The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1896-09-02
THE SCHOOL BOARD SITS.
1T HEARS THE CURIOUS CASE OF
MRS. HACKNEY AND MRS.
1AMLtN.

These Two Colored Teachers, Togeth-
err With Henry Christmas, Appear to
Face Grave Charges--Chfistmas is
Charged With Shooting. and the Wo-
men With Immoral Conduct They
Requested the Investigation.
There is now pending in the Superior
court of Wake county the assault case
of State VS.. Christmas, who was bound
over by Mayor Russ on August nth.
Yesterday Mayor William Russ, DR..
II, H. Lewis, Lawyer r. O. Burton, Mr..
L. III. Briggs and Mr.. n. b. Broughton,
comprising the School Board of
Raleigh, heard evidence in the exami-
nation which was requested by Henry
Christmas, Principal of the Colored
Schools, Mrs. Hackney and Mrs.
Hamlin, both teachers in the Washing
ton colored school. The request is as
fellows:
1.-THE matter which the committee
have been requested to inquire about
and investigate is the rumored allega-
tions that the undersigned females
were seen III PSNANONAA
in the woods near Ellis store, on Hills
boro road, near Raleigh, ON the 31st
of July, 1896, with white men, or other
men, and that they had met for inn
moral purposes; and that the under
signed, Henry Christmas, was present
as a guard or watch and procurer.
These charges are wholly false and ut
terly groundless, and the undersigned
are here TO maintain, appealing TO the
committee for opportunity OF vindi-
cation.
September ist, 1896.
ELLA j. HACKNEY,
(Signed) ANNIE w. HAMLlN,
III. S. CHRISTMAS"
1t was said in the Mayors court on
August 18th that Christmas assaulted
with a pistol several young eolored
bows in the woods near the suburban
town of Oberlin. 1t incidentally came
up during the examination of the wit
nesses in this case at the Mayors Of
flee that Mrs. Hackney and Mrs.
Hamlin were in the woods with two
white men, who had been seen in the
company of Christmas just before the
shooting. These rumors gained so
much hold on the minds of a certain
class of the eolored people that they
said these teachers were not mt to
teach their children.
Yesterday morning in the Court
House the Raleigh School Board, May
or Russ presiding, heard evidence IN
the investigation. The other members
Of the Board present We're DR.. K. H.
Lewis. Mr.. T. III. Briggs, Mr.. n. Is.
Broughton and Mr.. r. O. Burton.
The LAWYERS conducting the prose
cution were Messrs. Tom Deyereaux
and Armistead Jones, and seated near
them was Tom Donaldson, colored
butcher, alleged by the defendants
counsel to be the prosecutor IN the
case.
The defense had as their attorneys
MeSsrs. II. NJ. Argo, w. B. Snow, G. NJ.
Busbee. Fab. HI. Busbee, Judge James
C. McRae and lawyer Ed. Johnson,
(col.)
Seated near the attorneys were
Principal Henry Christmas, Mrs. j.
L. Hamlin, Mrs. r. III. Hackney, Mrs.
Henry Patterson, motherin-law or
Mrs. Hamlin, Henry Williams, brother
OF Mrs. Hamlin and G. n. Hunter,
Principal of Garfield (colored1 school.
Among the witnesses called by the
prosecution were Arthur Shepherd,
Charles Higgs, Joe Shepherd, Frank
Shepherd, Willie Williams, Andrew
Shepherd. John Crossing and Walker
Williams, all colored, and the majority
of them testified on the stand that
they were members of the ''Oberlin
gang which meets at the "knuck
ground" and, it is alleged, plays
sicraps" and ''knucks."
John Crossing, one of the witnesses.
coal-black, said he didn't know there
was a gang in Oberlin. He said he had
played .'lxnucks," but with shy
laugh at the Mayor, said he didn't
know what "craps" meant
The witnesses told about the same
story to wit: On the Friday afternoon
named. Mrs. Hamlin and Mrs. Hackney
entered EIlis's store and then went our
bv the road, and asked which path
led to Kitty Richardson's. Kitty is
said to be friend and co-worker with
Mrs. Hamlin and Mrs. Hackney, all
being teachers in the public schools,
The witnesses state that they saw
these two women in the woods near
the ''knuck grounds" with two white
men who had gone into the woods
with Christmas. The men are said to
have been dressed in black coats and
had on straw hats; one was tail ana
wore a heavy black mOustache, the
other was low in height and clean
shaven. The boys said they got with
in thirty yards of the group, saw the
two women in the bushes with the two
white men; Christmas shot at them,
1.-THE witnesses), and the women ran,
leaving their hats and umbrellas on
the ground. Some of the lost articles
were found, and Mrs. Hackney, Zone of
the witnesses said), came home on the
car without any hat.
Norheet Jeffries testified for the
prosecution as to the good character
Of the witnesses, as did Norfieet Dun
ston. The only things said against the
witnesses was that one has been ac-
cused of rape and another was
fighter.
Mr.. G. NJ Busbee had much trouble
in oettino from Norfleet JeffrieS state
ments which he was alleged to have
made during the campaign four years
ago. Nort1eet said it was alleged that
it was political matter.
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