Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-07-28
CoWED BY THE Law.
The Threatened Raid ON the Tax oiiic'
Did Not Matrriaiizs saturday Night.


Did Not Matrriaiizs saturday Night.
Saturday afternoons disgracefu rio
at the comfy tax Office was the res'llt0
the ill-feelng engendered by the pphli'
words Of Republican orators whose IN
cendiary utterances ut political gather
ings have melted colored men to threat;
and actions which in turn developed tbs
inevitable reprisal.
Personal threats against County TaS
Receiver John 7. DiCkey and his clerks
of "doing for them and Of 'wrecking
the office" made nightly throughout
the past week had their result as far as
Mr.. Dickey was concerned in his ap,
pealing to the authorities for protection
while in the conduct of his public duties
The business Of the tax office is beill
properly and, under the circumstances
efficiently carried on. There has been
no delay in the work outside of the
necessary clerical looking up of names
and Identification of properties. Prop.
erty tax accounts are prepared at the
same time as those of the poll taXables
and the clerks are occupied all the time
without cessation.
When negro is told, as has been the
record for numerous occasions of the
past week, that the poll tax receipt lie
calls for has already been given out and
the number, name and ward is on record
in the tax office duplicate, he gets angry
and a dispute follows.
The famous Lawrence Fisher of Levy
Court quadruplicate tax receipt noto-
riety was on hand Saturday afternoon
again and was leader in the riot Not
content with the generous treatment he
received from the Republican members
of the Levy Court in heing recorded
thrice over us an American citizen with
another record of his name ON proba.
ton he comes to the tax office in order
to obtain three or four times the fran
chise power allowed him by the 18th
amendment to any ordinary white
citizen, Democrat or Republican, and
then feels bad because he can't get it.
Mr.. Dickey found it necessary to OBJ
tain the aid of Stale Detectives McNey
and Witsil With the presence of these
and a squad of police under Captain
Evans the night session at the tax Office
was far different from that of the after
noon.
The threatened invasion and demol.
ishing of the tax office did not take
place.
An immense crowd of spectators
gathered on either side of Market street
watching the tax office. The common
rumor that raid was intended had
been heard of all over town. Fortu-
natGly the precautions taken by the
authorizes prevented any occurrence of
the kind.
At o'clock long line of payers
had formed, stretching right out on the
street. Captain Evans stood at the
office rails and kept the line moving in
order. Officer Floyd stood at the door.
way, and two other policemen were out
on the street. Detectives McVey and
Witsil were within most of the time.
This disposition was sufficient to
maintain order.
The first man refused tax receipt
was colored applicant, who gave the
name of Thomas Glasgow, Fifth ward.
He was told there was no such name on
the duplicate. He lodged out of the
office with such precipitancy that every
one smiled. The next man refused was
a negro who asked for the receipt of
Fred jefferson. The receipt had already
been given out to the colored citizen Of
that name, to whom it rightfully be-
longed, and, therefore, the applicant
could not be accommodated. Just as
this man left the Office a drunken negro,
standing within the office steps, was
causing g disturbance; when Captain
Evans came up and ordered the man off.
This was the sole trouble within the
office during the evening.
The next man refused a receipt was {.
negro who called himself George Phil
lips of the Fifth ward. There was no
such name on the ward duplicate. As
he left he turned around giggling to an
acquaintance;
"What fo' you glib me away dat way,
Kidsey?" and then there was general
laugh at the negro's unsuccessful
effort.
Quite number of negroes, the right
full owners of poll-tax receipts and also
one or two colored property owners,
obtained their tax receipts without any
trouble.
One white man, Democrat, was
turned away
The office doors were closed at 10
minutes before 8 o'clock. At that time
there were IL men in line within the
office. OF these four were colored and
eight white.
At o'clock according to Captain
Evans watch count Of those waiting
for their receipts showed seven in line.
II was about S.15 p. m. before the last
rnraiOt was stoned nnl the hooks closed