Daily Republican., 1883-06-29
.F|FT TIL EDITION.
THE FRONT STREET RIOT
The Cause Ofit-HOw II Happe,,.
and who are to Blame.


much has since beeu said of the dis"r
bance which took place on Saturd'.
night last at Front and Scott stre.ts
The following seems to be the partic,
lars of the affair from beginning to srI
as related to us by reliable genllrms"
living in the vicinity Some years ao'
the Wilmington Steam Brick ManufS
turing Company owned considerablr n
land in that vicinity and worked i, nv
til the supply of brick clay twas r
hausted.
The property then passed into IN,
hands Of others, amongst them Jam-,
Morrow, who owned the property A,
Front and Scott. When the Brick Com
pany moved away, the little on.
story frame shanty used as an office
was left standing. This shanty afte,
wards became kind of public property
and was used by whoever first got M,
session, nobody paying rent for it. Al
may well be supposed it soon BEGAN.
the resort of a lewd class of color,
people, and frequent disturbance
which took place there became very ot
fensive and annoying to respeciaN.|
residents. The last enants who occp
pied the shanty were Emma Washing
ton, alias Emma Hopkins, and JohI
Nichols, reputed man and wife, t
who were known not to be so.
The quarrellings of Nichols aud hs
reputed wife became SO frequent tia,
the neighbors talked Of adopting Som,
process by which they could be ge
out of the shanty, but Saturday nigitt|
disturbance precipitated another kind
OF movement more eti'ectua, at lra
more speedy in its results. On Satm
day Emma" was intoxicated and
very obscene and boisterous, one Of hg
favorite pastimes being to stand on hs
head with her feet against the shant
in full ,iew of all who passed aon.
Front street.
BY the time Nichols came home AL
night, Emma was in good condltiM
for regular spree, and Nichols hin.
self, who is of bad repute for honesty
and morality, seemed to be ready to ac
commodate her, AT any rate, some
where along between 9 9and 10 o'clWk|
the fight commenced between the two
and shouts Of "he'S cut me with hb|
knife, he's killing me-" aroused peace.
'ul citizens, who had retired, from thei,
beds, AT the time that this disturbanr
was going on, James Scott, one Of ii.
most trusted car drivers OF the UniOi
street line, came along, and secil. !.
Nichols abusing the woman, he stopped
and demonstrated, but receiving Insult
ing answers, he went on to the depO,
two squares farther, and collecting Al
number Of employees, went back t
Quell the disturbance that was arousH.
the neighborhood.
1t was at this time that the shoutn!
heard is said to have occurred. Nicho.
was sure that Scott did the shouting
but the charge was disproved by d
number of witnesses present, Peter
Ford who resides in the vicinity was OIL.
Of the parties disturbed by the nost
and being the owner of considerable
real estate in the vicinity, he deter
mined to put an end to the disgracefl.
proceedings that had annoyed rht
ighborhood. On Monday he went he
fore the Mayor and got out a warrant
for the arrest ofNichols, who he charge
with assauting the womanHopkins, ,Og|
not being an eye witness to the assall
the case was dismissed at the hearil.
on tuesday evening
Mr.. Ford says the hearing was had ID
the evening TO accommodate the WORK!
ing men who were employed duril.
the day, and at their request. The srr
timent Of both white and colOred peop,
in the vicinity is strongly against Ncl'
o S and the woman Hopkins, and Re
publicans andDemocrats think and tax
alike on the subject. On Monday il
order to have the nuisance etfectuaiIg
abolished, Mr.. Morrow had the bnlIt
ing raized to the ground. These we te
lieve are the main and correct facts il
the case, without going into the detail,
Of the trial before the Municipal CoUr
and the commitment of the Witness
t, Jail to testify at Court.