The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-18

down the two houses On the lot and two
policemen were specially detailed TO
watch the property all night.
Mayor Wright a y he is determined
to have the patient sent to the house
today, and hat If the mob burns down
the house he will put UP a tent and
keep Johnson under guard. The whole
police force viii be used If necessary.
The moi declares its intention, If john
son is carried there, to put him in a
cart and carry him to the city hospital
or the city han. They had a cart out
there yesterday evening to carry out
this part of the threat.
Some of he city authorities think it
best not to insist on carrying Johnson
o the house. 1t is by no means a suit
! b place for a pest house, as all carts
n wagons coming in and going out
on the little bridge on Holly shelter
road wculd have to pass within a few
/ feet of the house.
LATER-THE HOUSE BURNED.
Last night Chief Of Police Jno. r.
Melton specially detailed Policemen
H H Woebse and Tom Moore to watch
, at the pest house. They went on duty
] at dark, and by that time the men who
came in from work swelled the mob
around the building. Chief Melton
vent out at $50 o'clock, and he tells
! us that the men had all sorts of arms
pistols, shot guns muskets, etc. He
said he was amused to see some old
war time muskets with muzzles big
enough for rats to run into. He tried
to reason with the crowds, but they told
him that they had a set determina-
ition and would fight before they would
let smallpox be brought into the neigh
borhood. They told him they could not
be blamed if the police got in the way
and got hurt. The chief replied to
them THAT the police could not be
blamed if some of the mob got hurt.
He states, however, that the crowd was
full of women and children, and it
would have been awful if a riot had
started. Some of the women were
| more vehement and loud mouthed, if
anything, than the men.
The mob was not only made up Of ne
groes but a number of white men
Joined them and took a land in the
defiance. The house is near the Will
mingtOn, Columbia and Augusta rail-
rOad tracks and the mob got hold of q
rumOr that the smallpox man would
be carried out on a train, SO a hundred
men stood guard On the railroad tracks.
They were. in crowds of from twenty
five to fifty en- all sides of the house,
q nd IN III fln CIronfc loo6ipO TO tho
house. The absolutely left no avenue
by which the house could be reached
by "a vehicle with the patient.
About 1890 o'clock Chief Melton left
the two policemen at the house and he
walke around the several streets for
two or three squares to pick up what
he could. While he was at Seventh
and Nixon streets some Of the mob ON
Nixon street about a block from the
house fired their pistols. He overheard
some negroes say we'll go and knock
HI out of the nearest water plugs
When he heard the remarks he hurried
to the house and sent n of the police
men to watch at seventh and Bladen
streets, and the other to look after the
plug at Sixth and Harnett streets. He
says he was certain the mob meant
! to set fire to the house and he thought
it would be better at all events to
preserve the plugs if there was a fire,
as a fire with he plugs destroyed
would e~ndanger. a large amount Of
property. When the policeman wen
to the plugs there were clumps of men
on all sides, and in a few minutes after
they left the building it was set on
fire. Chief Melton ran to box IL at
Seventh and Harnett streets and turn
ed in the alarm. 1t was then LOS a. m.
The house was set on fire at about 1880
a. m. The Chief is satisfied that the
crowd had kerosene oil in bottles and
that possibly there was not less than
a half barrel of oil on hand TO do the
work.
Captain Charles Schnibben, chief of
| N fire department., had been notified
to be on the lookout, and he was at
the house of chemical engine No. l
when the alarm was turned in. He
responded to the alarm with the
chemical engine, a steam fire engine
and a hose reel, but when they got to
tine scene the house was falling in and
| was totally destroyed before water
could be had from the nearest plug at
| Seventh and BLADDER streets.
While the nous was burning the
| women laughed with delight and in a
| few minutes the men had nearly all
! left. The house was an Old two-story
| frame ~ructu and was valued at
| about $500. 1t was used for the con-
victs who early this fan were employ
| ed in grading the link line for the VIII
| mington and New Bern railroad. 1t is
probably insured. A small house on
the same lot fronting on Ninth street
was not burned.
Early in the night fire had been set
to the house, but it went cut.
In order to prevent a serious riot,
| Chief Melton had instructed his po-
ncemen not to make any threats and
if they saw anybody set fire to the
| property or there was any row not to
attempt 10 arrest the men, but TO OBJ
serve who the parties We're 50 they
could be arrested iate-. Any attempt
| to have made al arrest would have
precipftated a riot and left the police
men at the mercy or the mob.
WHAT WILL THE MAYOR DO.
! Mayor Wright was seen by a Mes