Daily new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1897-1906, 1898-11-11
Substituted Their Own Govern
ment, at Wilmington, N. c.
NINE NEGROES WERE KILLED.
This the Result of the Race Trouble In
That Place Three White Men Wounded
The Substitute Mayor Prevented
Lynching-Troops Ordered.

BOVeTllueuG anu law anu OTuSE Is De1QS
established. The board of aldermen
resigned one by one. AS each alderman
vacated the remainder elected success
s0r, named by the citizens committee,
until the entire board was changed
legally. They resigned in response to
public sentiment. The new board is
composed OF conservative Democratic
citizens.
The mayor and chief Of police then
resigned and the new board elected
their successors, according to law. Ex-
Representative Waddell was elected
mayor and E. G.. Parmelee chief of
police. The first act of the new govern
ment was TO swear in $50 special police
men, chosen from the ranks of repu-
table white citizens. They are vested
with all the authority of the law and
will take charge of the city. The citi-
zens' committee will remain on guard,
however, throughout the town to pre-
vent possible attempts at incendiarism.
The new government Will devote its at
tention TO restraining recklessness
among the whites as well as keeping
down lawlessness among the negroes.
The trouble in Wilmington COM
menced when an armed body of citi-
zens, numbering about 400, and led by
Representative Waddell, chairman of
a committee of % appointed for the
purpose, proceeded to the publishing
house OF q negro newspaper, The
Record, to wreck it. The editor of this
paper had published an article defama-
tory OF white women and massmeet-
ing OF citizens ordered his expulsion
from the city within "a hours and the
removal of his press. Fifteen leading
negroes were called in by the commit
tee of % and directed to notify the
chairman next morning whether they
would agree TO the removal Of the press.
They were informed that if no answer
was returned the press would be de-
molished.
No answer was received by the chair
man, and after waiting awhile, the citi-
Zens proceeded in o body and demol-
ished the fixtures of the printing office.
The building was also fired and Quilted
The leaders say this action was the
work OF irresponsible persons, and as
soon as the fire was discovered the fire
department was called to extinguish it.
The burning of the printing office
created great connection among the
negroes oil the town. The rumor spread
that the whites were going to burn and
murder in the negro quarters. This
rumor reached the negro employees of
cotton compress, numbering 800 or 400,
who quit work and hung about the
streets in manifest terror. Other par
ties congregated i'll the negro section
and it was in one of these that the first
tragedy was enacted. The men were
standing on a corner and were ordered
to dispense They declined and, it is
claimed, fired into the whites.
A fuSilade was Immediately opened
upon them by the whites and three me-
groes were killed. Two whites were
wounded slightly. One negro ran down
the street and, passing residence, fired
q rifle at William Mayo, white, stand
ing on the veranda, shooting him
through the left lung. This negro was
recognized, pursued and captured while
hiding under a bed. 1t is said he con-
fessed to the shooting. He was riddled
with shot by his captors and killed.
In the meantime the town was in
state of excitement. The whites rushed
to the scene from every direction, the
local military company was ordered out
and battalion of United States naval
reserves proceeded to the vicinity of the
trouble with rapid firing gun.
Negroes in house fired upon pass
ing party of white men. The house was
surrounded and four negroes captured
and taken to the jail. One negro broke
gway and ran, but was shot down and
killed before he had proceeded half a
block.
There were other affairs of this kind,
and eight negroes were killed during
various times in tho disturbed sections
and three white men wounded. Their
names at this time are unknown.
AS the news of the riot spread through
the neighbor state cities they offered TO
send help, and all such offers were de-
clined, except in the case of Fayette-
vile, from which town came about 100
men.
AS night fell the town was completely
patrolled and guarded. Very few
negroes were on the streets and they
were not allowed to congregate any
where.
The action of the citizens in organic
ing new municipal government is ex-
pected to bring peace and order.
1t developed later that the negro COM
mittee summoned had agreed to use
their good offices to have the press re-
| moved although the editor had disap-
peared and they had no authority on
the premises. This letter, instead of
being delivered to the chairman of the
committee of 25 III person, was put in
the mail and did not roach him till
three hours after the expiration of the
time limit which had been fixed for the
reception of the answer.
A crowd was formed to take from the
Jail and lynch two negroes, Thomas
Miller and Ira Bryant, who were ar
rested charged with making threats
aid were regarded. as dangerous cases.
The mayor, Colonel Waddell, promptly
| nrnhihited the assarn Ming of the crowd