The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1898-11-11

Wilmington, n. c., Nov. 1O.-After
day of bloodshed and turbulence. Will
mington has subsided tonight into COM
paratiVe. peaeefulness. Eight negroes
We're killed and three white men
wounded during the day, one of them,
William Mayo, seriously. Tonight the
city is in the hands Of new municipal
government, and law and order is be-
ing established. This afternoon the
board OF aldermen resigned one by one
As each alderman vacated, the re-
mainder elected a successor named by
the citizens committee, until the en-
tire board was changed legally. They
resigned in response to public sentl-
lnent. The new board is composed OF
conservative Democratic citizens. The
mayor and chief of police then resign
ed. and the new board elected their
successors, according to law. EX-Rep-
resentative Waddell was elected mayor
and =. c. Parmalee chief Of police.
The first act of the new government
was to swear in 250 special policemen,
chosen from the ranks Of reputable
white citizens. They are vested with
all Il authority of the law, and WI
take charge Of the city. The citizens
committee viii remain on Suard
throughout the town, to prevent at
ernnlent viii devote It's attention 10 1e-
Straining recklessness among the
whites, as well as keeping down law
lessness among the negroes. Further
trouble of a general or serious nature
is not expected. Soon after the meet
ing Mr. George Rountree received
telegram from Governor Russell, say
ing he would use all his efforts 20 in
fuence the mayor and city council to
resign, if that would restore peace
Nh Rountree made the following re-
ply:
hundred and fifty special policemen
sworn in Law will be maintained and
peace restpred-'
\ Mr.. Rountree is a prominent attorney
4 here, and a member of the Democratic
z congressional committee.
HOW TROUBLE BEGAN.
The trouble in Wilmington today
commenced at $50 this morning, when
an armed body Of citizens, numbering
about 400, and led by ex-Representa-
tive Waddell. chairman of a committee
of 25 appointed for the purpose, pro-
ceeded to the publishing house Of
negro newspaper, the Record, TO wreck
it. The editor of the paper had Dub
Gshed an article defam2tory of white
women, and mass meeting of citizens
yesterday demanded his expulsion from
moval of his press. Fifteen leading ne
groes were called in by the committee
of 26 last night. and directed to notify
the chairman by 7:30 this morning
whether they would agree to the re-
moval of the press. They were inform
ed that if no answer was returned, the
press would be demolished.
No answer was received by the chair
man this morning, and, after waiting
an hour. the citizens proceeded in a
body and demolished the fixtures of the
printing Office. The building was also
fred and gutted. The leaders say that
this action was the work of irresDon-
Silble persons, and as soon as the fire
was discovered the fire department was
called to extinguish it.
The burning OF the printing office
created a great commotion among the
negroes of the town. The rumor spread
that the whites were going to burn and
murder the negro quarter. This rumor
reached the negro employees OF a cot
ton compress, numbering 900 or 400. who
quit work and hung about the streets
in manifest terror. Other parties con-
I gregated in the negro section. and it
A,was in one of these that the first trag-
aedy was enacted.
NEGROES FIRED FIRST.
The men We're standing on a corner
and were ordered to diSperSe. They de-
clined, and, it is claimed, fired into the
whites
A fusillade was Immediately opened
upon them by the whites and three ne
groes We're killed. Two whites were
wounded slightly. One negro ran down
thes treet and, passing a residence he
fired a rife at William Mayo, white
standing on the veranda. shooting him
through the left lung. The negro was
recognized, pursued and captured while
hiding under bed. 1t is said he con-
70, 4t,rc TTo
with shot by his captors and killed
In the meantime the town was in a
state of great excitement. The whites
rushed to the street from every direc-
ton, the local militia company was or
dered out and a battalion of United
States naval reserves proceeded to the
vicinity of the trouble with a rapid-fire
gun.
About l o'clock some negroes in a
house fired upon a passing party of
white men. The house was surrounded
and four negroes captured and taken
to the jail. One negro broke away and
ran. but was shot down and killed be-
fore he had proceeded half a block
During the afternoon there We're other
affairs of this kind and eight negroes
We're killed during various times in the
disturbed sections. Their names at
this time are unknown.
As the news Of the riot spread
through the neighboring cities, they Of
fered to send help, but all such offers
were declined, except in the case of
Fayetteville, from which town about
n 15G men came. As night fell. the town
was completely patrolled and guarded.
very few negroes were on the streets,
and they were not allowed to congre-
gate anywhere.
PEACE AND ORDER RESULT
The action of the citizens in organiz-
ing a new municipal government is ex-
pected to bring peace and order, and
no rioting is expected tonight
It developed later in the day that the
negro committee summoned last night
had agreed to use their, good offices TO
nave the press removed, although the
editor had disappeared, and thew had