The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-21
R|CH'S TALE OF WOE
He Tells Of His Tribulations as
an Office Seeker in Raleigh.
HARD ON jim YOUNG
WHITE POPULISTS TAKING THE
PLACES OF NEGROES.
TELLING MEAN STORIES ON RICH
His Money is All Gone, His Watch is in
Pawn. His Pants Are Out at the
Knees, and He Is ri.
lapidated.
TELLING MEAN STORIES ON RICH


server and Rev. r. A. Cobb. Mr.. Claud-
Jus Dockery and a few other less distin--
gLished gentlemen did all they could to
secure relief for me, but as yet am out
in the cold. My money has given ont,
and my clothes are becoming ragged, and
my soul Respondent" This is prelude
to an interview held with Rich Lilly at
INV room at the Hotel Richmond last
night. Rich promised to be lat home to
me the first time / was IN his town when
he was. But when Rich made that prom
Use he was in high spirits over the piece
of nince pie that the Observer was cut
ting for him. The knife was sharp and
keen. but the pie was rotten. AS it was
being carried to Rich on fusion waiter.
it dropped and fell into the mouth Of
some other bird.
Here IS lsich's sad story:
81 was born in Fayetteville thirty-two
years ago, and came here as boy.
went to Charlotte many years ago, was
with Mr.. Query, and later at the Law
building. After staying IN Charlotte
few years l returned to Rockingham
and married. I have been married twice
..rd have FIVE CT dren."
asked Col. Lilly what he did in Raj
ci:h. lie said
II got there Tuesday morning, before
the Legislature revened. Soon had the
promise of a laborer's place. but gave
back Ger another fellow. 1t was tenn
porary place. l wanted one for fon.
years. and did get the promise. 1t was
the cleaning up OF the State Library and
the office of the State Superintendent
OF Public Instruction. l went to see
Mr.. Burns, who watches over the capt.
tol, and he was all right. Then l went
to see Mr.. Cobb, and he wanted me,
and told me to go and see Mr.. Mebane,
Superintendent Of Public instruction.
That was where struck the snag that
| MORALLY wounded my piece Of pie. There
is where I dropped it. l was to take
| charge Monday, three weeks ago. Mr..
Mebane SAID he had not been treated
right. He thought he had the power
| to appoint the men in his Office. and said
| that none of my friends had insulted
| him about ME. He said the negro,
Myers, who had been in there for years
| suited him, and should he be removed.
| Mr.. Mebane had a man that he wanted
! to have the place. / found out later that
/
| man to take a negro's place. Mebane
| told me he was white man himself, and
| that he was going to rule his own office
| as he pleased. goes back to Mr.. Burns
| and tells him. He suggested that l was
! entitled to the place. Looking into the
| matter further. found that Jim Young
| had been meddling with the place. He
| had endorsed Myers for the place, as he,
| Myers, was a member of Jim's church.
| Young told Mr.. Mebane that was a
/ bad character, but Young denied that to
my face. fled him to say it to my face.
Here Rich stopped long enough to laud
Mr.. Claude Dockery and to roast Jim
Young and Mebane.
''That was the place the Observer came
near landing me on" said Rich. "But nc
one but me knows the pain had when
lost that place. But again took cour.
age, and went to Mr.. Burns, the keeper
of the capitol, and asked him about the
other Library places. He suggested that
he couldn't do anything for me. / sug-
gested the place of gardner, but he said
| No, white man is to get that second
! janitor's place, that was to go to a white
man; third, night Waterman of the Su
preme Court building; that goes to a
| white man; fourth, a man to clean out
cuspidOres, closets, etc, in the State Ii
brary, and Office Of the Superintendent OF
| Public instruction, white man would
have that. What, then, is a colored man
going to get, if white men are to be put
in all those places, heretofore held by
negroes? Talk about the Democrats
keeping negroes out Of office. 1t is the
mean, low-down white trash in the Popu.
list party, coming and taking places tina,
a negro would have held under DemOcra-
tice administration. Such men as jim
Young, who are out for the money, must
be downed. He wants to be white, but
his hair is too short and kinky. He has
more business with the Governor THAI
any other ten men. He is just like lots
OF Republicans"
Rich has almost despaired Of relief.
He is almost ready to give up. he Is
tired Of Raleigh and the politicians. His
money is all gone and his watch is in
pawn. His coat is out at the elbows, and
his pants are out at the knees. Last
| night he looked dilapidated and down
cast His heart is almost broken with
Disappointment, bat he is going back to
1 give i one more trial. He and Rev.
Cobb are in cahoots, so Rich says. Mr.
Cobb is going to help him get a place.
| Rich, in a pathetic tone, said: They
tried to make me out mean negro
They told tii's mean story and that, but
to no good. There was but one true
story. Somebody told that the day on
which | went to Mr.. CObb's Office l fell
asleep while working. ] don't deny it,
slept several hours. I needed relief.
had been UP every night and could not
help it. l hated it, but it was true Any
| body would have done it-like / was
Somebody has certainly talked against
Rich, and he is about to be downed. He
is low in spirits. but he is hard on Jim
| Young and the Populists. He said
"a Populist is no good for a niger.
| when the Populist went to Raleigh he
; boarded in come out-of- the-wayl place
whore he couldn't be found. He never
had his shoes blacked, and his wife cut
his hair. Then the negro barber and the
, shoe-black got nothing out Of him. 1t is