The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1885-01-08
Driven IRON rowx.
A Lively Episode In the Life OF = Former
Rs.fdent OF Emporta.

Resident OF EmpOrta-
The following interesting il % con
corning the colored boy Charley Page.
who left this place about q year ago, ap-
peared 10 a recent number of the Globe
Democrat as special dispatch from
Springfield, No,
About I'VE weeks ago an Italian dane
lDg master named Vim. Hanla, and his
half brother, named Charles Page, went
to EeoshO and commenced a dancing
and music school, which proved . great
success, being patroniZed by all the
fashionable people of Ihst town. On
Thursday, however, an express messea-
ger from Emporia, Ras., told the people
Of Neosho that Pages mother lived
in EmpoTIa and was a cOlored woman.
This produced as great an effect as
the bursting of the boomshell, and great
indignation was created against the sup
posed colored men with whom the elite
had been associating and dancing Tor
passing themselves off as Italians. Yes
terdaY afternoon crowd gatheref and
drove them from the town, after admin
isterIng a horsewhipping 10 each.
Hsnla and Page arrived In this city
last night. The former Is IS and the
latter II years old. Page is quite an
accomplished musician and plays the
piano skilifully. This evening the
Globe Democrat CORES pondeat inter
viewed HAMA, and he told his story in
the following language, after showing
the scare OF his stripes: al came up
through Kansas to Webb City and
taught 8 dancing school, and had my
brother with me teaching music. /
went from there TO Galena and taught.
Then they sent from Neosho after as
and took Us there 10 a buggy
to teach dancing and music.
taught half q tenn at Neosho. My
brother told me about the express mes
senger making remarks about Us. and
saying he knew We we're negroes.
looked for the express messenger, out
could not find him. The boys around
NeOsho collected around US and wanted
an explanation of the matter, We did
not pay any attention to IL. When they
told us We would have to get ready and
get out of town We told them all right.
A mob OF twenty or thirty of them took
Us down To the depot and would give
US no chance 10 look around or talk to
any body They took us half a mile
down the track from the depot and took
a horsewhip and whipped US. We asked
them to let US stay until night aud ride
on the O'Clock train, but they refused.
There were four that whipped US, one
after the other, the leading one being
Gen. Bryant, and the others Edward
BedwiIl, editor OF the Neoshn Times
Harry Kellar, clerk, and James
Amos. One fellow, named Ed
Wells. took our part and told
our assailanis to let up. We had 10
walk 10 Grapby. We then took the train
and went TO Pierce city, where we met
couple of friends who came up from Ne
osho; one of them, ID. s. Gardiner, In
dian agent, knew US when we lived in
New York. We are thinking of organ
izIng a theatrical troupe here, and had
the same project in view IN Neosho, but
they drove US away, when our term OF
school was but half completed. We
had TO leave our clothing and every
thing. The mistake about our being ne
groes came about in this way My father
died and my mother married again in
New York. Her second husband left
her and tDok up with colored woman
IN Kansas. The impression got out that
the colored boy was myI half brother.
This Is the Italian side of
the story, and 1t remains to be
seen if the Neosho people haYe good |
evidence OF the Ethiopian extraction of
the dancing master.