The Lafayette gazette. [volume] (Lafayette, La.) 1893-1921, 1901-08-24

bad Nis9er with a Gun"
Washington Post.
The more or less Hon. r. Thomas
Fortune, negr" lea Ter according tn
his own account, ough, t. Ire graft
fed by perusal of the following
special dispatch to the New York
World:
Boston, Aug. Is.-Alfred Wheeler, a
young colored man, of nowhere in particu-
lar, pleaded guilty to-day to assaul,ng
! several members of the crew of the Saga
dahoc, one of the Kennebec line of steamers.
| on the high seas last night, shortly after the
steamer had left Popham Beach for Boston.
"Before Commissioner Fiske, in the
United States Court, he was ordered to
recognize in $500 for the United States
grand jury.
.'Wheeler was brought into court heavily
manacled. He was in irons on the boat all
last night. where he ran amuck shortly after
the boats departure for Boston.
''For half an hour the negro held the
crew and the one hundred passengers at bay
by threatening to shoot If they attempted to
modest him, and with revolver in one
hand and chair in the other he held
disputed sway on the vessel. He sub
dued after a vigorous resistance.
ssThat desperate struggle resulted before
Wheeler was conquered evident in
court to-day. His face and head were
badly bruised. Wheeler in his behalf add
mitted assaulting the officers and threaten
ing Others when they endeavored to punish
him. He admitted he had been drinking,
but denied that he had a revolver. He said
that the officers refused to serve him, that
he became indignant, but acted in self
Defense
Only few days ago this negro
prophet, Fortune, delivered himself
of an exalted and altruistic utter
ance on behalf Of his race, in the
tired of hearing about good niggers
that what he wanted was to see
tbad niggers with guns in their
hands," OF course, Mr.. Fortune
did not propose, in his own person,
to play the part he 50 ardently
urged upon others.
Fortune has scores of imita,ors
here, and elsewhere north Of the
Potomac, who delight in giving
homicldal advice through the news
papers or from the rostrum, but
who never dream of gong South
themselves to lead their down trod-
den people to victory and VEN
geance. Cleaning cuspidors around
in the departments or running err
rands for petty government officials
is far more to their fancy than the
field of battle, but they can throw
the firebrand from safe distance,
all the same, and the fate Of the
fools who take their advice does
not concern them in the least.
We rather think, however, that
Mr.. Alfred Wheeler is one of the
Hon. Fortunes latest disciples. At
least, he has done what the prophet
advocated. He is to be congratu-
lated upon his choice of an arena in
which to illustrate the Fortune
gospel. Had he drawn his gun and
threatened the lives of hundred
people on Southern steamboat,
he would now be the subject of
coroner's sollcitude. The Southern
idea is to dispose of the intending
criminal before he harms any one,
rather than let him kill two or three
innocent persons and exploit the
majesty Of the law after the funerals.
Mr.. Alfred Wheeler, therefore, has
our Fluctuations on his fine instinct
IN the matter of latitude. He has
not been quite as discreet as Mr.
Fortune and other negro orators of
that class, for he has dared to
practice what they only preach, but
he initiates their wisdom in keeping
on the safe side Of the line.
AS we have already said, Mr.. For
tune has every reason to be proud
of this fruit of his pious exhorta-
ton. To be sure, Mr.. Alfred
Wheeler is in Jail, badly bruised and
dislocated; but the prophet CONT
nues to dwell in security and COM
fort, retaining unimpaired his facul-
ties and energies for the prosecu-
ton of the noble work to which he