Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1891-04-14
1yYCHING THREATENED
,,,ross Fire on tho Mischief-Meaning
.,,,,ds and Threaten 70 Born Char
lottc-Brisk skirmishes-The
Casuaities Sligbt-fntenss
Excitement.
rspc-iai telegram to the Dispa,cn.I

C..,ra,.c. he took notion that he would
..rs hack 10 this country and locate here.
M. landing in New York he came directly
:. Charlotte and bought out the family
',.,.-y store in the frame building on the
-..,.- of Poplar and Trade streets. nearly
..,,...o the First Presbyterian church.
r.,satVo.storv building, and Mecca and
g.. nu.lv resided in the rooms over tire
..,,, Al 1880 o'clock Saturday night
...-sart Je,ton and Officer Irwin in pass
co. ty the store heard groans.
rHE ITALIAN MURDERED.
71,v vent inside and found Mecca on
a.. floor i'm the rear part of the room. He
I'm Lis kneos and face, and on the floor
.r,,,rud ms head was pool of blood.
r.ts body stood barrel Of cider. There
...t,,.l on the spigot. His crushed hat
r.. near. and under the spgot was an
.-.r,, glass. Near 10y on the floor was q
t,,yy railroad coupling pin. The man
F.I been stricken down by an assassin
rl.rsln the act Of drawing glass Of cider.
ra officers assisted the PROSTATE man to
i.f.tanl carried him 20 his room up
.,.r.. There was n scar on his face where
l.tal fallen forward on the spigot. The
lsal Il lig head was crushodin and blood
can from his ears. He was semi-conscious,
frr could only say in dazed way that he
,.l f.en hit. Physicians were summoned
u,c.uld DO nothing for him. lie lived
rD,I 1890 o'clock Sunday morning.
sToBY or THE MURDER.
The news of the murder spread rapidly,
s-I a great crowd congregated around
Y.sra- store. The grief of the wife and
r..Iran was pitiful, and only seemed to
Intensity the indignation Of the people.
T-r. Mrs. Mecca and the children it was
r.srrsd that the murder occurred just as
Nacca was preparing TO close up the store.
TV. white men had Just been there and
~.i. purchases. and they noticed anegro
sitting in the back part Of the store appa-
-..,ly asleep. They went to the Mecklen-
fgr, Hotel, next door, and took seats in
,ic open air. Mocca's little son was in
fs store. Mecca told him to 60 upstairs,
md he would follow directly. The boy
V,rt. aud at the time the negro was still
,a,a. In ten minutes he had done his
H.aly work, robbed the Italian of S23.
aal escaped. 1t transpired that the negro
lsi been loafng about the store all Satur-
ily night.
TIE MURDERER NEGRO SPORT.
From the descriptions given Of him,
Chs-ofPolice Griffith and Officer Rigler
Hentfedhim as Henry Brabham, colored
sport who had been living in Charlotte
about two months. They went to place
.a Fourth street known to be one OF his
resorts, and found him. He was at once
taken TO the gusrd-house.
Babham wore "a silk hat, cutaway coat,
checked trousers, and patent leather shoes.
Al lo station-house he was identified by
auc.ro boy, by Mocca's son, and by others.
A handkerchief found in Brabhsm's pocket
ia-r rust and was still impressed where 1t
bah been wrapped and tightly clasped
around the pin All these circumstances
sui the positive identification made an
apparently strong case against Brabham,
and he was hurried off TO the security of
tde .ai by back streets by Sheriff Smith
and % squad Of police
ANGRY CROWDS.
iN Htf.F returning HOUlt run tlb NAluANhNo
saw angry crowds standing about the
streets discussing the murder. In front of
Mocca'- store a large crowd hung on all
dly. constantly increasing towards eve
trr. Eutwhen 1t became known that the
oraD5r's inquest was in progress at the
Courthouse that became the gathering
point for the crowd. BY dark there were
Jope1ple standing about waiting develop
utl's The crowd finally became impa-
tent. and a squad Of eight or ten broke of
ar moved towards the Jail. Then there
Va, general break and streams of people
.rr.l along the streets leading to the
.aL
MISCHIEF MEANT.
j. Was evident that mischief was meant,
bat who TO do it did not appear. There was
I'D leader and no concerted action, and ut
ttcroucr ofThird and Ninth streets the hit
te l., 4 men leading and the big crowd OF
curious followers came 70 halt. CHIEF
Gafth barred the way and the guns of the
r.'s, were behind. The visit had been
a1uara'cd and a reception had been ar
ragged accordingly. When it appeared
t.. aa effort would be probably made to |
yn.h the prisoner Captain Robertson,
acting ou authority, quietly called out the |
HHae' s-Nest Rihemen and proceeded to |
ue .4l Sowhen the crowd came IN sight |
q tta; structure the electric street-lghts |
enabled them to see the gieam of bayonets |
t0@eyeTy window and from all approaches. |
I-u thev willingly needed Chief Griffiths /
Waning 10 halt
RACE RIoTISG.
Twas Just at this juncture that the as
pct u' things changed. From night OF
rob-aw II looked lkeit was TO be changed
l;3 a night of race-rioting. Facing the
crowd on the opposite corner was great
crowd Of blacks, both men and women.
Ite officers were poweriess TO make either
yre way. A speech was made to each fac
ton by Rev. Mr.. McMAneway, Rev. Mr.
'le'hre. Mr.. A. Brady. and others, but
hs.iher side could be moved. Finally the
whites began dropping of, and by IL
o'clock not more than fifteen or twenty
NGe 20 be seen.
TUM ADDED TO THE FLAMES.
r'+ A"bi heo Auuba W tAt
poace arrested disorderly negro and i'm
nsl!a'ely the little knot of officers was
surrounded by negroes aud their prisoner
was taken from them. A negro church
oeu then sounded and few minutes later
Ae courthouse bell was rung. The negroes
N'ued to their church near the Jail and
uassed inside and out. The whites con-
pegsted at different street corners about
~Wn and thus matters remained until 2
o'clock At that hour the bell Of the col
O'sd church was again rang and squad Of
police and citizens started across the street
u the church TO see what was meant by
'ae ringing.
MANY SHOTS TIBkD.
They were about half way across the
'neet when FIRE was opened oD them from
.ht church. They returned the fire and
Of''k skirmish was the result. Two or
'Aree hundred shots were fred. and when
Il ceased the negroes had retired. One
shiie man was shot in the leg. and that
NAs the only casually. The Hornst's-Nest y