The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1898-01-18
A RIOT THREATENED
THE SMALLPOX CASE CAUSES
TROUBLED

The Convict Camp at Ninth and Nixon
Street Selected as u Pest House-An Ex-
cited Mob of Armed Negroes Prevent the
Pa,ient'seing Carried There
DR.. William D. Mcmillan, superinten-
dent Of health, has taken charge of the
case OF Stephen Johnson, colored, who
was reported by DIR. w. J. H. Bethany
to MAYOR S. P. Wright on Wednesday
mornirg as having a we'll developed
case of smallpox. DR.. Mcmillan re-
ports his patient Is getting along Well
His face and body was broker III
with pustules yesterday and by today
they will be in the matted state
johnson is being nursed by two men
and two women who were members of
his household when he was taken down.
DIR. Mcmillan vacinated them all on
Wednesday,.
While DR.. Mcmillan is attending the
case, he will mo- go home but is sleep
ing at the hearth office in the Old
court hose on Princess street, be-
tween Second and Third streets.
FIRST SIGN OF A MOB.
When it was announced in the Mes
senger yesterday morning that the
city authorities had selected the
McGlorin house on Meares street, be
tween Tenth and Eleventh streets,
amidst the sand lots in the extreme
southeastern part of the city, with a
view to using it as a pest, the people in
that quarter were indignant and de-
termined not to allow Johnson to be
carried there. Police sergeant Thomas
Lossin lives in that part OF the city,
at Third and Wright streets, and a
number of men went to his house,
awoke him, and notified him that they
would use force to prevent the patient
from being carried to their part of the
city. About twenty or thirty armed
white men assembled at h GUS and
meant business if any wagon or am}bu-
antce had appeared with the patient.
Major D. O'Connor who has charge of
the house, informed the Messenger
last might that the white tenant who
occupies he house and has it rented
ter the rear, had decided not to
give it UP. His neighbors prevailed
upon him to stay in the house to pre-
vent the city from getting charge OF 1T.
ANOTHER PESTHOUSE SELECTED
The authorities desired to make a
pest hcuse Of the house recently used
ais convicts barracks, at Ninth and
Nixon streets, the property of Mr.. Jas.
H. ChadbOurn, Jr., and bought three
beds, three mattresses bedding to
equip it. Yesterday afternoon the fur
niture house sen the outfit to he house
and as it was not open the drayman
put the things in the yard. AS soon as
the colored people i'm the neighborhood
learned that The pest house was to be
located there they raised cain,"' as
the saying goes. The men got their
guns and turned out and soon the
house was surrounded by a mob that
''chewed the rag to beet the band and
breathed out t~hreatenings.
Between four and five O'Clock Mayor
S. P. Wright, DR., w. D. Mcmillan,
superintendent of health, and DR..
George G. Thomas wen over to the
house selected for the pest house and
the mob thought they had the small
pox patient with them. They were in
a ferment and told the mayor that
they would not allow johnson to be
carried there. BY that time about 800
-.- t.ol .o1Ll IT, NFoNE;11a-
says 1T was the most excited crowd
he ever SAW. They were very mad,
all were talking loudly and there was
a hub-bub that could be heard squares
around.
"A DETERMINED MOB.
The mob was bent on not allowing
borhood. They followed up the mayor
and the doctors and there was hardly
standing room in the yard and the
street in fronit of the house.
1--WE amt goin' let that mar be
brought here. We amt going to do it;
it ain no use OF talkin," they would
say. Every time a country cart or
wagon would be seen on the street on
the way out OF town, the moi would
hold them UP and make an inspection,
to make sure they did not have the
smallpox man on board.
Late i'm the evening Capt. L. H.
Bryant, superintendent Of Streets went
out with a art to bring in the beds
nearly mcbbing him. They thought he
mad come Ito bring h smallpox man.
He got the Things and carried them to
the city hail.
A THREAT TO BURN.