The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1898-10-06
| HBE.Nj, FEARFUL PLIGHT

Cor Of the Charlotte Observer.
Newbern. Sept. 6.-Newbern is cursed
Nth negro magistrates. AS Wilmington
s in the hands Of an incompetent, in
,O!ent police force. so NeWbern is in
he hands of inSolent and incompetent
legro magistrates. Craven county is in
| depiorable condition. There are in the
ounty about 1900 Democrats and $500
republicans: of the latter number
here are but 63 white men. So the
Ounty. at present. seems doomed. The
negroes can do as they please, as far
s numbers count. In this town there
re ten negro Justices of the peace. -Four
f them Douglas. Chapman. Green and
Bryan, are very active. They keep run
1ers out all the time to pick up every
title case. No day passes that there
IRE not at least dozen trials in the
own. 1t does not differ about the color
# the parties in question in the least
The justices of the peace are after the
money.
Here are some samples of what the
negro magistrates of Newbern are do
ng. Some time about the middle of
August two negro women. Lucille West
brook and Lucy Francks, had fight.
No ticks were passed. Two negro JUS
ices of the peace. Fred Douglas and
VI. w Chapman. issued warrants in
dependent Of each other for both
women.
Fred Douglas. former pension
agent. but now debarred from practiC-
! ing before the pension department on
account OF fraudulent practices, tried
che cases against the women and con-
| victed them. This was on the 18th of
| August. The judgment was simply an
| affray, and the women satisfied it.
| Lucille WestbroOk was required to give
| q 800 justified bond to appear before NJ.
w. Chapman. justice of the peace. She
| appeared at the appointed time, and in
| formed him that she had been fined for
| the same offense before Douglas, but
| asked him to hear her case at once.
! Though it was the time set for the trial
| the justice said he was not ready for
trial. as the States witnesses We're not
all there. In a few minutes all the
the sDot. The defendant demanded a
| trial, but the court refused, saying that
she would have to wait until O'Clock
p. m. 1t was then a. m. Chapman
| requred her to give second justified
! bond for her appearance at O'Clock.
| The warrant that she was arrested
on did not show who was the inform
ant on which it was issued. The de-
| PENDANT and her counsel demanded the
name of the person giving the informa =
| ton. Thereupnn the court said that he
| did not care to give the name Of the in
! formant. but the information was given
on oath by one of the States witnesses
The defendant then rendered to the
| court an affidavit in due form for re-
m0val to another justice for trial and
| requested Chapman to swear her to
! the affidavit and remove the cause
under the statute to some other JUS
| tice of the peace for trial. The court
| refused to swear the defendant to the
cause. but ordered the case continued
| TIL p. ID. The defendant went home
without having given bond for her ap-
pearance in the afternoon. Shortly
thereafter she was arrested by the
negro constable J. P Stanley Of this.
TIE eighth. township, and brought be
| fore the magistrate. She was put in
custody of a special officer appoint d
/ by Chapman and ordered to remain in
custody of said officer until O'Clock,
the time OF the trial. Che offered re-
cogniZanc. with solvent security to ap-
pear at o'clock. which was refused
The court finally accepted a justified
. bond for her appearance At the sp-
pointed hour she appeared with her
counsel and witnesses ana also an af-
f'davir FOR removal. duly justified BE-
fore another ma strait.
1t appeared from thu .e-c,I-I ca
pias und~r which tn defendant was
arrested after the morning hour. that
Il was unsign.f by the Justice. but he
signed il art-r the Defendant had been
in CUSTODY for hours.
The Defendant ani cours.I renewed
heir d~uarf ~ar tn name - the per
son that CAV. TIE information on oath
Chapman refused TO give tho name If
thr informant but ~. = At h- WIS
among the atates vitr-.ssa On fur
tS-r demands. FOR th- rarn- ~ went out
and held consultation with J T.
F'EArs negro swv~- cane hack in
court and SAD thst one John Brown. a
on--l~zg-f negro vas TIE informant
- once h rs0-' Brown n the chair
and vhi.r--~1 something = his e4r
The defends NJ. counsel s.k-1 Brown
II he hst been sven. Fl. said that he