The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-21
THE GOVERNORS NEGRO GUEST
GOV. o'FERRALL UNAWARE THAT
HE WAS IN THE PARTY.

Garry Ont the Programme.
Richmond. Va, March 2O-when Gov.
oFerrall was shown at O'Clock this
morning the telegram from Boston con-
tanning the interview with Senator Oar,
ling, touching the treatment accorded
Teamoh. the colored member OF the Mas
sachusetts executive committee, who were
received at the executive mansion. he said:
Senator Darling, cannot think, made
the statement contained In the telegram.
never had the slightest intimation from
a human being that a colored man was
in the party, l talked with no one from
Wednesday, when a clerk from the rail-
road office came to me with message
from Col. Boykin that business commit
tee of the Massachusetts legislature would
arrive in Richmond the next evening from
the south, and they would be glad to can
on me- 1 replied: Very WELL / viii be
glad to receive them. / think 1t would be
more courteous to receive them at the
mansion than in my office. and will fix
2 O'Clock Friday as the hour
Il had no further knowledge whatever
on the subject except that was informed
that the committee had arrived A little
before O'Clock on Friday l went from
my office to the mansion, my private
secretary, Mr. Chesterman, accompany
ing me. / left Mr.. Chesterman below and
went on to my room above. Soon car.
riage drove up and stopped, but no one
got out.
Later three other carriages arrived.
The first carriage changed positions and
I did not see the occupants. Pretty soon
my door man came up and notified me
that there were gentlemen In the parlor
! went down with Mrs. O'Ferrall, and as
we entered the parlor we were introduced
to each member of the committee, wind
ing up with the colored member. Not
until / reached Teamoh did / know, had
the slightest idea that one OF the COM
mittee was colored man and / was
greatly surprised and embarrassed, but
l concealed my embarrassment as much
as possible. l was acting in my official
capacity and the committee were calling
in their official capacity, and l could not
do otherwise than carry out the pro-
gramme.
Light refreshments had been prepared
and invited the committee to the dining
room, not thinking that Teamoh would
come. After the party got into the din
ing room discovered Teamoh and Mitch
ell with him. This embarrassed me still
more, but 1 concluded that as Teamoh
was one of the committee and Mitchell
their friend l could not invite them to
retire without giving an affront to the
other members of the committee and in
Difference to the feelings OF the latter,
and because could not do otherwise with
hninH "a IN L 4
Teamoh and Mitchell remained and par
took with them of the refreshments.
III my embarrassment was not appar-
ent / succeeded in a most remarkable de-
gree In concealing &c. Mrs. O'Ferrall nev-
er spoke to Teamoh after she was intro
duced to him, but out of courtesy to Sen
ator Darling and the other gentlemen, re-
mained and conversed with them until
they left the parlor.
Senator Darlings statement that l
told him that / knew Teamoh was in the
party is absolutely untrue, and l cannot
think he ever made IT, If had told him any
such things he would certainly not have
spoken apologetically of Teamoh's pres
ence at the mansion. or have expressed
himself as he did to me at the penitentiary
and on our drive. He and the other gen
tlemen in the carriage with me expressed
their embarrassment In having Teamoh
with them, and stated that they had made
every effort TO shuttle him Off, but ne
would go back with them.
II feel mighty aggrieved on this mat
ter, and that my desire to extend cour-
tesies to a legislative committee of an
other state was taken advantage of, and
/ was placed in a position to which /
would not have submitted for a moment
II l had not been acting in an official ca
pacity
"Of course, Mrs. O'Ferrall did not shake
hands with the negro. When she realized
that Teamoh was colored man she bowed
slightly, stepped back and did not speak
to him."
Col H. NJ. Boykin, passenger and
freight agent of the Sea Board Air Line,
through whom the reception OF the Mass
achusetts committee by Gov. O'FerralI
was arranged, said to-day, in referring
to the matter: Senator Darling, as did
the other white members of the committee
impressed me very fayorably, and I, like
the governor, cannot think the Massa-
chusetts senator made the statement re-
ferred to. But. II he did he made an en-
tirely false statement, for in his presence
l expressed regret at the negros advent
and he remarked to me that he, as well
as the other white men on the committee,
regretted IT also. and had all along the
line regretted starting south with Tea
moh, ana had hoped ne was lost
LAS the governor said in the interview
in this mornings dispatch. he was en-
tireIy ignorant of the negro's presence
until was forced to present him, after
he had followed us into the mansion.
did not know myself that Teamoh would
be present, and, therefore, could not no
tify the governor.
Il will say, however. that before leav-
ing for Raleigh, to accompany the party
to Richmond, / was aware Of the nigger
in the woodpile, but after reaching Raj
eigh was informed by the several white
members of the committee that Teamoh
had gone to Wilmington, n. c., and that
in consequence Of that they had decided
to leave Raleigh at u o'clock noon in
stead of 1:2O O'Clock at night thinking
thar by 50 doing they would render him
unable TO overtake them. My telegram
asking the governor to receive the com
mittee and take a drive with them was
not sent from Raleigh until the matter
had been fully discussed.
I'VE were Joined by the negro" con-
tinued Mr.. BoylSin. "at Allen q Glnters'
factory, and he was afterwards given a
carriage to see the city in company with
Mitchell, but when we entered the execu-
tive mansion we found that Teamoh and
Mitchell had preceded us and had entered
with Us.
ION my presenting him the governors
embarrassment, as welf as my own was