Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1894-09-14

ton concerning the outrages perpe-
trated upon her race were SO decidedly
against those of the chivalrous white
man as to create an eruption which
later on nearly resulted in Miss Wells
losing her life. Among other criticisms
appearing editorially in her paper was
one condemning the action OF the school
board for which, unfortunately, if you
may chose to call it so, cost her her
position as teacher. In 1892 when the
grocery company was organized at 1.-THE
Curve little way out of Memphis
proper, under the management of
Messrs. Moss, Mcdowell and one other,
was about the time when the whites of
Memphis began their cowardly and vii
famous crusade against her honest and
energetic colored citizens. white
grocer by the name of Barrett had
formerly enjoyed the colored patronage
of that section and as the colored fam
lilies threw their support to the colored
grocery company STAT was on the fire
and the kettle began to boil. The
bone of contention was buried deeply
in Barrett's heart. He forthwith pro-
ceeded to torment, chastlse and humil-
late his competitors, even going into
their place of business and with re-
volver aimed at one of the proprietor's
head, demanded the firm should vacate
the building and suspend business
He was subsequently ousted and
severely whipped. AS the outgrowth
of this alteration and the scathing
editorial which appeared in the Free
Speech all that was dear and sacred to
the honorable grocery company and the
papers editress had been weighed in
the balance and found wanting The
villainous white wretch carried out his
Infamous purpose and getting lot of
vagabonds proceeded to the grocery
store, after its proprietors had merci-
lessly been put in Jail and refused bail,
and destroyed and stole some OF the
contents, leaving the remainder to be
bought in at sheriff's sale by their
cowardly competitor. Barrett. Several
days after their Incarceration. as is
customary in the southern states, these
three honorable and business-like men
were gladly surrendered by the jailor,
loaded on train, carried short way
| r - ~. ~ fxI h
Miss Wells was given similar call It
her office, where her entire savings
were invested. The visitors, after a
few preliminary remarks to her business
manager, coolly and deliberately des-
troyed her place of business. Fortu-
nately for her she was absent, but was
informed that if she ever returned it
was at the peril Of her life.
AT her arrival in New York she was
penniless But feeling a great sense OF
| wrong had been done her and her PEG.
| pie, she determined to hold up the
| action of her bitter and uncalled fol
enemies to the eyes of the world and tc
give people thorough understanding
that it was merely because Of the color
of the skin that her people were sc
mercilessly and inhumanly treated
/ Her persistent efforts on this line anc
| the reading of the burning of severa
Negroes at Paris, Texas, caused Miss
| Inpey, an English humanitarian, te
4 make it possible for Miss Wells to make
tour of England and there tell OF how
/ a God-loving and energetic race o
people were prosecuted simply because
! God chose to have their skin darl
head ad of white. In England she wa
"a OF nj with the greatest courtesy ant
~ lheation and caused only the pro
I! f2rk on ,ympathy to be created.
ihsHne and is doing more t.
~ large than any person o
pchesters anu.s both well ed
ens ven to the ',