Fisherman & farmer. [volume] (Edenton, N.C.) 1887-19??, 1895-04-26


MURDER MADE BY THE RIOTERS. SIN
or THEIR LEADERS ARRESTED AM
one SHOT. PROBABLY FATALLY. NE
aRoEs ATTEMPT TO RESCUE THEM
At LARGE AND oUTLAwED. CLUBS
KNIVES AND PISTOLS USED.
A special from Washington,N
c. to the Nc70s 6 Observer of the
22nd, says: Saturday night about
10 o'clock, news reached here of
a race war at the historic town of
Bath, about 70 miles from here.
1t seems that the negroes en-
Dloycd at the R.R. K. & l.. Com
panv, two miles below Bath, and
negroes from the mills of A: b.
Covington, several miles further
on, caused the trouble.
These negroes are paid off on
Saturday, and usually 90 to Bath
to spend their money. On sew
craI occasions they have been ar
rested tor petty misdemeanors,
and this has engendered bad
blood. and they had made threats
that they would go to Bath and
take possession of it.
Accordingly carly i'll the night,
about 100 of the negroes, with
several of their most desprate
leaders, went to Smiths s bar, i'll
Bath, and began to fill up on
mean Whiskcy. BY Q o'clock they
were nearly half drunk, and the
trouble began. They grew bois-
ferrous and indulged i'll the most
profanc and foul language, i'll
tcrspcrscd with threats of ser
iOus character. Pistols were shot
off in the streets and the negroes
openly dehcd any attempt at
arrest and declared that they
would do as they pleased and the
whole town of Bath could not
prevent them.
At this lunCture town officer I.
c. Paul and Deputy Sheriff N. A.
Whitley and a small posse at
tempted to arrest the ring lead-
.ers. but failed Paul was wound
ed, receiving a painful cut i'll the
hand, Geo. NJ. Woolard, i'll
trying to arrest a negro named
Stewart was struck OH the head
with a club and severely hurt.
Special deputies w. b. Ward, w.
{. Odcn aud Miles Shepherd also
received wounds, but not serious.
FINALLY Smith succeeded i'll clear
ing the negroes from his bar, but
locked III Paul and Rcspass and
one other officer to protect them
from the angry mob.
From the bar the negroes made
,heir way to the Racket store
where number of white men
bad assembled, and second
scrimmagc took place. -Four
White men were hurt w. B.
Ward was struck III the face while
irving to arrest a most desperate
negro who had a club. James
Davis got 4 blow OH the fore
head. \ bvstundcr was struck
in the eve and on the head and
one of the officers was severely
cut.
The white men at last sue
cccded i'll driving the rioters out
OF the Racket store and barring
and locking the doors, them,
selves on the inside The ne
procs then returned to the bar,
declaring that they would Kill
Paul before morning. But the
officer was locked i'll the bar, and
falling to effect all entrance the
mob returned again to the Rack
Ct store, keeping up their bo1s-
tcrous threads and making night
hideous with pistol shots, lnde~
cent language and loud chal-
lengcs for white men to show
themselves.
DR.. !. 7. Nicholson was the
only man that left the store dur-
ing the seige. He was not mol
eSted.
At three o'clock Sunday morn
ing the rioters left the town, de-
c]aring that they would return
Sunday night and renew the at
tack.
During the trouble the officer:
telephoned to this place for ale
i'll suppressing the rioters, ane
Company G Of the n. c. State
Guard was ordered i'll readiness:
by Col. w. B. Rodnan, that they
might be able to start at any mo
ment as the sheriff's posse on the
steamer. The troops were hele
i'll readiness until II O'Clock
Sunday morning. Col. Rodmal
has received authority from Gov
ernOr Carr to call out the nlllltar,
under orders of the sheriff, if
becomes necessary to preserv
order Or suppress riot.
After the riot Saturday nigh
two colored participants in tn
tray, Wiley Pitts and Charlie
Stewart. two of the leaders. Wer