The evening times., 1898-10-04
FEVER REFUGEES HOMES.

Last year when the yellow fever ap-
peared at Jackson. Miss. the white peo-
PIE, numbering 5000. virtually all locked
their doors and fed, leaving about the
same number of negroes in the town. One
merchant, Mr.. Morrison. remained. with
a few hundred other whites, and in the
St LOUIS GlObe-Democrat he tells his
experience.
"A meeting Of the white people was
called to consider what was best for the
protection of the homes OF our absent
fellow-citizens. Nearly every white man
in the city attended and the result was
that a volunteer police force was organ
lied, the members of which were all the
able-bodied men in the city a chief was
appointed and under him were a number
of captains The city was divided into
districts and each district allotted 10
captain From that time until the refu-
gees returned and again inhabited their
houses. every street In the city was pa
trolled all night long by this volunteer
police department. which We aatter our
selves was as perfectly organized and did
its duty as well as the municipal force
Of any city. We patroned the city only
at night. leaving the regular police to
guard it during the day.
ASIDE from these two police DEPART
ments.we soon had another, which did ELI
cient service, and its organization. surpris-
ed not few OF the refugees when they
heard Of it, The third police department
was composed Of negroes. and. pattern
ing after our white volunteer fore.
they also divided the city into districts
and had their chief and captains. The
Southern negro is peculiarly constituted.
and there is nothing which so elevates
MIN IN his Own estimation as 10 be pLar-
ed on his honor by the white people. In
jackson there are influential negroes who
are good citizens. knowing the power of
these few among the others Of their race
a committee, composed of myself and
number of other white men went 10
these negroes Immediately after we had
organized the volunteer police force. and
stated 10 them the circumstances pre-
ValllnS IN the town. We explained to
them that the time had 10 come for the
negroes Of Jackson TO show whether they
were good citizens or not and that the
results rested entirely in their own
hands.
~ = SdtSO tNAl-GL.lEu 10 IHGQl now our
police department had been organized,
and that any negro caught stealing would
be dealt with severely and expeditiOLsly
A few days after the leaders Of the ne
gToes came TO US and told Us of the or
ganization of their own police force and
that there would be no stealing done in
Jackson The chief of the negro police
issued a proclamation authorizing any OF
his men who caught another negro steal
ing to shoot him. This may have been
! Illegal but the situation was critical and
if negro had been killed under such cir
CumsIdnces, | do not believe the man who
killed him would have been censured
The result of our appealing 10 the ne
SrOes and putting them on their honor
| proved that we know something of the
| negroes disposition, and 1 am glad 10
| say that during the entire ten weeks the
| city was almost deserted by white peo-
| pie not q house was robbed. The city
| was freer OF crime then than at any time
| in its history This year nearly all the
/ white people have again left Jackson,
| and although / have heard nothing about
| ii, | believe that the same system of pO-
! licing the deserted city is being used
| When the refugees commenced 10 return
| last year after the fever had been stamp
ed out, they came expecting 20 find that
| the negroes had been rurning the town
| to suit themselves. and that many houses
/ had been pIundered, and / do not know
| which felt the prouder. the negroes or
| We few white people, when We We're able
| TO report that not a house had beeD en-
| tered