The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1899-04-14

die until a police officer arrived, and
that although the offenSe was punish
| able by death and not bailable, he was
taken to the city hall and there let off
on his own recognizance or straw
bail. I have now forgotten now which,
and the negro escaped; that murders
and crimes of all were OF
constant occurrence; that within a year
about six murders had k place in
the county; that the negroes showed
an utter d~isrespect for and defiance OF
the law; that the city authorities in the
exercise of their discretion upon sani-
tary matters a located a hospital
for infectious diseases on the outskirts
of the town, and the negroes, armed
with guns, pistols and other
j went out and attacked and burnt ii
down, and the the mayor and police
men, although demonstrating, were
! powerlesS to resist it; that in the trial
OF causes in the court house that il
was impossible to convict a negro or
: crime where a question OF credibility
arose between white witnesses and ne
gro witnesses; that the juries compos-
ed partially Of whites and partially OF
blacks would retire and a hung jury,
with the result the negroes always vot-
ing solidly in the jury box in favor OF
the acQuittal of the negro, if a negro
was on trial. 1 recollect especially re-
citing an instance of my own expert
ence, where 1 told them that I defend
ed Mr.. Hamme, a very gallant and
reputable citizen, a hat merchant OF
this city, who was assaulted In broad
daylight in his store by Richard
Holmes, a negro policeman, and struck
between the eyes with a pair of brass
knuckles and fell senseless to the floor,
and that on three trials, although the
defendant himself, Holmes, did not
take the stand; the jury, although the
evidence was uncontradicted, failed 10
agree a single one of the three times,
standing the first time nine whites for
conviction and three negroes for ac-
quittal. the second trial, taking place
at the next term of the court, all the
white men on the jury stood for con-
viction and the negroes on the jury for
acquitted on the third trial, which
took place at a subsequent term, 1t like
wise stood eight or nine, I have forgot
ten the number, whites for conviction
and three or four negroes for acquittal,
according to the number of negroes on
the jury, and that finally the fusion
solicitor, although I myself was asso-
ciated in the pros ecutiOn, mol pressed
the case without even consulting me;
that day after day white ladies walked
the streets of the city and were insult
ed, and one instance a reputable young
lady going to the cemetery was hOVed
from the sidewalk by a negro woman
and struck over the head with an UNI
brella; that the daughter of one of the
ablost divines of the city was brusQue-
ly huIled up against the fence and
bruised by a negro on the streets in
the broad daytime; that indecent re-
marks were made to ladies walking the
streets by negroes, and complaint at
ter complaint being made to the city
authorities, which were the OneS l have
before related to you, they found them
selves unable to repress it; that prop
erty, life and good order were not safe
in the town; that the city authorities
were totally inefficient to secure it;
that the Chamber of Commercial rep
fr~esentative business body of the city,
presided over by a republican, passed
resolutions stating that citp authorities
were unable to secure law and order
substantially and calling upon our
people as a matter of business n
Self-preServatiOn, without regard to
politics to change the existing order
of affairs. That ir consequence of this
decentralization, that 1 nave been in
formed that the white people of the
city had ordered several thousand VIM
chester rifles to protect the lives, the
property and the welfare of the peo-
pie, and that I deplored any conflict,
and that 1 hoped none would come, but
if it did come, and a race riot ensued,
that a very fatal result would come to
the negroes. 1 did not state i'm that
speech, or in any speech made in the
campaign, that the whites were going
~ "a IiO CiSSIlOLl ~ WV ~ tAo0N1
or any illegal means, and if l had
thought so, l say most positively, that
l would not have cOuntenanced it, and
1 would have advised against it; and
/ say further, that as far as my knoWl-
edge, information and belief extends,
there was no such purpose on the part
Of the democratic party or the white
people to carry the election by force or
fraud, but there was a determination
by every legal and peaceable and ener-
getic means, such as argument and the
like, would prompt as a matter of self
preservation to our people to hurl from
power the fuSiOniStS then in control and
restore peace, law, order and good gov
eminent to our distracted state. / will
state further, that having made none
Of these statements in that speech, and
substantially the same thing in many
others that l delivered during the cam
paign, that the statements made are a
true statement of the condition of af-
fairs as they existed in Wilmington.
and if 1 have failed in the statement,
it was not stating other and greater
wrongs which actually occurred and
which I forgot to mention.
Mr.. Bellamy was examined as to the
tabulated statement of the election re-
turns oftrlis county, as given in the
testimony of Colonel John D. Taylor,
clerk of the superior court. Mr.. Bella
my testified that there was a mistake
in footing of columns in the tabulated
statement. The total should have been
1875 votes less, a mere arithmatical cal
cu1ation.
On the cross-examination by Colonel
Dockery's counsel, Mr.. Bellamy testi-
fed that during the campaign last fall
he made about 100 speeches in all of
the nine counties in the Sixth congress
sional district, with the exception OF
his native county, New Hanover, where
he did not deem it necessary to speak,
as he knew almost every voter in the
county personally. Being asked if the
testimony taken in Union county were
true in which Representative R. l.. Ste
vens stated that Mr.. Bellamy had made
a speech at Stout's, saying in effect
that he wouFd not be surprised if there
were 5000 Winchester rifles in Will
mington. and a clash was liable to come
at any time, which might result in the
death Of many, Mr.. Bellamy testified
that he did state in a speech that he
had been informed by drummers that
1 Such was the case in reference to the