The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-08-31
He TURNS ON LIGHT
Col. Worthington In New
thgland Defends N C.
Gives The People Truths About Lynchngs In
Reply to Many SIanderous Statements
Sent Broadcast.

Story, and a reply from Col d. Worth
ington, who is now visiting in New
Hampshire. Judge Story has visited
North Carolina and his interest in open
ing Northern eyes to the truths about
the South is appreciated. Colonel
Worthington, an honored son of the State,
speaks out with no uncertain sound in
replying to slanderous statements made
concerning North Carolina.
The letters are as follows:
To the Editor of The Herald:
] came here on little vacation, and
return to Boston in about two weeks.
1 read the Herald's report of the hear
ing on the matter of Munroe Rogers,
also the editorial in yesterdays issue
touching the position of Governor Crane,
ETC., which l regard a judicious comment.
1 have met here Colonel Worthington
Of Wilson, N. c., one of the very promi-
nent lawyers in that State, whom l have
known some nine years.
some of the remarks of those opposed
to surrendering up Munroe Rogers on
Governor Aycock's requisition, were such
severe arraignment of the citizens of
North Carolina generally that / asked
Col. Worthington if the allegations were
warranted by facts. He replied in writ
ing, and his letter is Enclosed. 1t
strengthens the position Of your .edi
toriaI
Col. Worthington is as well known in
North Carolina as any one there. and
his life has been interviewer in the af-
fairs of that State from the beginning
of the Civil War to the present time.
AS these structures on that State and
its people have been sent broadcast
through the press, l believe it kinw
and just act if you will publish his let
ter and let some light in on the true
facts.
Any statements Col. Worthington
would be willing to make are worthy of
fullest confidence. l don't think any
citizen of North Carolina can speak with
fuller knowledge than he.
| have been a citizen of Boston some
90 odd years, and identified with its
government officially, and regret to have
the people of North Carolina or of any
other State get the impression that those
severe statements represent the real
sentiment of our city or Stat
JOSEPH STORY.
Hanover n. H., Aug. %, 1902.
Hanover, n. H., Aug. %, 1902.
The Hon. Joseph Story Boston, Mass:
My Dear Sir: You have asked me, as a
native North Carolinian, and one who is
presumed to have some knowledge of the
conditions, social and political, that OBJ
tain i nthat State. IF the allegations
made by one Rev. Scott in Boston few
days ago, in the course of an inquiry
into the matter of the arrest of one
Munroe Rogers and his return to the
proper authority upon the requisition OF
the Governor of that State, are sustained
by these facts" These allegations are
follows: There have been 100 lynch
ings in Wilmington $50 per cent. of the
white people of North Carolina only want
an opportunity to lynch a negro for any
alleged crime
This malicious statement makes the
hand of every minister of the gospel red
handed with murder, and himself the
apostle of the devil. 1t changes the
civilization of the South into an insti-
tuition of savage cruelty. There is not
the suggestion of truth in either allie
cation. In the fall of 1898. in conse-
quence of incendiary publications in a
negro newspaper edited by one Scott in
Wilmington, n. c., who | presume is
the man referred to as the orator upon
this occasion in Boston a race riot was
precipitated upon that city, resulting in
bloodshed. After the disorder was
quelled, the negro editor, with his white
colleagues, was driven out of the city
and State The mayor of that city, the
Hon. A. NJ. Waddell who had been for
many years a member of Congress- and
whom our people delighted to honor
whenever occasion offered described the
riot as unprecedented in violence and
Villany, and that the lives of every white
woman and child were in imminent peril
and at the mercy of the Infatuated me-
groes until strong hand was laid upon
the insurgents.
/ can say with absolute truth that
there has never been a lynching in the
city of Wilmington. My observations
are deducible from the following expert
ence: For 80 years and more | have been
actively engaged in the practice of law
in the courts of North Carolina Aside
from other public duties, | was for a
number of years District Attorney of
the Third Judicial District of the State,
which was composed of a number Of
wealthy and populous counties, situated
in what is provincially known as the
negro or black belt
While the dockets of the courts were
always congested. 90 per cent. of the
criminal class were negroes, a majority
of whom were improvdent and vicious
idlers, who had flocked to the towns and
cities to be fed by their wives and
daughters, who were in service as cooks.
In all cases of capital crimes it was
made the duty of the court to assign
TO the accused counsel learned in the
law" In inferior felonies and misde-
meanors the DistrictAttorney acted as
Grown counsel and saw that no njus-
tice was done the accused. In an ex-
perience in public life or nearly a quar-
ter century ! have never heard of but
six lynchings in North Carolina. One
of these was of a white man. and the
others we're for the abhorren crime of
race
The Governor of North Carolina. is
great hearted, wise and philanthropic.
He would pluck his tonge from his mouth
before he would suffer it to utter a false
hood. He knows when he gives the as
surance that the man Rogers shall be
protected in his rights of person. that