Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-08-08
FbEMON OR YELDELL.
The Call for a Mass Meeting on Hls Behalf
Misunderstood - They'll Try Again ON
Ar Aunaal

The Call for Mass Meeting ON His Behalf
Misunderstood = They'll Try Again ON
.Monday-An Appeal -
There wasn't an extraordinary amount of
unanimity last night at the meeting of col
ored people in Lafayette Hall to aid Flemon
in his fight with South Carolina. The at
tendance was slight, compared with that
heretofore at the meetings in the Franklin
School hall. There was one lady present,
and she and her escort focked by themselves.
Toward o'clock J. H. Baldwin, Esq,
gathered the crowd into the northeast cor
ner of the hall and gave advice. He par
ticularly enjoined the muzzling of that un-
ruly member, the tongue, and asked his
hearers to refrain from scolding. as news
papers, he said, were prone to report ex-
trayagant talk rather than facts. A COM
mittee should be appointed. he thought, to
see representative citizens and get them to
give. He suggested an application, for in
stance, to Thomas Fawcett as man likely
to do something substantial. He urged the
necessity of raising $3.50 by noon to-day to
send to the South Carolina lawyers.
Mr.. Foster agreed with this view. He
thought demonstrations were good enough
in the way of rousing feeling and exertlng
pressure, but held that the spending of
money to impress Governor Beaver had
been a waste.
Another minister thought the movement
should have been worked more energetically
from the pulpit, saving: "Our people can
only be reused that way"
A proposition was made to disperse, when
Mr.. Brisco, the janitor, with freezing polite
ness, informed the audience that the rent
Of the hall was a matter of $25. Finally
Messrs. Morton, Washington, Clinton and
Others succeeded in making an arrangement
by which the meeting could be adjourned
until rext Monday evening on considera-
tion of $25 in hand paid, and Broadax sub
sequently asked that statement be made
that the failure was due to a misunderstand-
ing of date. The committee issued the fol-
lowing card:
To the Public:
The trial of E. F. Flemon will begin on Fri
day. The practical sympathy of the citizens of
Pittsburg and their active efforts to secure for
Flemon a fair trial, have thus far resulted in
great good. Bnt much remains to be done.
Temon is without funds; the people of his race
in Pittsburg have exhausted their resources in
contributions to defray the preliminary ex.
penses of his case, and a considerable sum of
money is still required to enable him to prove
his innocence of the charge of murder. We
believe there is no longer any room for doubt
that James Blackwell was killed while attempt
ing to commit an offense against the rights of
a citizen, and that if Flemon did fire the shot
that killed Blackwell it was only in defense of
his life, and in defense Of principles whose
right to exercise was purchased for him and us
with the blood of thousands. We therefore
call on all lovers of justice to aid in the effort
to secure for E. F. F1emon the fullest protec-
tion under the law. Come out to the meeting
at Lafayette Hall next Monday. If you cannot
come send your contributions, large or small, to
ID, M. Washington. 2l6 Wood street, and they
will be properly acknowledged at the meeting.
b. F. STEWART,
Chairman of Committee.