The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-01-04
BLACKBURN vs.. THUNDER
PROVED TOO MUCH FOR NEW
BERN'LS RADICAL MAYOR.
WHITE BOY IN GUARD HOUSE WITH NEGRO
Released on a Writ of habeas Corpus There
Was Hot Time in the Old
Town of Newbern.


evening. 1898, nor will an expert electri-
elan from Philadelphia, who, the mayor
had hired for purpose (which | will
state shortly ever forget his New Years
day of '9S and where he spent it.
r. P.Williams, better known as Dick
Williams, owns the electric light plant
in Newborn, having a ten year franchise
from date Everybody knows Dick
Williams from the mountains to the sea-
shore. He was member of the Legis-
lature in 1895, and think every men,
Ser of that body will remember Dick"
Williams from Craven.
Mayor Dennison is now at the helm
of the Republican administration in this
city, and is taking great deg OF re-
sponsibility upon himself. Without the
z knowledge of any other city official, or
#Dick" Williams, the owner OF the cleo
tric light plant, Mayor Dennison imports
an expert here from Philadelphia to
test Dicks arc lights; to see for his
own individual benefit if they are rum
ming up to the candle power which the
contract demands.
Friday night was the beginning of the
Dick was too sharp for them, and seeing
shat some one was monkeying with his
wires. cut the arc lights off and the con-
sequence was the expert" and The
mayor failed to get in their work, and
the city remained in darkness the rest
of the night.
But the mayor retained his expert
Tor another night--New Years night.
The ever watchful "Dick' Williams
saw behind the curtain, and had his
eyes open when the arc lights were
turned on. When they first flashed,
Dick Williams knew something was
wrong somewhere. He immediately gave
orders to shut off the arc lights and or
dered his running horse hooked up.
Getting his double-barrel shot gun and
pocket full of shells he mounts the
buggy, gives his son Ellis the reins and
begins trace for the supposed parties.
And he found themi He drove a ter
rife gate to the very spot where the
Philadelphia expert and the mayor
had stationed themselves to make the
TEST. The first time the expert" had
connected his machine wrong, which
gave them sufficient notice at the station
that something was wrong somewhere
when the light were turned out. Re-
moving his machine, he recOnnected it,
and the party sat down TO waite for the
slight that never came" But "Dick'
WIS in the meantime making his way
for the scene = few passefs-by had
( stopped to see the expert" make the
test "Diek" was coming with all the
4 speed his white horse could stand. At
+ the spot the word HOP was given and
the white horse never stopped more
! promptly. They heard him coming. The
mayor knew it was "Dick" and that he
was on to the racket, so he 1.-THE mayor
pushes up alongside of the fence in the
dark, while the expert" and few spec
tators looked with amazement-the Eek
pert making all efforts possible TO re-
move his machine. Out of one side OF
the buggy went "Dick" with his gun,
both barrels loaded, exclaiming: "Who
in the hell is this fooling with my prop
ertyY' At this point, the mayor jumped
out from the dark and grabbed "Dick"
A scrimmage followed between Dick
and the mayor, and the mayors and
s'Dick's" sons, while the expert and
spectators were in the act Of getting
away.
In the serimmage the gun went off,
and the expert" spectators, and stray
policeman, whom the mayor had detailed
to the scene as a guard, all fled for
parts unknown. The mayor kept call
ing for his policeman to come and get
the gun, but the policeman never came.
After Dicks" son had stood the mayor
on his feet, Dick offered the gun to the
mayor saying, lake it, don't want it. y
The expert hasn't as yet been seen.
His machine, valued at $3.50, was lost
during the scrimmage, as he left it
hanging to the wire when the gun went
off,
The light was put up in its position.
and ''Dick" and his son boarded the
buggy to leave, when the terrified mayor
grabbed the horses head and ordered
them not to leave, in the meantime call
ang for his frightened policeman. He
was asked to loose the animal, which
plea he ignored and held fast. Once
more he was asked, when the horse was
given a sharp cut with the whip and
eff he went, leaving the mayor in a
desperate effort to keep his feet. "Dick"
drove to the station and ordered the
lights on.
Who is to pay the expert is not
known. Besides his overdose of fright,
ne has lost his machine.
Warrants will be numerously served
for the next few days. They will be
issued for all parties, the honorable, Mr..
Mayor, included.
WHITE BOY IN CELL WITH
NEGRO.
Friday a small white boy, II years
old, was arrested for trivial cause and
thrown into cell with negro boy. The
boy being locked up for such small
ofense as singing a guy song at a man
on the street. was bad enough, but
when it was learned that the mayor
above quoted had placed him in the
lookup with a negro boy, Anglo-Saxor
blood was aroused. and parties at once
preceded to see the mayor, and get hin
released. The mayor refused to releas'
him. saying he was going to keep then
both there for twenty days, and would
accept neither payment of a fine or bont
him out.
The mayor could not be persuaded t.