New national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1870-1874, 1874-03-19


dollars worth of stock, for which the cash
would be Immediately paid, and that the job
printing of the Freedman's Bank, worth
something more than thirty thousand dollars
year, was under their control, and that it
would be secured for the company to be
organized by the union of the two papers
above mentioned. We consented to become
stockholders in the company, and to invest
our printing material at an estimated valua-
ton of ten thousand dollars in stock of the
company, with the full understanding and
agreement that five hundred dollars in cash
would be paid to us in the onset to enable us
to meet an Indebtedness which was lien on
our printing material of this amount three
hundred and seventy-fve dollars were paid
at the time of making the agreement, with
promise that the balance Of one hundred and
twenty-five dollars would be forthcoming on
the next day, and that the two thousand
dollars worth of stock would also be promptly
taken. On these promises and assurances
we allowed our printing material to be used
bv the company, with the full belief that the
LcItllS "a OuT dSIcClIlCuG WOulu NC spCCuHy SOih-
piled with, but hestated about formally trans
ferring our property to the company, feeling
under no obligation to do so until the fulfill
ment of the promises made by the gentlemen
who had proposed the organization of the
stock company. These promises and agree
ments have not been fulfilled, and we have
never placed our property in the hands of
the company, though we have exerted our
selves to the utmost to promote the interests
of the organization and to make it a success.
The young men who made the promises above
alluded to after paying the three hundred and
seventy-five dollars mentioned above gave
their notes for one thousand dollars more,
and, being graduates Of Howard University
and attaches of the Freedman's Savings
Bank, we, with more than our usual amount
of credulity, inferred that the gentlemen
were honest and in earnest, believing that
the Freedman's Savings Bank would not
hove III It's employ young mcn who would
resort to trickery and false pretenses in
money transactions but, as the sequel will
show, our confidence was misplaced. The
notes falling due the young men evaded pay
ment, and have not to this day met their
obligations, but have long since practically
repudiated their Indebtedness, this, too,
after having, in the capacity of trustees of
the company, ordered the purchase of mate
rial on credit to be paid for out of the pro-
ceeds of their notes.
This failure to pay their obligations made
it impossible to meet the payments for mate
rial ordered by the trustees. We then at
tempted to collect the notes, and obtained
judgment against the parties before justice
of the peace, whereupon appeal was taken,
and the judgment in our favor was confirmed.
The ringleader of the regulators, JOHN II.
COOK, graduate at law of Howard Univer-
sity, and Solicitor for the Freedman's Bank,
emulating the example of the sharpers and
tricksters of which the late James Fisk was
a conspicuous leader, obtained an injunction
against the company, which was so drawn as
to deprive us of the control of our private
property, and to place it in the hands of a
receiver, and to force us from premises for
the occupation of which we had paid, thus
compelling the dscontinuance of this paper
for the past two weeks. The proceeding
was one of spite and jealousy. The receiver,
James T. Wormley, a man for whom we have
heretofore entertained much respect, made
himself willing tool in the hands oc Cook,
and in the most insolent, bullying manner
possible ordered us from our premises, though
those premises were in charge of a United
States Marshal, whose duty it was to prevent
the removal of anything. This conduct we
ascertained was unusual in such cases, and
was wholly attributable to the youths spleen
and the novelty Of being in position of au-
thority. The Injunction was obtained through
expert swearing, allegations were made on
pretended belief which were completely over
thrown by the facts given in answer by us,
and the base attempt to destroy this paper
failed-we having been restored to the pos
session of our property and our individual
rights by order of the same Judge who had
granted the injunction against us on the
prayer of Cook.
In another column will be found brief
sketch Of the individuals who attempted the
destruction Of the New NATIONAL ERA,
prepared by one who is well acquainted with
the facts.
We propose to make the attempt to con-
tinue the publication of this paper, because
we feel that there is necessity for some
such publication at the National Capital,
Notwithstanding we have in many instances
been given the cold shoulder by colored men
who aspire to be leaders, and who have become
exasperated against the NEW NATIONAL
ERA because its columns are not opened to
their unmerited laudations, and who are CEN
stantly acting in ridiculous manner merely
for the purpose of attracting attention and
becoming notorious without regard to the
injury they may do the race.
To the friends Of humanity, and to those
Of US who regard the elevation of the negro
Of Importance, we appeal for substantial
in our efforts to publish
paper that can be efficient in forwarding the
good and great work Of ameliorating the con.