The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-08-24


and each man went to ms
home. THE FIRST LESSON HAD
BEEN TAUGHT.
About an hour after these occur
rences, without provocation except the
hostility which had been inculcated
upon them against the white race,
body of negroes fired on a small group
Of white men at point of the cEy'
fully a mile distant from the printing
office, and wounded two. The hire was
returned and three negroes killed aud
three wounded. THE WAR WAS ON.
AS one of the uninjured negroes moved
off he leveled Winchester on n white
man standing on his piazza an dam
gerously wounded him. The negro ran
into his house, was pursued, dragged
out and shot At other points in the
negro district. whites were tired ON. but
in each instance the negro was killed.
Where there was any doubt, he was
taken to jail. In no instance was ne
gro killed who did not invite his fate.
How many there were killed will nevcr
be accurately known. Their friends and
families concealed the deaths and the
wounds for fear of implication n some
way of the offences committed. As the
afternoon wore on, 1T became apparent
that the city needed organized pTotec-
tion. and the local military took posses
sion of the disturbed district. Addi-
tional military was ordered TO the city.
The Colts automatic rapid-iire gun,
mounted in a wagon, guarded by tiglr
picked men, moved from point to point
in the city, but the grim menace of its
presence was enough. 1t was not used.
The captain, W. X. Kenan, sat by the
driver calm and composed, and his very
quietness gave all who saw him conf
dence in his ability to meet any emer-
gency. As night approached, the situa-
tion grew more tense. Armed bodies of
men were demanding the lives Of those
who were responsible for the lack Of gov
eminent which had produced such Cados
Not leader Of the negroes could be
found The mayor finally made his APP
pearance, begging with tears in his eyes
to be allowed to resign, but was told he
could not so escape the responsibility
Of the situation. The chief of police,
stupid with fear, remained in the city
hall. and no one had seen a police off
Ger anywhere.
Where were the negroes? Deserted
by their leaders, they were shivering
in their homes, begging for protection, or
had fled headlong by thousands to the
woods. The king had come to his own
again. THE SECOND LESSON HAD
BEEN TAUGHT.
".
With a city government paralyZed by
fear, incapable of controlling the situa
tiOn, with no police force, the city in
the possession of three thousand armed
men, who, though behaving themselves
with moderation, were imbued with il
feeling of resentment for many a long
remembered insult, the time had come
for the exercise of the ability of the
white man to rule himself. The mem
bers of the board of aldermen were al
bowed to resign, and as each one did so
his successor was elected. In few
moments the whole board was white.
The disgraced mayor and chief of po-
lice, insensible to disgrace, gave up their
places. and Wilmington was redeemed.
Two hours more and a dozen lynchings
would have occurred. Bands of incens-
ed men We're hooking for obnoxious
whites and negroes, and were only stop
ped in their mad search when told thar
their own government was In power,
and should be respected They were
told that the time had come TO seaport
the law and obey constituted authori-
ty. The reign of order had begun. De
tails were made to escort the trembling
laborers home The negroes who start
ed to assemble when the first difficulty
took place, and were ordered back to
work with the assurance that with obe-
dience they would be protected. We're
given that protection. The same armed
men, who were prepared to shoot them,
had a race conflict reached any proper
tions, escorted them safely to their
dwellings,.
Wilmington was redeemed. Waddell,
the leader of a revolution In the morn
ing, was Waddell, the governor of re-
generated city before the sun went
down. IncOmpetency, incapacity, lack
of will and power to rule, disorder con-
segment upon weak government. had
fled--in their place stood the strong
mind of a man, knowing the law and
competent to administer it, while back
of him stood the self-controlled white
man. willing to be ruled by proper au-
thority. The new government took Inn
mediate steps to make its power felt.
Police officers We're sworn in. The old
administration, with strenuous effort,
secured fifteen to serve on election day
under pay-the new one had three hun
dred sworn in withOt udelay with Serv-
ices free. 1t was the difference be-
tween contempt andO confidence. Al
most the first act of the new admins
tration was to protect the frightened
wretches i'm Jail against a lynching party.
The new mayor demanded obedience to
constituted authority, The men, realiz-
ing that it was their own government,
yielded the obedience. THE CRISIS
WAS PAST. The next day, the re-
quest that all citizens leave their guns
at home, and resume their usual avoca-
tions, was complied with. A few rep
rebates were afforded, at their own re-
quest, protection to outgoing trains.
Men were sent to the surrounding woods
to persuade the thousands OF negroes,
deserted by their leaders by whom they
had been deluded into believing that
they could cope with the white man, to
return to their homes. Negroes who had
declared it their purpose to wash their
hands in the white mans blood were on