Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1900-08-15
CLARKECOURIER
WEDNESDAY,, AUG. 10, 1900.
Mob Law in New Orleans.

MLcIe ne spent last week and took
opportunities to observe the effect of
mob law and to learn the history of
the bloody page in the city's history.
Mr.. Bemiss reached New Orleans
yesterday week ago. The city was
being rapidly restored to order, and
there were few of its citizens who
feared fresh outbreak. The people
turned their attention to the heads of
the police department and began TO
ask who was responsible for the pow
erless attitude of the force when the
mob arose and started out to kill ne
groes, TO riot and to defy the law.
During his week in New Orleans,
Mr.. Bemiss pretty thoroughly learn
ed the ms and outs of the entire af-
fair, and being a friend of Mayor
Paul Capdeyielle, he had several in
teryiews which proved very interest
ing.
Il found, said Mr.. Bemiss, ''that
at the first uprising of the mob there
were many deeds Of violence and out
rage which could have been prevent
ed had the police force taken the
right stand. 1t was either because
the department did not realize the Sc
rious condition of affairs or because
several of the policemen had been
killed that the mob was not restrain
ed IN the beginning. AS it was the
mob got completely beyond the con-
troll Of the police and it was not until
the return TO the city of the Mayor,
who was away on sick leave, that any
thing like order was restored.
"Ihe Mayor dispensed with the
regular police and called on citizens
TO volunteer to serve as special police.
Two thousand volunteered and fifteen
hundred were put on duty. There
was not another case of violence after
they had been given their badges and
instructions.
The start of the trouble was the
attempt Of two policemen to arrest
the negro Charles, who was arrested
as suspicious character, but who
was not knoAn to the police. A wo-
man who had been beaten by the ne
gro had informed against him and
caused the warrant. While being
taken to the station one of the Off
GERS let go of Charles wrist for a
moment and was felled with a blow
from the negro. AS the prisoner
started to run he turned and fired a
shot, hitting the other officer.
"Then the search for Charles be-
gan. Two officers located him in a
house, and one of them was shot and
killed instantly, Charles escaping.
This made a mob of the crowd, and
1t was then the police should have
acted. There was no regular leader,
and the mob was not organized, but
was split up into parties which could
have been dispersed.
Charles was again located. Two
Of the best men on the police force
were sent after him. They searched
q house on Saratoga street. Charles
was hidden in closet there. One
Of the officers, Porteous, stopped to
TO take drink from a bucket, and
from the closet, Charles fired killing
the other, Lally. Then he killed
POeteous before he could wheel and
face him.
Charles ran to the second story
with negro named jackson, and
the two, with rifles kept the crowd
at bay. From the windows they
shot a number of people. The may
m. or1arad tbo+ tba boueo IL 90 g..
This was done but Charles succeeded
in digging through the wall to the
next house. He started downstairs
in this house with his rifle ready.
He was half choked with smoke and
almost blinded. One of the specials,
DIR. Noriet, was waiting for him, but
Charles got the first shot. For the
first time he missed his man and 6
bullet from the doctors rifle tore
through the negroes head, ending
his career"
at was afterwards found that
Charles was the agent for a Liber.
ian Colonization Society, and was
also connected with a New England
Association for the care and protect.
ion of negroes. A lot of inflamatory
posters and pamphlets were found in
one of his rooms, and these things
made the white people angry.
Through it all the mayor show.
ed himself equal to the situation, and
acquitted himself to the pride of bis
people. A lesson taught by the af
fair was that in times of trouble the
well-to-do honest American either
can be depended upon by his govern
ment for his support. The way they
respond IN New Orleans to the cal
of their mayor was very gratifying
and the good results they obtained
were beyond expectations. The
grand juries in the city are now af
ter the negroes who helped Charles
in his murderous work as we'll as tn,
members of the mob who we're re-
sponsible for the deaths of innocen