Virginian-pilot. (Norfolk, Va.) 1898-1911, 1900-08-08
NEWPORT NEWS.
AN EARLY TEST OF Jim CROW"
CAR Law,


| Newport News, Va, Aug. THE
first case to be tried under the 'Jim
Grow" law will be made in a few days.
1t will be remembered that late last
week Guard S. S. Baker, of the State
Penitentiary, came down to Hampton
to take back with him Sam Wright,
the young negro man who shot another
on account of some colored damsel at
Bay View" otherwise known as col
ored Buckroe." Wright was given n
term of three years for this felony.
Mr. Baker, about o'clock, handcuf-
fed the negro at the Jail here and
shortly after boarded the train at the
G. & O., which leaves Hampton ut $685.
He went into the white car and set
tied himself down for the ride. The
train was In charge of Conductor
James Il. Bailey. who after taking up
fares in the first coaches came in to
the coach with Mr.. Baker and his
handcuffed negro just back of him.
Guard Baker and Captain Bailey were
rsonal friends, and relations which
,.Ave always been congeniaI and pleas
ed by the following incident. in which
each officer acted conscientiously in
the discharge of the duty assigned him
as he saw 1t.
Conductor Bailey told Mr.. Baker that
he would have to take his prisoner
back into the colored coach and ride
with him there.
Mr.. Baker in reply said he would
not ride with the prisoner in the "Jim
Grow" car. and he did not think he
law was produced by the conductor
and he assigned Sam Wright the pris-
oner, to tho colored car. The guard.
however. refused to go, and Captain
Bailey was compelled to put him off
the rain at Newport News. where he
remained over night. The c. & o.
are going to make a test case of this.
and for that reason are going to bring
it into law.
The case, it is thought, will be tried
this week. They are confident that
under the law it is intended that the
negro prisoners. with their white
guard. shall ride in the colored
coaches They say that the whole in
negroes to occupy a separate compart-
ment, and that to permit them in other
coaches would be a violation of both
the letter and the spirit OF the law.
There is annexed to the law on this
subject the following enactment, which
the railroad company is confident COW
ers the case:
mo. S.-Be 1t further enacted, that
the provisions of this act shall not be
applied to employees on railroads. or
persons employed as nurses or officials
in charge of the prisoners"
Capt. Booker Jones, one of the most
prominent men in this section of Vir-
ginia. committed suicide yesterday
morning at 2 o'clock ut his home at
Hilton. this county, by shooting him
self through the brain. The ball en-
tered just above the right ear and
caused probably instant death.
About eighteen months ago. while
climbing over Il fence, Capt. Jones ac-
cidentally discharged a shotgun, which
blew off nearly all the lower portion of
his face. His recovery was deemed
marvellous. but he suffered greatly
from the injury. and was really dying
when he killed himself. He could not
have lived week longer. Intense
pain probably drove him to suicide.
He was seventy-three years of age.
a forty-niner. and during the war was
captain of the Old Dominion Dragons,
which went out from Hampton. He
was man of remarkable nerve.
YOUNG MAN BADLY HURT.
Mr.. Clay Crittenden. a young man
twenty-four years of age. who Is en-
ployed at the Shipyard, was the victim
about 1 o'clock this afternoon of q pc
culiar and very painful accident, which
may result in the loss of his limb.
This afternoon the young man was
experimenting with a piece of three
inch gas pipe. generating gas for n
picture reproducing machine which
1t Is presumed that some mistake was
made in the experiment and this
caused an explosion. The tube con-
| Meeting with the generator was larger
at one end than at the other. which
was very small.
Wher the explosion occurred this
| tube. very hot. was driven into MIR.
| Crittenden's left leg just below the
hip. 1t nearly penetrated the limb and
| produced agonizing pain and burned
| the flesh very badly.
The explosion set fire to the out
house. and the fire department was
summoned imediately. responding
| promptly.
Young Crittenden was taken to the
house. where DR.. ]. w. Aver dressed
the wound. 1t was necessary to cut
| the tube from the limb.
| The fire department arrived on the
scene in time to prevent the blaze
| spreading from the clubhouse. although
| the small building was almost entirely
| destroyed. But for the prompt arrival
of the firemen, the flames would I'M
doubtedly have spread to the resi-
| dence.
| Some complaint was heard about the
water pressure, which produced a very
| slight stream.
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