The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-04-06

to increase his popularity and influence
in the coming election, and he at once
denounced CASTOR as the cause of the
assault, and urged the leader in secret
to retaliate by putting bullet through
his heart.
The white regiment had been mustered
out, and their guns in most cases had
been retained by the men. The negro
troops were to be mustered out the next
day.
Late in the afternoon CASTOR had re-
ceiyed information that a plot was on
foot to kill him that night, when a ne
gro mob would batter down his door on
the pretense of searching for the man
who had assaulted the trooper. The Col
onel of the regiment just disbanded,
heard it, and that night his men
bivouacked in the yard of the hotel and
slept on their guns.
A little after twelve o'clock a mob of
five hundred negroes attempted to force
their way into the hotel. They met
regiment of bayonets, broke and fed in
wild confusion.
This event was the last straw that
broke the cancels back. In the morning
paper a blazing notice in display capitals
covered the first page, calling a mass
meeting OF WnlJe clJlZCnS at noon IN
independence Hall.
At eleven o'clock the quaint old hall,
built in Revolutionary days to seat five
hundred people, was packed with a crowd
of eight hundred stern visaged men
standing so thick it was impossible to
pass through them.
CASTOR, whose ancestors had been lead
ers in the great Revolution, was called
IN he hot h
brief. fiery and to the point.
Within one hour they unanimously
adopted this resolution:
Resolved, That we issue a second
Declaration of independence from the
infamy of corrupt and degraded govern
, ment. The day of Negro domination over
the Anglo-Saxon race shall close, now
once and forever. The government of
North Carolina was established by a race
of pioneer white freemen for white men
and it shall remain in the hands of free
men.
1--WE demand the overthrow of the
criminal and semi barbarian regime
under which we now live, and to this
end serve notice on the present Mayor
of this city, it's Chief of Police, and its
six negro aldermen and their low white
associates that their designations are
expected by nine o'clock tomorrow morn
ing. We demand that the negro an
archst who edits a paper in this city
shall close his office, remove it's fixtures
and leave this county within twenty-four
hours"
A committee of twenty-five with Gas
ton as it's chairman, was appointed to
enforce these resolutions.
By four o'clock an army of two thous-
and white men was organized, and placed
under the command of the Rev. Duncan
Mcdonald, pastor of the First Presby-
terrain church of the city, who had been
brave young officer in the Confederate
army. Every minister in the county was
enrolled in this guard and carried a
musket on picket duty, or in a reserve
camp that night.
At six o'clock CASTOR summoned thity-
five of the more prominent negroes OF
t the county to meet the Committee of
twenty-five and Receive it's ultimatum.
Stern and hard Of face sat the twenty
five chosen representatives of that
world onquering race of men at one
, end of the room, while at the other end
, sat the thirty-five negroes anxious and
fearful, realizing that their day of
domination had ended
CASTOR rose and handed them a COPY
of the resolutions
! I'VE give you till 1880 tomorrow morn
ing as the leaders of your race to carry
: out these demands" he said gravely.
; But we have no authority, sir" re-
piled the negro preacher to whom he
handed the paper
, Your authority is equal to ours-the
authority of elemental manhood. If you
can not execute them in peace, we will
do it by force"
1--WE must decline such responsibility
unless"-the negro started to argue the
= question.
THE meeting stands adjourned"
2 quietly announced CASTOR, taking up his
hat and leaving the room, followed by
5 his committee.
| At 730 the next morning no answer
had been received. CASTOR called for
l seventy-fve volunteers to execute the
2 decrees
: Within thirty minutes five hundred men
5 swung irto line at eight o'clock. and
, marched four abreast to the office of
: the negro paper. 1t was promptly
burned to the ground, its editor paid its
: cash value, and he, with a rope around
: his neck, was escorted to the depot and
placed on a north bound train
, AS Castor handed him his ticket for
l Washington he quietly said to him:
I have saved your life this morning.
| If you value it, never put your foot on
the soil of this State again"
Thank you, sir. I'll not return"
| While this guard under strict mill
| tary discipline, was executing this de-
r cree, mob of thousand armed negroes
Econcealed themselves in a hedge-row
and fired on them from ambush, killinc,
, one man and wounding six CASTOR
: formed his men in line, returned the
: fire with deadly effect, charged the mob,
, put them to flight, driving them into the
! woods outside the city limits, and placed
! the town under informal but strict mar
tial law. By ten o'clock the resignation
of every city and county officer was i'm
his hand and the Mayor and Chief of
Police were at his feet begging for
mercy
He posted a notice over the county
/, warning every negro and white associate
that no further insolence or criminality
j