Evening star., 1898-12-31
RIOTS DURING THE YEAR.

RIOTS DURING THE YEAR.
The past year was notable for severaf
serious riots. The white people in several
sections of North Carolina had become very
restive under what was termed by them
local negro domination. As the fall cleo
tions drew nigh organizations known as
Red Shirts" were formed for the express
purpose of keeping the negroes away from
the polls 1t was asserted by the whites
that they had no objection to the negroes
voting for members Of Congress and state
officers, but that hey should not vote for
candidates FOR the county offices. As the
election approached, the situation became
very serious, and Governor Russell WAS
urged to call for federal troops: but as no
open outbreak had taken place this med
TO be impracticablC. In the city of VIII
minston. where the situation seemed To be-
the most desperate, the danger of race
conflict was thought to have been averted
by an agreement between the representa-
tlves of the leading parties TO withdraw the
county ticket in that county.
When the elections came along the DEM
ocrats gained an overwhelming victory but
the more radical white element was not
satisfied with this. They demanded that
the Objectionable Office holders should at
once resign. The feeling Of hostility toward
the negroes and the republican office hold
ers had been greatly intensified by the
publication of a scandalous article regard
ing the women of the south by a negro edi-
tor of Wilmington.
Mob Element in Command.
The more conservative element of the
whites were soon swept along with the
popular clamor a demand was made on
the mayor and other municipal officers Of
the city, well as the sheriff and other
officers of the county, to resign. and date
set upon which they would be forcibly ex-
PEELED if their designations were not forth
coming. The officers in question responded
promptly by complying with the request Of
the mob, and prominent citizens Of the
place were Immediately appointed to take
their places Notice was also served on the
negro editor that within certain time he
must leave the state and remove all OF his
printing presses and material Friends of
this man who had already left the state
agreed that the demand should be compiled
with within the specified time. BY some
miscarriage this answer never reached the
revolutionary party in the time specified
and the mob element among the whites he
came uncomfortable. They burned his print
ing office and destroyed his material In
the general lawlessness and confusion a
clash took place between armed whites aud
negroes and several lives were lost on both
sides. The latter. however, suffered much
the most severely.
Fortunately. however the counsels of the
more conservative element prevailed and
what threatened to be a most bloody race
war ended with this single serious resort
to force.
The Virdeu Riots.
The union miners employed in the coal
mines at Virden, H., went on strike early
in the summer. As the fall season came on.
and the question of wages over which the
difficulty occurred, not having been settled
the owners Of the mines undertook to start
up by importing colored miners from the
south The strikers bitterly resented this
action and prepared to make trouble Gov
ernor Tanner. IN an interview, had openly
expressed himself in favor of the strikers
Serious rioting began on the arrival some
what later of a car load of newly imported
miners. A number of men We're killed ON
both sides. State troops were called out,
however, and an end was speedily put TO
the conflict.
Verdict of Lattimer Jury
The verdict rendered early in March I'm
the case of Sheriff Martin and his deputies,
charged with the killing of striking miners
at Lattimer Pa. in September 1877 was
one of acquittal Some of the strikers hay-
ing been subjects of the Austrian govern
ment, the authorities at Vienna sought to
secure indemnity for the families of the
victims. The case was dropped, however
when the United States government dis
claimed all responsibility in the matter
Strikes of serious proportions occurred
during the year among the cotton mill on
New England manufacturing towns and
these differences, mainly to a question OF
wages, have not yet been settled.
THE PILLAGER INDIAN WAR.
Early in October trouble arose among tho