The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-12
In it Mr.. DanieI is Advised to
Leave Henderson.
NEGRO BRUCE IS DEAD
Policeman Robertson's Funeral in Henderson
Yesterday -3ruce's Body Kept Here
all Day by Advice From
Henderson.

A report came to the News and OBJ
server from Henderson yesterday even
ing to the effect that committee of
citizens had waited upon Mr.. Daniel, OF
the hardware firm of Daniel & Co, who
employed James Bruce in the store and
notified him that it would be better for
all parties concerned for him to leave
town.
The reason assigned for this action on
the part of the committee was that there
had been stories of great Indignation on
the part of citizens of Henderson be-
cause of certain alleged conduct of Mr..
Daniel in his treatment OF Bruce that
would tend to put false notions of equality
with whites into his head. According
to these reports, it is alleged by some
citizens of Henderson that Mr.. Daniels
actions and line of conduct toward Bruce
were in a large measure responsible for
the young negros undertaking to thrust
himself among white people, and at
tempting to pass off a white man.
A News and Observer reporter last
night called up Henderson over the
phone and asked responsible parties
there if there was any truth in the story
! that Mr.. Daniel had been called upon by
committee and requested to leave town.
The reply was that there was not
word of truth in that report; but that
Mr.. Daniel had received an anonymous
letter saying that it would be to his in
terest to leave the town, and containing
an implied threat of violence in case he
remained
The negro James Bruce, who killed
Policeman j. w. Robertson in Henderson
| on Thursday night, died in Rex Hospital
yesterday morning at about 4 o'clock.
and the body was taken to Henderson this
| morning on the 40 train.
His brother and other relatives who
were here had the body prepared for
burial by Undertaken John Brown, with
the intention of taking it back to Hen
derson on the morning train leaving here
at 11:15
SO the casket with the remains was
taken to the Union Station ABOUT 10:30
O'Clock. The train was late, and in the
meantime a message had come from
Henderson that changed the plans of
Bruce's relatives.
DR.. Hartwell Bass, of Henderson, tele-
phoned to DR.. Hubert Royster here say
ing that he had been authorized by the
Henderson police to request that Bruee's
body be not sent to Henderson on yes
terday as there were large crowds of
people on the streets, and the arrival of
\ the body might precipitate a riot, as no
doubt there would be a large crowd of
Bruce's friends to meet the body.
DR.. Royster went to Chief of Police
Mullins and told him of the message he
had received. Chief Mullins said that
he was powerless to prevent the removal
of the remains BY this time it was
nearly II o'clock, and DR.. Royster hur-
Iied to the station to try and persuade
Bruces people not to take the body by
that train. In the meantime Mr.. Brown
had also heard of the news from Hen
derson and had sent to the station.
They were just in time before the train
left, and had no difficulty in showing
the brother that it would be dangerous
to carry the remains by that train.
The body was taken back to Mr..
Browns undertaking establishment
where it was embalmed and kept until
the 1920 train this morning.
There were rumors on the street yes
terday that a riot was going on in Hen
derson, but investigation showed these
stories to be entirely without foundation.
The rumor no doubt had it's origin in the
telephone message to DR.. Royster. which
became distorted as it passed from
mouth to mouth, as such stories will.