The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-08

Saturday morning, | counted six dead
| chickens and one dead cat, besides q
dozen or more barrels of decayed cab
4 bage leaves, beans, roasting-ear
shucks and the like. Why all this? Is
| Wilmington without officers? No. She
| has twice as many policemen as Char
| lotte. In all she has "a policemen, 13
of whom are negroes. The names of the
negro policemen ON regular duty are:
Sergeant III. 3. Green, Officers ThoS.
Moore. Joseph Sharp, Frank Toomer,
| William Richardson. Joe Anderson,
! Henry Whitehead, David Bryant, Geo.
Bell, John Spicer, and John Carroll.
Wilmington has also four health Off
GERS, all colored Isaac Barnett, George
| Sye, John Lee and Jack Moore. In addi-
| ton, there are six deputy sheriffs, four
| of whom are colored, viz: Buck
Wright. Ed Bryant, Tony Ashe and
John Voofeld. And, to make the list
| complete, she has Il negro register OF
deeds. c. w. Norwood, with two ne
gro clerks; Il negro coroner. David
Jacobs, and 40 negro magistrates, as
follows: Andrew J. Allen, Thos. Brink
ley, James b. Dudley, Lewis Geyer,
Valentine Howe, Daniel Howard, j. NJ
Jenkins, Elijah Lane, Washington Me
Neill, John G. Norwood, Thomas Ri
vera. Jr. John II. Shaw, Thomas Smith,
A. j. Walker, r. Men. Williams, Luke
Grady, Richard J. Jordan, Jordan Nix
IN, Elijah Leonard. George Il. Green, J.
Primes Bowen. John II. Brown. Chas.
\. Foreman, John Holaway, John II.
Howe, Benjamin J. Hooper. Major Lof
tin. II. III. Lane Caleb NJ. Martin. Geo.
w. Price, Abel s. Robinson, Charles
S,lI 7 Il WnhhpP
Godfrey Willis, Jr.. Lewis Holings-
worth. Levi Nixon. J. III. Davis, A. l..
Freeman, Samuel NJ. Virgins.
The negro aldermen of the town are:
John Norwood, a good negro; Andrew
Walker. now major at Fort Macon, and
elijah Green.
At the custom house: John G. Dan
", collector; John Il. Taylor, deputy
collector, and James III. Howard, are
negroes.
The county has six negro school com
nitteemen. Magistrates, aldermen,
policemen, deputy sheriffs, court house
officials, constables. etc, make about So
negro officers. 1t is an easy matter to
ick out about rs many white men of
he same character from the lot of Off
GERS left over after the negroes arc
counted out. They are of the same
stripe.
At the election of 1896, f. w. Foster.
Jordan Nixon and Dempsey were
,lected on the board of county commits
sioners for New Hanover. Some time
lgo they elected, or appointed them
selves members of the board of educa-
ton of the county. An injunction was
issued. and after long and tedious
wait they were bounced by the courts
from the board of county commission
IS. The clerk of this county being a
Democat, appointed Democratic
board of commissioners. The county is
blessed with that clerk on the incom-
)etent crowd. New Hanover is not
Entirely Russellized.
Here are some of the deeds of VIII
mington's police force:
Chief John X. Melton. of the police
force of this city. arrested Il. II. Ben
son. another police officer for sleeping
when on the street, but off duty. and
took him before Mayor $. +. Wright.
Benson was discharged but before leav-
ing the room he accused the mayor
If being a gambler and offered to prove
It. From all reports Benson cursed the
whole shooting match out right i'll the
,ity court.
On July 18th, Mrs. Baffler and daugh-
Ter. who live at 81 Cottage Lane, cap
.ured a burglar in their house and turn
I'd him over to the chief of police.
Without advice from any one the chief
turned the negro loose on a $50 bond.
When the time came for trial the negro
,ould not be found. He is free to-day,
md not far from the city hall of Will
nington.
July eth, Kiah B0born and John
lives, two country gentlemen. fought
| ike cats on the main street of the
| town and Chief Melton went up and
| old them to stop. He made no arrests.
| Later they were brought to trial be-
| fore the magyar and the officer did not
appear as Il witness. The case was dis
| missed. Some days afterward a war
rant was issued for one Of the men for
he same offense. He was tried before
| Squire John Fowler. of this place, and
| Convicted. Chief Melton was one of the
principal witnesses.
+. w. Townes, one of the colored POI
icemen, was suspended some time ago
or lying to the mayor.
In April of this year Police Officer
". ID. George arrested notorious ne
;ro woman for fighting on the streets.
in the way to the guard house he was
followed by gang of negroes. They
rooted and yelled at him for awhile and
tried to take the prisoner Finally they
egan throwing rocks. He wheeled and
hot into the crowd \ negro boy, Rich
Loftin, fell dead. George was arrested.
The coroner's jury released him and
brought in Il verdict to the effect that
Loftin was killed by some one in the
rowd. So everybody believes They
believe, too, that the person that killed
Loftin meant the load for the officer.
Such are some of Wilmington's pet
crimes. There are hundreds ,just
ike them. If this reign of incompe-
tency insoence and corruption keeps
Up, the property of the town will fall
nothing. Decent people cannot. stand
it,
| learned from a negro Saturday that
several hundred South Carolina ne
groes have come here in the last two
fears. He was alarmed. Indeed, he
| has cause to be. The crowds of loafng
negroes that pack the streets of Will
nington day and night is enough to
convince thinking people that some
l e., I41 = L. L.