Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-04-19
A LIE OUT SOMEWHERE.
Bishop Payne. Etve-sssEe WALK ON a
Railroad Track i'm Florida.
What the Editor of the Fernandfna Mir
rOr Knows About the Matter.

New YORK, April 1s.-Mr G. R. Fair
banks, editor Of the Fernandina (Fla.) Mr.
iOr, who ID in the city, yesterday gave a Her
aid reporter the other side of a story that has
been formally carried to Acknowledgement
Brewster. Mr.. Fairbanks said: "You will
have noticed that the colored men have been
holding indignation meetings all over the
country, and that the speakers have charged
that the aged Bishop Payne, ex-president of
the Wherefore University, put off
train on the Jacksonville and Fernsndina
railroad recently because he insisted upon
riding in the whites car and would not obey
the conductors order that he should go into
the car provided for colored persons. In
telling the story some of the speakers have
said that the bishop was put off the train at
midnight, and that ne had to walk five miles
to the next station. Indeed, that is the rep
resentation that has been made to Attorney
General Brewster; and the delegation of col
ored men who waited upon the attorney-gen-
eral furthermore averred that applications
had been made to the United States district
attorney for the northern district of Florida,
but that he had declined 10 afford redress.
"Now this story" Mr.. Fairbanks con-
.tinued, "has grown considerably on its way
from Florida to the attorney generals Office.
In the first place 1t was not a midnight
train, but the 10 o'clock morning train, and
the bishop could have had a train back at
noon instead of walking; and in the second
place he was not put off. but he got off
voluntarily at station. In the third place,
the United States district attorney for the
northern district of Florida is q Republican,
and has not decided to act, but after investi-
eating the facts he has found it impossible
to make a case that he could win under the
civil rights bill, and, therefore, he has not
prosecuted.
"The plain fact is" Mr.. Fairbanks went
on to say, that the cause of compl Amt, il
there is cause of complaint. lies 10 the rules
OF the Jacksonville and Fernandina rail-
road. Two cars, precisely alike, both COM
Portable, and even elegant, are provided, and
in one of these colored persons only are
allowed to ride. 1t is not, as has been
averred, filthy smoking car-that car goes
on ahead. Whites are not allowed to ride
in the colored car, and colored persons are
not admitted to the car for eau
casians. The rule is made for the
protection of the blacks as much as
the country in which they might be cub
jscted to drunken mems insults. The con-
ductor, finding Bishop Payne seated in the
car in which colored men are not elIcrcd,
told him, as inofensiyeiy as possible, that he
as conductor was constrained TO enforce the
rules OF the railroad company; but the
bishop declined to step forward into the car
provided Tor his race, and was told that
under the rules he could not ride in the car
in which he was seated. So he got out at the
next station and refused to go on notwith-
standing the conductor, who told me this
himself, urged him TO enter the proper car
and 60 on to the end of his journey. As to
the bishops walking back he needn't have
done that, for there was a train back two
hours later, and his ticket would have been
recognized on that train. Attorney General
Brewster has promised to investigate this
ease, and he will find the facts just as have
related them to you"