The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-08
A DIRTY, FILTHY TOWN
MIR. ii. L. C. BRYAN'S REPORT TO
HIS PAPER, THE CHARLOTTE
OBSERVER.
HEALTH OFFICERS ARE ALL C0L0RED
The Statements Of this Papers Special Core
spondent are Fully and Completely
Verified Our Chief City's Tale
tfPoIitica Woe,
IF Political Woe.
Correspondence to The Charlotte OBJ
ServCr.)

Correspondence to The Charlotte OBJ
Servcr)
Wilmington, y. c., Sept. Awhile III
the country once | heard a small rustic
lad say to his mother that lie was not
going to be whipped by her any more.
Her reply was: My young man, you
are getting too big for your breeches,
and l will have to take you down Il
notch or two" which she did, to per-
lection. with Il seasoned birch switch.
The same sentence will apply to the ne
groes of New Hanover county. They
are ito big for their breaches" The
town of Wilmington, which means the
county of New Hanover is in the hands
of negroes and mean white men. Ihe
officers are incompetent and insolent.
The negroes about the street of the
town are saucy and overbearing. They
hunt trouble and find pleasure i'll being
impudent. The police officers are Meth
er feared nor respected. From the
chief down the whole force is ignorant,
incompetent and without courage. The
citizens of the town are without protec-
ton of any kind. They have to guard
their own property, their homes, their
wives and their children. 1t does not
take a wizard to see this. Any man
with ordinary faculties can see that
Wilmington is in the hands of a crowd
of milk-sops. The white people seem
to be under hack. They accept the con-
dition of affairs without protest But
there is aay of retributiOn. Some Of
these days this yoke of disgrace is go
ing to be hurled into the face of
the gang that put it on the town. There
is mighty power here, though it be
buried now. that will exert itself by
and by.
The best way to judge the character
of negro population is by its &C
tions. | came here last Friday night
and have kept my eyes on the people
of the town. | have been in the offices
of the county and city officials; in the
stores, the restaurants, the saloons and
on the streets. My experience has been
varied. There is no law or order to be
found The negroes loaf about The
streets in swarms and in filth They
are indolent and saucy. They have no
regard for the rights and feelings Of
others. Indeed, they are mean to each
other. The main streets of the town
are extremely filthy. Negro dives and
Joints abound with dirt and smell from
rotting filth.
Negro boys insult decent people as
they walk along the streets. | saw u
white gentleman, a farmer, his wife
and little girl, going along the main
street of this town Friday night, on
their way from the boat on the river t.
the depot, where they were to take the
train Tor home. They came here along
with train full of eXcursi0nists from
some rural district. AT his heels three
half-grown negro boys trotted along
and cried out: Give my love to little
Sissie, little Bette" etc. This was kept
up for some distance. They passed by
negro policeman, but he took no no.
tice of it.
A few days ago two of Wilmington's
most prominent and respected business
men were out driving, and dozen lit
tie negro boys chased them and made
vulgar remarks about the horse and
the men, Two young ladies of the
town were ont shopping Friday night
and three negro boys, about IS years
old each lined up across the sidewalk.
and told the ladies to go around il they
wished to get by. / saw three little
street. taking up two-thirds of the side
walk. They met two gentlemen. The
little chap in the middle said to the
other two: Don't give them white
folks any road. OATS what pa says
do
These are insignificant incidents, but
they go to show the disposition of the
negro here. Every hour during the
day such things happen. The decent
people of the town just take the whole
tnng as matter of course and do not
protest.
No city has ever had more worth
less police force than Wilmington now
has. John Il. Melton. a man from our
i'm the country near here, is the chief.
He is nothing more than a mass of clay
LIS actions from day to day prove him
totally incompetent. Every night, av-
cry day, almost every hour. for some
months thefts, robberies, burglaries and
various other crimes have been commit.
ted in the town. The people have no
security whatever.
R"t one thing seems to fill the minds
of the officers: They look forward 10
pay day. That is all.
Saturday ] went to the city hall to
see Mr.. John C0wan, one of the best
citizens of the town. After looking in
at several doors / was met in the pass
age by little negro. / asked if Mr.
Cowan was in. The boy answered: "NO
Cowan is not in and l don't know where
he IS. If you want to see him, Won
might go out and hunt him. This
said. the impudent boy scampered out
to the front steps of the building to
pat white policeman on the shoulder
J left him hugging the officer How
ever, the officer did not seem to relish
the embrace very much. The boy clos
ed the conversation that he had drawn
the con into by disputing his word.
imagined ! would like to see the boy
hug Mf. Jim Cunningham of the Char
lotte force. But such are the things
that lsee here
DurinN q ehnrf efrnII On AInri.n4 n4uon.4