more than twenty men were injured. A riot between the two races is imminent.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Liam Eynan
Citation
“Trouble in Alabama,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed February 19, 2026, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1653.