Smyrna times., 1891-08-19
Riotous Conduct on Saturday Ninitt


towards midnight-a mixed crowd of
white and black, men, women and
children. There is always danger on
the slightest provocatiOn 10 such an
aimless night crowd, because there
may be very infiamable material where
the order loving people least suspect.
There was no more reason to expect
an outbreak of turbulence on that
night than any other of the crowded
Saturday nights, but it came, as from
a subterranean fire of passion. Why
was it thus? is question to engage
the attention of the ethical student,
since the chief actors, if intoxicated at
all, were not so in a degree to bereft
them of reason. The inference may
be drawn in the narration of the
events.
AS preface, it may be stated num-
bers of cOlOred people labor under the
apprehension that they are denied
certain rights and privileges because
of their color, fOrgetful that they are
under the same civil law as the whites
and have equal justice before the law.
In fact one who knows as much of the
dispensing of law in our midst as any
other individual, says that an offend
ing cOlOred man can more easily obtain
security in bail case than a white
man. But to the events.
A young cOlOred man named Moses
SalmOns, claims that he was assaulted
near the -four corners" pushed or
struck. He thought it was Young
white man from down the Neck named
Sultzbaugh, at least he laid in wait Tor
him on the way between the Delaware
| and Chester Houses. 1t was some.
where about half past eleven O'Clock
when Sultzbaugh came along, when he
was set upon by SalmOns. Deputy
policeman Slaughter, who happened to
be near seized SalmOns when a dozen
or two young negro men rushed up
and with the cry that ''SalmOns had
! done nothing" tried to take him away
from the officer. Slaughter pluckily
held his man and was soon Joined by
| policeman Grant aud together tbeV
| proceeded with their prisoner toward
| the lookup, the latter not resisting
the trouble coming from the outsiders
| The crowd Of a few dozens gathered
by the time they had gone a square to
hundreds, the cO!Ored people tocking
! from every street. ally and store. Ii
became bowling pendemonium,
mixed with vile, prOfane and murder
Gus language. Nearly half the crowd
seemed to he young negro women who
egged on the men with such explosives
as stand up for you rights" meaning
the right to fight in defiance of the
law stand by your color" "kill '1m
now you've got them where you can, "
and many other similar expressions.
The men in the meantime were grab
Ding at the officers to unlOse their
mold, the latter protecting themselves
with their clubs and believe, had if
not been for half dozen or so who
came to their assistance THE most of
the white people having gone home)
and help keep the rioters at bay. thew
might have been killed.
The confusion grew all the Wav
down the street, and by the time thew
had reached the town hall bricks were
Tying, one of them striking officer
Slaughter on the face, producing a
painful wound. After the prisoner
was got in the bowling negroes tried
to force the door, to take the prisoner
out, and were only prevented by officer
Grant sanding with cooked pistol
ready to shoot the first man that en-
tered
The key OF the door to the Alder.
mans Office Through which entrance
was made to the lock up was ierked
from the door, with the declaration OF
the crowd eve will have him vet"
A young man from the Landing
named Mailman, saw VIM. China Potts
seize the bunch of keys aud run. Hall.
man Immediately following in pursuit.
never taking his eyes off Potts until
he took refuge in an alley adjoining
the Smyrna House. When seized
Potts hadn't the keys, having passed
them ia some one else, or flung them
beyond reach nor have they since
been found, new lock having to he
substituted for the old one. The lead
ers then started on run to the upper
end OF Main street, the rest following
the evident object being to decoy the
officers into an ambush, as has been
done before. Several pistol shots were
fired and a spent bullet from a gun 1.-THE
report of which sounded as if from
over near the Tailroad) struck the
dwelling of VIM. u. Hall.
officer Grant staid at the Town Hall
until four o'clock, but no further dem.
OnstratiOns were made at that point
On Monday SalmOns had his hearing
before Alderman Budd. Notwith.
standing the young rOughs who were
itching for a dlgtpFhanCe and were
themselves the cause of the riot claimed
that SalmOns had done nothing and
shouldn't be arrested" he admitted
making the assault on Sultzbaugh.
The latter testified that he had not
struck or disturbed any one, and Sal
mons admitted that he was mistaken
in the person. The Alderman im.
posed tine of $500 and cost, $3.50
and he was dischared, A writ was
issued for China Potts for larceny OF
the keys and on testimony of Hall
man as given above, he was held in
the sum of 5000, for his appearance at
Court.
AS SEEN IN THE LIGHT OF CITIZEN
SHIP.
Such is q statement of the facts a
the Saturday nights disturbance az
lmpartially as we can get them. Had
it been an ordinary fracas of bad blood
we should have passed it by in much
smaller space. But it was evidently
something of deeper hold, the roots
OF which must be eTadicated. There
never was time when the cOlored
people had their rights more fully. and
never time when they whistled in
gentlemen and ladies faces and claimed
more than half the pavement as now
There are inequalities between intelli.
gence and ignorance, refinement and
brutality, physical conditions and nat.
ural selections existing in all races and
conditions Ofsooiety that all the Dec.
laratiOns of Independence that could
be written cannot control. The civil
law having fixed the equality ofiustice
the taste, education and means of the
individual does the rest.
The fact that men and women are
up in such numbers until Sunday
morning; won't go home until the
saloons close leYen if tho stores close
sOOnerl and when they do go, go ours
ing and shooting and bowling like
demons, is the best evidences that thew
appreciate nothing but the force of
law, and it this is the way they court
1t, they may yet get it in its intensity.
The officers tell us the law is admin.
istered impartially. There is however
this difference. When white men. land
there are far too many hoodlums aud
Violat0rs of this class than there ought
to bel, they usually comprehend an ad-
mOnitiOn Of the officer as to the result
! in violating the law and dasiot Tho