Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1890-12-20
ssrHE WHITE LEAGUE" AT BATON
ROUGE.

hVAUns
Msny OF tie readers OF The s andard
have been interested Ia my school Tor
cclored women In Baton Rouge. IL
will be q great kindness II you will
print this, and thereby let them know |
what has happened 10 our beloved |
school.
ON the morning OF Nov. 20. we found |
q notice on our gate. With per-picture
OF skull and cross homes. pinned up.with
Grape aud .signed, White League.
ers were ordered by The White
League TO close The school and leave
the town. or suffer the cons, Quences
Indicated bv skull and cross-bOnes
The reason assigned In the notice was
the following: You are educating the
niggers up TO think they are the equals
of the white folks" Some OF my pupils
Jaw the notice before we dill, and were
greatly alarmed. The poor colored
1eoDle know too welt what skull and
sr1ss-bones mean for them, and l sup
pose they thought it meant the same
Tor me.
took this nosice to the office OF two
LAWYERS very II fiuential citizens. They
ssld that they would speak OF Il TO the
MAYOR and other officers. and do their
beat 20 have me protected One OF
these men Is prominent Baptist, the
other = Methodist. Later In the day
saw one Of them, and he said he WAS
both eurprised and grstified TO find that
hafl the respect and confidence OF the
hest people Of Baton Rouge. He as
.ured me that / would be protected,
and told me to 90 on with my school.
came home and tried TO quiet the
fears Of my frightened pupils. We
read Psalms Xvii aud xxxii. 1. and
talked of the encampment OF angeii
till the white tents seemed more rea
than ever before. We were sure TIL
protection had come 70 stay. All we:'
scmforted, and retired with vsvi'
sense az Gods presence. Personally,
had a very sweet thought Of security II
my heart.
The next morning, while we were q
Elevations. one Of my day pupils cam
a. tell us that a fearful outrage ha
,een perpetrated on the best colore
neople in q neighborhood about eigt
miles from Baton Rouge, and that on
OF their good preachers who had bee
whipped almost to death was at Dous
few doors from my echoOl. went
ace him. and found the poor man suf'
ing Intensely, with his frightened wi
and four sm all children by his bedsid
lie told me that without any warnir
being given, band Of white me
Nth hIdeous masks on, came to b
home on Tuesday night, well arme
and took him a short distance from :
house. and four men held him while n
meu whipped him. Mean wlile othe
GOOD with pistols ready to shoot
wife and children II they made a
noise. or came out OF the house. (
wife said she heard the lashes as To
fell on her husbands back, and tn
Fell on her heart as we'll. Alter IN
had fiuished the beating 10 their 50
faction. they brought him back TO
house. And number OF colored 10
had been treated tn similar manI
and one was shot dead.
A recital of this fearful tragedy 9
ed terror TO the fright Of the day befc
/ could not make my pupils belb
that they were safe. All have go
NV school is closed. and do not
lIeve that / shall be able to open
again this winter. No husband VIII
his wife come II there be the least {
COY thst she will be nolested OF harr
In any way. The closing OF this eel
anzf the circumstances connected '
IL. Is the greatest trial and disapp'
ment that 1 have met with Ia all
twenty seven years OF work among
colored people. The school was d.
well, and this promised TO be the u
successful year.
This terrible persecution of the c
ed people In the county began on
day. On Sunday the sheriff, an
force with him. went ous TO arrest
tain suspected persons, and II pos'
put an end TO these outrsges.
good white people Of that locality
Indignant. Their laborers have
and there Is now no one TO do
work Several indignation meet
have been held In the city OF b
Rouge The citizens of this towE
we'll those of the parish, seem dete
ed to put and end TO this style OF
fare. Several white men have beeI
rested, and are now In Jail ava
their trial. Mrs. Pound and Miss
ton are with me, ana they expef
remain 10 Baton Rouge and go Tor
with our work in this TO vn and II
state unless the Lord should Inc
by His providence another cour
action. It Is not the best for US u
many plans however. ii my plai
not succeed. then they are not
plans. and do not want them Z
coed. All this Is Gods work
mine. The battle lie the Lords al
keeps us sweetly trusting. beeaui
are sure of success with such q ca
Prai the Lord.
JOANNA P. Moo