Hattiesburg daily progress. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 18??-1909, 1903-03-04
THE PAPERS
IN lNDIAN0LA CASE SENT TO HOUSE BY
POSTMASTER GENERAL.
The Department Kept Informed of
Events by A. B. Weeks, Who
Wanted the Office.

"
to the house all the papers In the
case Of the Indianola (Miss.) post
Office case, which was discontinued
by the administration because of the
forced abandonment of the office by
Its negro postmistress, Mrs. Minnie
Cox. The correspondence shows
that A. B. Weeks, brother-in-law
of Mayor Davis, of Indianola, began
his candidacy for the postoffice
against the negro incumbent as far
back as April 7, 1902, when he began
sending long series of letters and
kilograms to the department. The
papers include an extract from a
letter Of postoffice dated February
Is. 1908, narating a conversation
which, 1t says, took place at Biloxi,
Miss. In this letter Mayor Davis, of
Indianola, is quoted as saying that If
Mrs. Cox should again take charge
OF the Indianola postoffice "she
would get her neck broken inside Of
two hours" On January last John
G. Dougherty, United States special
attorney at New Orleans, telegraphed
to assistant General Pradt at WASH
tngton that "there are numerous me-
gro county and municipal officers
serving under democratic admins
trations throughout the southern
states.''
Mayor Davis, of Indianola. wrote
the fourth assistant postmaster gen.
eral on January 8 last requesting
copies of all letters written the de-
partment regarding the postoffice,
and said that the postmaster was re-
quested by all of the citizens to re-
sign; that no threats were made;
That she was perfectly willing to
give up the Office. Fourth Assistant
Postmaster General Brlstow de-
clined to furnish the copies of letters.
The correspondence shows that A.
B. Weeks wrote the department
several letters during last April, IN
which he requested that he be ap-
pointed at once, and In letter dated
May 30, 1902, he said that he was
anxious to get the appointment, sup
plementing this on July with a
letter urging his own appointment,
giving reasons why 1t should be
made. On September 10 he wrote
the fourth assistant postmaster gen.
eral that there was determined
effort Of the people to make the post
master resign or give up the office IN
same way because she was colored,
and requested tnat his application
be remembered. On October 8
Weeks wrote the president that he
had the assurance of Mrs. Cox, the
postmaster, that ''she will forward
her resignation In the next few
days." and pressing his own applica-
tion on the ground that be was the
only white republican at Indianola
On December l3 he wrote the presi-
dent that he would be glad to come
to Washington so that it could be
seen how competent he is.
Six days later he wrote that he
was the only good friend the admin.
istration had among the white peo-
pie of Indianola, and later he for
warded q petition of colored citizens
Of Indianola, and vicinity in behal
OF his appointment. On January
he wrote the president that the post
master had abandoned the Office
pressed his claims for the appoint
ment and said he would be glad t.
have the president wire him to quail
ify. Later, he wrote the presiden
twice, asking that the postofficc b
re-established, saying that Mrs Co,
would not take charge of the offic
again and urging his own appoint
ment.
The papers also show that severa
other candidates, notably, Joh'
sharkey Montgomery, Mrs. B. {
Watts, Miss Mary Hicks Hogin an
Mrs Lillian Green, applied for tn
Office in October on the understand
ing that Mrs. Cox rendered or wa
about to tender her resignation
postoffice Inspector Johnson, q
New Orleans, wrote the departmer
on December Is that Indianola wa
the county seat of Sunfiower count
and that the postal laws and regult
tions contemplate that each cou
house and county seat should
supplied with mail. Postoffice Il
spector Fitzgerald on December
submitted detailed report relatlN
20 the circumstances which cause
the people of Indlanola to order Y
W. Cox, railway postal clerk, ar
two other persons TO leave that plac
presumably on account OF their colo
Senator McLaurin Of Mississip