The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1888-11-14
DRIVEN FROM THE SOUTH.
A Maine Man Threatened with Death
by Masked Men.
The Story Of a Northerner's Expert
ence In Southern Politics.

Yesterday morning the Boston boat had
among its passengers family who In the
past week have suddenly broken up house
keeping and fled from pleasant Southern
home under threat that death awaited the
husband and father II he remained. Mr.. Ell
bridge G. Jordan is a native of Freeport,
and is AZ years old. He served during the
war in the First Maine Artillery. and also In
the navy. having honorable discharges from
both, and possessing the right to wear the
badge OF Grand Army man, having Joined
the order in Wisconsin, to which State he
moved after the war. TheresMr. Jordan
married and lived until four years ago, when
he moved to North Carolina, settling In Dur
haD. Mr.. Jordan is blacksmith, but a
Northern man in Durham he soon found had
little show at the trade, and as his health
was falling he closed his shop and opened
small store for the sale of candies, peanuts,
etc.
Mr.. Jordan, besides being Republican, is
knight Of Labor, and stood well In mis-
party. He and his family attended the Bap-
tist church, and he had no quarrels with the
people among whom he had settled. But, at
the last election, Southern methods were
brought into play, and 260 colored voters
were challenged. while 100 others were not
given an opportunity to vote. Mr.. Jordan
was running. for the Office Of town constable,
and thinks the Republicans would have car
ried the election II the contest had been fair
ly conducted .
The next day these things were discussed,
and some OF the Republicans proposed an in
vestigation. Of course the talk created ex-
Wednesday night, Mr.. Jordan's eldest
daughter, a girl Of nineteen, heard pistol
shots some distance from the house. AT
shortly before midnight. Mr.. Jordan was
called up by seven or eight men with hand
kerchiefs tied over their faces. The men
told him that the negroes were rising, and
demanded an account Of bis whereabouts
during the night. Being told that the family
mad attended church and come directly home
they went away. But an hour later, they re-
Northerner with the cheerful COM
mand to leave town on the eight O'Clock
train In the morning or be killed. When
told that Jordan had no money they de-
elared that they would raise the necessary
funds but at three o'clock they again return
ed. This time the leader said: "Damn you,
we have notion Of taking you right now
and hanging you and would do 1t IL it was
not for your little family" They then said
that they had decided to give him no money,
AOOh Oub AOl Ills 1dtullys AT
o'clock MIR. Jordan went to seek for money
when It became daylight, and while he was
IN a store. three men entered the place,
hurried him out to carriage and drove off
WITH the avowed intention of killing him.
rms act OF violence was seen, and some Of
the leading business men Of the town, al
though Democrats, fearing that a
political murder would reflect severely
upon the town, took horses and
rode after the party, oyertaking 1t
a mile and half from town. By their infiu-
ence the would be murderers were persuaded
TO give up Mr.. Jordan but they told him they
could not control the worst elements among
the Democrats sufficiently to protect him II
ne remained; and so, leaving everything in
the house and store, and taking almost
nothing except the clothing they wore, the
family left the town at noon, the men who
rescued Mr.. Jordan providing money to pay
travelling expenses to Boston.
:, AT the station, when the Jordans arrived
there great crowd Of members of both par
ties had collected. The Republicans were
eager 10 show their sorrow and wanted to
shake hands with their friend but this Mr..
Jordan discouraged fearing an attack Many
OF the better sort Of the Democrats expressed
regret at his departure but told him that
under the circumstances 1t was the only
thing he could do. Mr. Jordan's money was
not SUFFICIENT to get him to Portland, but
Capt. Snowman fixed matters up for him so
far as the passage in the boat was concerned.
:, Last night the following Associated Press
dispatch was received.
RALEIGH, N. c., Nov 13.-Eibridge G. Jordan.
VINO with his family arrived at Boston, was, il Is
SAID. required TO leave Durham, N c., because be
was believed TO have melted the negroes to break
open construction car Of the Northern an Dur
nam Railroad Company and possessed themselves
OF 100 dynamite cartridges and also to have
inclted the negroes to burn the residence OF Caleb
Green with other buildings In the own.
This is favorite Southern method of ex-
planning the sudden departure of Northern
men, who have the courage to vote as thev
believe. Mr.. Jordan stated In converse
beyond the fact of his daugter's hearing pis-
tol shots and what little he was told BY the
men who visited his house, he had no know
ledge OF the troubles among the negroes.