Iowa state bystander. [volume] (Des Moines, Iowa) 1894-1916, 1901-01-04
"a WHITE WOMAN'S LOVER"
Eliza Booker Tells Colored Brethren
Wherein He Erred.

IN Dcna1 OF tne young coioicn
men whom | leave in the world-for
| consider that | am going out of it
I warn them to not fall in love with
white women" Thus spoke Eliza
colored, to Courier repre-
at the county Jail today.
He was sentenced yesterday by Dis
trict Judge Eichelberger to serve
twenty years in the pententiary at
Fort Madison.
Talking further on the subject,
Booker said: II hope that the young
coIored men who have read of this
trial have noticed the amount of pre- j.
udice against the colored race that
was shown, and | also hope that they
will always remember that ignorance
and prejudice are two things that 60
together side by side in life for the
colored man.
II have got twenty years, and if
anyone should ask the question, what
for / would answer that it was for
no other purpose than beng the
lover of a white woman. | am as III
nocent of the crime of which | stand
accused as any man who walks the
streets of Ottumwa or any other city
of the land:
ROSS johnson took it upon himself
to have me arrested to get me out Of
his road; this is the only reason L
have been arrested.
Mrs. Hoevel never made any cries
or at any time ordered anyone to
have me arrested, but under the cir
cumstances there was nothing better
for her to do after being caught in
the act. by the little girl, than to try
to prove to those living in the COM
munity in which she expected to
make her home that she was not
guilty Of being loved by negro. The
facts in this case have never yet been
told and perhaps they never will be.
But the just God who knows all
things Will bring it around in some
way, which will perhaps be after T am
dead and gone, though I have been
sent to the pen an innocent man.
II was born on the Wilkes stock
farm in Kentucky, and AL my life
has been spent on the great race
courses of the United States and 9TH
er countries. | have worked for a.
S. .Trude, F. J. Berry, A. S. Cooper,
Neugass & Tishnor, all of Chicago,
all of whom will join in statement
hat my life has been one of upright
ness, and that never before was l ar
rested for any crime or any alleged
crime. There is not a mark against
me in any state of the union.
II want to say this is a horrible
thing-to be sent up for twenty
years; just at time when I am able
to do some good in the world and to
be of some good to my race, and [
want to warn all my brethren that it
is for nothing else than being whit.
woman's lover. ."-Ottumwa Courier.
THE NEW MOVEMENT TO AFRICA.
Fort Grant, Arizona, Dec. Co.
Agents wanted in every part of the
| United States, Canada, South Ameri-
ca and islands of the sea where col
ored people inhabit to organize the
colored race who love their liberty
and children into civil and military
organizations for the purpose Of go
ing to the continent of Africa to
build up government of thrlr own
among the wild natives. Those in the
United States are first to move, but
as the new government is to be
framed here in many of it's deparL-
ments, and council of wise men of
the race elected at convention
which is to be called some time in
1901. We request that the wise men
of the race in foreign cour tries he
duly notified to come or send through
others their views on the move and
organizing of Ethiopia the Second.
Organizing agents NAV be black OF
white, male or female, but all must
take the oath to do right and just by
the people.
', Send stamps for reply and addres!
all communications to d. Il. Thomas
+ Fort Grant, Arizona, U. S. A.