The morning news., 1897-03-31
HIS ALLOTMENT OF SPACE.
SERGEANT CHINN WANTED SLEEP
ING CAR ACCOMMODATIONS.

But the Central Refused to Let Him
Have Them as the Georgia Law
Does Not Allow the Transportation
of White and Co1ored Passengers
in the Same COach-He Had a War
rant on the Pullman Car Co.
Wanted the Reasons For the Re-
fusaI Put in WrIting-GOing to At
Ianta to lie Put on the Retired
List.
sergt. Charles H. Chinn, who, up to
few days ago, was in charge of Fort Pu.
laski, for the United States government.
has had little tilt with the Central rail-
road over the matter of securing a sleep
ing car berth to Atlanta.
Sergt. Chlnn is a colored man. He has
served his time as ordnance sergeant, hav-
ing been for several years in charge of
the fort, and recently he received orders
directing him to go to Atlanta, report at
Fort MCPHERSON barracks, and there be
put upon the retired list, according to law.
Accordingly he made oil arrangements
to go up to Atlanta, and have himself
put on the half-pay roll as a retired un-
der-officer. The government pays his
transportation for this purpose, but in
stead of sending the money or ticket,
there was sent from Fort Mcpherson a
warrant on the Central railroad for trans
portation to Atlanta, and along with it
warrant on the Pullman Sleeping Car
Company for a berth in a sleeping car,
to which the government entities such an
officer, or at least makes provision for 1t
in the transportation given.
The sergeant went over to the Central
railroad ticket office. where he saw City
Passenger Agent w. G. Brewer, and pre-
sented his warrant for transportation, and
along with it his warrant for a sleeping
car berth. Under that authority he ask
ed for his allotment of space" but was
informed that he could not be furnished
with sleeping car accommodations, as
there is a law of Georgia which requires
railroads to furnish separate accommoda-
tions for colored and white people. This
he was told, is done except with regard to
sleeping cars. for which there is hot
enough demand on the part of the colored
people to justify the road in putting on a
car especially for them.
1t is said Sergt Chinn wanted a special
car, but that of course was out of the
question under the view taken of the mat
ter by the road. The point overlooked
was the fact that there are no Pullman
cars on the road between Savannah and
Atlanta, but all of the sleepers used be-
long to the Central railroad. 1t is under
stood that the sergeant will send back
to Atlanta for a warrant for sleeping car
accommodations directed to the Central,
but it is said this will not make any diff
ference, as the transportation to Atlanta
is not interstate business, and the cars
are not interstate sleeping cars, so tho
government in the face of a state law
against the use of the same car by both
races could not make a demand for 1t. Il
is supposed, however, that something olsf
will be heard from the case. Sergt
Chinn afterwards wrote a letter to Mr.
Brewer and requested him to put In writ
ing his reasons for refusing his sleeping
car transportation to Atlanta. This of
course Mr.. Brewer refused to do. 1t is
understood the sergeant has consulted a
lawyer in the matter, but no action with
regard to it has as yet been taken.
Sergt Chinn was recently relieved by
Ordnance Sergt Carnage, who came here
from Fort Warren, Boston Harbor, to take
charge of Fort Pulaski, on account of
Sergt. Chinn's being placed on the retired
list. Sergt. Carnage has already gone
down to the fort, and Sergt. Chinn was
making his arrangements to go to At
lanta, where he will have to present him
SELF at Fort Mcpherson in order to receive
his discharge. He may make another de-
mand on the Central railroad for sleeping
car accommodations, but the answer, it is
said, will be the same that the state law
stands in the way.
Sergt Chinn is the officer who, about
three years ago, came near blowing himself
up with a barrel of powder in one of the
rooms of the fort next to the magazine.
He was bothered a good deal by mosquitoes
and struck a novel idea of getting rid Of
them by the smoke from damp powder.
Accordingly he took a large handful of
powder from a barrel in the corner to the
middle of the room, dampened it and set
a match to 1t. The train from the barrel
carried the fire quickly to it, and 1t was
not long before Sergt. Chinn had to go to
the hospital. The explosion caused quite
a fire at the fort and it was a good many
months before the sergeant had sufficient
ly recovered to go on duty again.