The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-09-20
CAUSE OF THE TROUBLE
BAD BLOOD HAD EXISTED SINCE
THE REGIMENT RETURNED.
NO ONE WAS SERIOUSLY HURT
Though SO or go Shots Were Exchanged. Sol
diers were Unarmed for the Most Fart.
Detail from Camp Ordered out.
All is Quiet Again.

All is Quiet Again.
Ever since the return of the Second
Regiment of North Carolina Volunteers
there has been bad blood between its
members and colored people living i'll the
settlement called East Raleigh, but
which is really beyond the city limits.
The colored citizens say that the soldiers
have been rough in their manners toward
them, and have been guilty of several
instances of offensive conduct toward
individuals, though no violence was of
fered. These things, they say, had ir-
ritated the colored people living in East
Raleigh.
The soldiers say, on the other hand,
that the negroes have been insolent, of
fensiye in bearing and often abusive in
their language. Several times there had
occurred an interchange of language not
at all complimentary, but no blows had
been struck.
On Saturday night a corporal and
three priyates We're walking along the
street in East Raleigh singing when
they met three negroes who joined III
the tune as they passed, remarking as
they did so that they were also mem
bers of the Second" One of the soldiers,
who was not taking any part in the con-
cert, replied to them, whereupon they
turned and followed the soldiers for sew
eral blocks cursing as they walked. The.
soldiers stopped at their destination, and
the negroes came up and stopped also.
The soldiers ordered them to move on
and they refused to do so. The corporal
stepped out of the group and was prompt
~ knocked down with a stick when
free fight followed, the negroes using
stones, sticks and knives. The soldiers
were unarmed, with the exception of one,
who had a knife, and he was knocked
down too often to do any serious dam
age. Only few blows had been passed
before the crowd of negroes was aug
mented to some fifteen or twenty armed
with sticks, pokers and brooms, and the
soldiers were getting a taste of real war
fare. The corporal's stripes made him
n conspicuous target, and he was most
severely injured. He received n cash in
the left cheek from knife, evidently
aimed at his jugular. was struck in the
back of the head with n brick, had his
coat split in the back by a stroke that
did no other damage, and was pelted
with rocks at WILL Several soldiers
who heard the melee came at double
quick and the negroes ran. Several ne
groes were knocked down in the free
fight but none were seriously injured.
All the soldiers were more or less bruis-
ed from the pelting with rocks and other
weapons.
The affair was talked through the
camp, but the soldiers do not seem to
have anticipated further trouble, and nc
cording to the best accounts obtainable,
did not seek it. On Sunday afternoon
a young man named Clyde Faison, not
a member of the regiment, had an al
tercation with some negroes of the same
locality, and was struck with stone.
On his way up town he met some twelve
or fifteen soldiers going in the direction
of East Raleigh, and went back with
them. A considerable crowd of negroes
had gathered at the scene of the first
trouble. and seeing the soldiers coming.
thought they meant mischief. The crowd
dispersed as the soldiers came up but
began bombardment with stones after
they had passed. This was n signal for
general engagement. Three of the
soldiers only had pistols, but they opened
70 on the crowd of some $50 negroes
who had gathered III the road and on
the Ull dUONc IHelI. Il he negroes were
also firing by this time, and noise enough
was made, according to one witness. to
have killed n score of men, The soldiers
emptied their revolvers into the crowd
of negroes without doing any serious
damage. so far as could be definitely
learned. One negro was slightly wound
ed i'm the arm. One of the provost guard
came up, but seeing the status Of affairs
started away when he received a salute
in the back with a brick. He turned and
discharged his gun, one negro falling as
he did So according TO the soldiers. Ihe
negroes, however, say the soldiers Were
mistaken. and the civil officers have not
been able to learn anything Of it.
One Of the soldiers, who had a pistol.
stopped in the middle of the road after
emptying it. reloaded and cody resumed
his target practice, but, beyond certain
amount of CONSERVATION among those
Who were the recipients of his attention.
did no damage. After the cartridges Of
the soldiers were exhausted. they retrea T.
ed, and were followed some distance by
the crowd Of negroes that by this time
probably numbered 200.
Ii was reported that one soldier had
n finger shot off. but some who were
present deny the report The soldier at
any rate, was not visible yesterday. nor
had he applied TO the surgeons to have
his wound dressed. One soldier got n
bullet hole in his hat. and another was
struck on the elbow with stone knock
ing his pistol out of his hand. The sol
diers received no other injuries
One negro was wounded slightly in the