The Portland daily press., 1888-12-06

The Mayor and Commissioners of the
town of Durham, North Carolina, have is
sued an official statement of the causes
which led to the summary removal OF Mr.
Elbridge G. Jordan from, that town on the
day after election. This statement was pub
r liehed in yesterdays issue Of the Argus. ac-
companied with an Endorsement Of the char
acter of the men who made it by DIR. Eugene
GrissoD, who in turn is endorsed by DIR. s.
Z. Gordon of this city. 1t is in many respects
so unique and so full of passages charming
for their naivete that we publish it entire:
(odciaD. "At regular meeting of the Mayor
and Commissioners Of the town OF Durham held
November 70, 1883, 1t was rt solved hat state
ment be prepared Of certain recent occurrences in
me town, respecting Que K. G. Jordan. in order to
sa'slsy numerous INQUIRIES and therenpon the
neged 70 be true statement OF matters connected
In 1885 one E. G. Jordan appeared in Durham.
He claimed to be a blacksmi by trade and
called himself Professor Jordan. He was re-
ported 70 nave been run away from two towns in
TINS state, before coming here. He was here but
= short lime before he was arrested as a common
nuisance, beng loud and boisterous pr0fane
swearer on the public streets.
He was also ss4sais ., 1putn HIiu ssz s s77-T-5
bond for good behavior. at that tiiGe very lew.
II LAZY any, persons knew bis poll les. Soon after
lent He was evidently man OF bad heart and
given 10 sowing discord aud discomfort In the
He was VIGOROUSLY regarded as an Anarchist.
who boldly and defaDtly declared his principles
anu wh9 sought TO lnstil those notions IN the ne
grOes lie proclaimed the social equality of the
blacks with the whites and set hiu self IN an the
special champion Of the negroes by whom he was
township in this year.
few weeks before the election he declared I'm
Of N sne puo Sa a 10 o. the
twenty-eight States of the Union and a few DAYS
before the election he boosted that "after the
During The week proceeding the election he was
reported as holding ct meetings at nj xht with
n ne negroes, ne peing the ony white man present
reversed lis political complexion and gone Demo,
cratic, wiping out It's small Republican majority
manner and incendiary in language
A railroad camp was raided and one hundred
dynamite sn eat'idges and keg II blasting powder
Chairman OF the Democratic County Executive
Committee was notified, by negro on election
night, that there was plan on foot to injure him
that night The people were very much excited
an AZ believed Jordan to be the inciter OF all
AT two O'Clock that night, while Mr. Green was
absent. his house was saturated with Kerosene
oil aud set on fire and his wife and children bare
~ escaped with their lives.
Inc sentiment of the community was almost
unanimous hat Jordan, having threatened that
cenoiary or the instigator Of the burning. ~
:, II became the opinion of III. citizens generally
tnat II ne dld not leave much boodshed would
enSue, Tor the people were thcu wrought up to
the highest pitch Of excitement not KNOWING
what would next be attemptei !. in this state Of
Of the best citizens Of the town. took III Il ON Ibs
selves TO notify him to leave. They did so and
ne Rot gong they took him out in carriage to
make MIN 10. other citizens, fearing they might
40 nm bodily harm. offered to see that he left on
.le next train II released. He WAS then readily
TO pay the fare of his family and himself. II K
not Den icy, that Il was inten led by the young
men 70 XII or injure him After Jordan left the
excitement abated, quiet was easily restored and
tnere mas been no ia Their on break or violence of
amy klna ana it Is the general feeling Of the COM
departure was happy riddance.
Durham is and will be safe and happy home
tor gooa men q any latitude of politics, but not
Tor men OF the Jordan class.
we pity any community where he would be
welcome II his true character was known We
believe the above TO be true aud fair statement
OF the incidents connected with Jordan's denar
ture. The statement made by Jordan regar Ing
separate boxes for the whites and blacks being
sci OF boxes used. ' ~
There was no talk of contesting the election.
s steix ,e were counted, beginning immedi-
lhe election Of township coasta6les were ascer
5alned soon al er the polls were closed. We will
town who may wish TO investigate the above mat
ter. H'
(signed,) GEO. w. WoopwApn
Clerk of Board of Co. Commssssioners
Here is formidable indictment with nm.
merous specifications. In may enable the
public to better understand Mr.. .Jordan,s
wickedness to somewhat more concisely
state the accusations against him contained
In this arrangement by the yeracious mayor
and commissioners of Durham.
First, being blacksmith he had unwar-
rantably assumed the title of professor.
Second, he had been run away from sew
eral towns.
Third, he was a common nuisance.
fourth, he swore in loud voice on the |
streets.
Fifth, he was turbulent.
Sixth, he had bad heart.
Seventh, he was an open and ayowed an
archist.
Eighth, he preached social equality to the
blacks.
Ninth, he told the blacks they would con-
troll the county after election.
Tenth, he held secret councils with the
blacks.
Eleventh, he instigated the blacks to steal
dynamite to blow up somebody or some
thing.
twelfth, he saturated house filed with
sleeping women and children with kerosene
and set it on fire, or instigated the negroes to
do this.
That Is, according to the mayor and COM
mlssioners of Durham, Mr.. Jordan had been
guilty Of one capital offense,. one that would
have sent him to the penitentiary for a long
ERIN of years, and several others that would
laye consigned him to the jail for various !