The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1900-05-18

The negro in localities are giving
negroes mobbed the police on the night
of the 18th. A riot occurred, many
shots were fired, officers were beSeig-
ed in the theatre. 1t grew out of the
shooting of a negro, James Epes, while
resisting arrest. The theatre was
stormed with bullets and missiles. The
brave chief of police, single-handed,
restored order.
A negro named Hairston, made a
criminal assault upon a young white
woman in Henry county, Va. He is in
Jail at Martinsville and four military
companies are guarding him by order
Of the governor to prevent lynching.
The people are burning to get hold of
the brute.
At Sandstone, West Virginia, a negro
named Henry Lee. from Reidsville, n.
c., attempted an assault upon Mrs. H.
H. Diefenback, the operator for the
Chesapeake and Ohio railroad. He was
placed in Jail at Hinton. An angry mob
took him from the authorities and
riddled his body with SEQ shots. The
officers are blameless for they tried
to save him..
At Goldsboro a negro named Tom
Smith was in danger of lynching, so
he was sent to Raleigh by Judge Hoke
for safe keeping. He murdered a
young white man named Charles Cav
thorne.
Near Fayetteville, at the village of
Hope Mills, a white villain attempted
an assault upon Mrs. Driver, wife of
the superintendent of Cumberlar:d
mills. Her screams saved her. The viii
lain had two revolvers and escaped to
h swamp. Where are the blood
hounds?
At Augusta, Ga, a negro shot and
killed instantly, young Alex. Whitney.
He was taken from the train and was
lynched. All this crime happened near
ly IN the same day.
This, and a great deal more like it,
h a is happening every day or two
in the south. suggests what ]. T.
Graves, Of Georgia, said the other day
at the Montgomery Peace Conference.
After Mr.. A. C. King and ex-Minister
Breckenridge had spoken on mob vio-
lence and the crime of rape which
caused the lynchings. Mr.. Graves
stepped to the front and said:
Il am a southern man and you are
southern men. None of us justify
%lynching under any circumstances, but
I want this message to go to the north
ern press and people, hat When they
are making tremendous sensations up
their over what they call lynch law
in the south, let them remember there
is behind every lynching a crime that
for brutality and horror and helm
eouSneSS h world nor the brute knows
no equal. I oppose lynchings, but let
the black man respect the virtue of our
southern homes or he will meet the
vengeance of an outraged people"
Mr.. James A. Hollomon, the excel
lent correspondent of The Atlanta
Journal, in a backward glance" at
the occurrences in the convention, says
this of Graves's ringing words:
THE audience shouted its approval
of every sentence and in anticipation
OF the sentiment Colonel Graves's clos
ing words Were almost lost IN the storm
of applause.
After all the sentiment in Alabama
as displayed at Montgomery during
h sessions Of this conference is over
whelmingly in favor of the disfran-
chiSement of the negro. The state will
in all probability hold a constitutional
convention next yea and for the one
specific purpose of bringing about this
result. Senator Morgan favors it,
Tho 6lnhinn IF tho Cnof of Ca-~-o--