The herald., 1898-11-11
INSISTED ON BY CITIZENS OF
NORTH CAROLINA
NEGRO NEWSPAPER M0BBED
A Few Black Men Killed and the Rest
Are Evidently Seeking Safe
Hiding Places
Associated Press Special Wire

cuiIoTidi ueropduOry 10 WHlte WOHicH. AZ
7:3O o'clock the negroes not having respond
ed to the demand for the removal OF the
press of the Record, the negro newspaper,
ex-Representative Waddell, chairman OF
the white committee of twenty-five, re-
paired to the Light Infantry armory, where
he was to meet the citizens by appointment.
Eight o'clock was the last hour Of grace
for the negroes to reply, and that hour
passed without an answer being received.
The citizens then waited half an hour for
reinforcements. Meantime armed men
had begun to gather in the wide street in
front of the armory. They carried rifles,
shotguns and ammunition, and the assem-
blage included some of the most solid cti-
zens of the town. At $50 o'clock the pro-
cession headed by ex-Representative Wad-
dell and the committee of twenty-five moved
in the direction of the Record printing shop.
All along the line of march the procession
was joined by armed citizens, and when the
negro quarter was reached the negroes could
be seen 8 few blocks away running into their
houses.
When the crowd arrived in front of the
Record office, a two-story frame building,
picket lines were thrown out across the
streets and squads of men went to squares
in the neighborhood. Leader Waddell,
with rifle on his shoulder, went to the door
of the building and knocked, but there be-
ing no response the door was soon burst
open. The citizens surged into the place
and commenced the work of destruction. The
furniture was smashed and thrown into the
street, the floors were Quilted of movables
and the building was fired and destroyed.
Some one turned in fire alarm, and when
the engines responded the crowd discharged
their weapons and fusilade of gun and
pistol shots and shouts filled the air.
The affair was soon over, however; and
no one was hurt. The publishing house
was destroyed but the neighboring prop
erty was saved. The colored editors, Man
ley his brother and their associates, fed and
could not be found by the citizens. After
destroying the printing house the marchers
returned to the armory, where they had
left rapid-fire machine gun mounted in a
wagon ready to be dispatched to the scene
If battle should occur. The leaders of the
crowd said subsequently it was not the in
tention to burn the Record building, but
that it was the work of some rash persons,
or by accident, and did not have the con-
currence of the committee.
The days action of the whites was the
sequel of yesterdays meeting at the county
Courthouse and that of the committee of
twenty-five in the afternoon as result of
which the negroes were given until this
morning to return an answer for the demand
for the removal of the press and the cessa-
tion of the publication of the Record.
Last night was an anxious ono for the
citizens in the residence section. About 8
o'clock street car came into the business
section and reported that the negroes had
fired into it and that the passengers had re-
turned the fire. A car loaded with armed
men was soon speeding toward the scene
of trouble, but the offenders escaped. The
entire eastern end of the town was aroused
and armed men were in the street cars and
on every corner. In the negro district 80
or 40 young negroes were assembled, but
they were not armed and not violent, and
the elder men said they did not contem-
plate trouble and sincerely hoped for peace.
All night long the whites kept guard about
the business and residence sections, but no
incident occurred to disturb the night.
At l0:30 o'clock the scene shifted to an
other section of the city. Scarcely had the
marchers disbanded at the armory before
word was passed along that three hundred
or four hundred negro laborers of the great
cotton compress had knocked off work and
were assembling. The armed men hurried
to the river front and took positions at the
head of the streets leading to the docks.
The negroes gathered in groups of fifteen or
twenty, huddling together and apparently
very much excited. They were in state
l.. Al 4
reports that the whites were burning the
negro quarters and were shooting the peo-
pie, and begged their husbands to come
home and the whole force quit work. The
white leaders endeavored to calm the ex-
cited men, told them no harm was intended
and advised that they return to work. There
was no violent talk nor threats by the
negroes. In all the disturbances, the local
authorities made no show of asserting them
selves and no policeman is around. The
preservation Of order is practically vested
in the committee of twenty five, who are
now trying to restore order, quiet the situa-
ton and hold in check the reckless element
among the whites. The rapid-fre machine
gun on a wagon, manned by a crew armed
with Winchesters, was brought down in
front of the postoffice, but on the advice of
the leaders was halted there.
Soon after II o'clock word was brought
that reinforcements were needed in the
negro sections of Brooklyn. The men were
sent. Twenty minutes later news came that
there had been collision between the
whites and blacks and that blood had been
shed. AS result of the trouble at Brook
lyn it is believed that the number of negroes
who have been killed will number four. A /
white man named Mayo, who was shot in
the stomach, has since died. Another white
man was hurt. The situation is quiet at
the scene of tho trouble now. The negroes
have gone into their houses. Squads of men
are now halting all the negroes on the
streets and taking their pistols from them.
wherever found.
The Star says that between and o'clocl,
there were several skirmishes. The total
casualties at pm. were:
Eight negroes killed, three wounded and
three whites wounded-Mayo, Cbadw;ck
and Piner. Mayo is not dead as before re.
ported, but is shot through the lungs.
About 1880 o'clock two white men nass
ing house were fred upon. A detocbment
Immediately surrounded the house and took
away five negroes. 1t was at first proposed
to kill them, but it was finally decided 10
put them in jail. Another negro in the house
broke and ran, but before proceeding VAN,