The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-08-24
POPUL|ST OFFICER
IS IN TROUBLE
The Rev. 'Dr. John Brown"
Burns Bound Over
to Court.
FOR ASSAULT WITH
DEADLY WEAPON
ATTACKED A NEGRO WITH AN
OPEN KNIFE IN HAND
a SUNDAY.
TRIED BY Al REPUBLICAN JUSTICE
The Papers Were Served on the Parson by a
Negro! Constable .'and'ia Negro Lawyer
Prosecuted the Reverend Keeper
Of the Capitol.

Prosecuted the reverend Keeper
Of the Capitol.
= If the Rev. "Dr. John Brown" Burns
Keeper Of the Capitol, had taken the mint
given him by the News and Observer
several months ago-that the duties OF
his office were simply to do nothing ana
draw $50 a month-this story would
never have been written.
But there are some people who THINK
they are the only cock in the barn-yaru,
and Dr.. Burns H. one of them. The trou-
BILE with the Doctor is that he Is too an
dustrious or too offciOus, or perhaps
both. Anyway, he's been m hot water
ever since he's been here, and yesterday ny
reached the boiling point and took the
hide off in places.
There is in the centre of the city OF
Raleigh a square, owned by the State.
On ii is situated the State Capitol. 1t
belongs to the taxpayers of North Caro-
lima. They bought it, and they aave
a right 70 enjoy it as long as they do SO
decently and in order.
The Rev. DR.. Burns, unfortunately
does not hold this opinion, He thinks
If one nav Judge by his official acts.
that IL was created for his special bene-
FIT and that in being chosen Keeper of
the Cauitol-which is simply head janItor
and head gardener-he was created
monareh of this little kingdom with abb.
Solute mower. He says to this man come,
and he must come in trot, and 10 tnat
man 60. and ne must go double-qulck.
In short, he has ruled his empire with q
rod of iron.
u, S111nnad
two. and the Reverend came near getting
in Jail He got next place to II. he was
hound over to court by Justice OF the
Peace Wesley Whitaker, on a charge or
assault with deadly weapon, to-wlt, a
knife.
The assault occurred early SUNDAY
morning, and was made upon charles
Cardwell. colored, janiteF OF the @klTsd
Baptist church, and for twenty years
or more gordener for Mrs. Swepson.
Charles. it seems, was waiting for the
time to come for the ringing of the sec
ond bell for the morning services HAY
ing nothing else to do it occurred to hlm
to go across the street, into Capltoi
Square. and see what progress the con-
victs were making in the pavement OF
the walks.
Now the north gate, where the paving
as being done, is locked and ropes are
drawn across the walks near the east
and west entrances, presumably to show
people that they cannot pass out at the
north entrance to which they lead. That
is the view that Charles Cardwell says
he took the matter, and so he stopped
under one of the ropes.
Parson Burns happened at that time
to be standing in the portico of the Cap
itol, about ten feet away. he ordered
the man to stop, come back and go out
lust the way he came in. Charles, who
has long been known as one of the best.
most polite and useful colored citizens
Raleigh has ever had, stopped to remon-
strate, not understanding why he was
ordered out in such manner.
Thereupon, Charles testified on the
trial yesterday and DR.. Burns admitted
it, the Parson came down to where the
negro stood and placed his hand, with
an open knife in it, upon aCardwelRs
shoulder, saying: "Now you get out of
here get right out, and just the way
you came in" Then Charles says the
Doctor pushed him, saying, eco ON, tell
you" The negro says he went; at no
time did he offer any resistance, except
to say that it was public square and
he thought he had a right there. He
says he made no threats nor got on the
grass.
"Did you not go there just to pro-
woke an attack from Mr.. Burns, because
he is a Populist" asked Mr.. w. j. Peele,
the Parsons lawyer.
"N0 sir" replied Charles. IF Demo-
crat had been in charge would not have
been ordered out. They have had charge
there for twenty years or more, and |
never heard Of them ordering out color
cd man, who behaved himself"
"Do you think the Parson had any
malice against you in this thing,
Charles?'' asked Dave Lane, Charles
lawyer.
at is possible. He sent over to Mrs.
Swepson's once to know if he could get
board there and 1 sent back word that
Mrs. Swepson didn't want any Pops in
her house"
Doctor Burns acknowledged ordering
Charles out and putting his hand on his
shoulder as he did so. He said also that
he had his knife in his hand, but that he
had it there because he had been cleaning
his finger nails and hadn't put it back
into his pocket.
Asked if he had ever before had any
trouble with Charles, he said he once lost
a fan in the First Baptist church and
went back to look for it, and finding it
gone had told Charles it was strange peo-
people would steal from a church. The
Doctor said he afterwards found that il
was a member of the congregation that
took his fan; denied that he knew before
that Charles sent that message about
boarding a POpulist at Mrs. Swepson's
The Parson acknowledged that he
made his own rules to govern the square,
but that most of them were those in force
under the Democratic administration and
given him by Capt. Roberts, his predeces-