The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-08-26
DRU MINERS INDIGNANT
Say the Hotel Men Gave Special Pref
erence to the Negroes and Made a
Small Side Reading Room the
Place Where the Whites
Were Told They
Might Dine.

Ine Hamlet episode, IN winch boohef
Washington, the Tuskeegee negro educa-
tor, and a negro party returning from a
negro meeting at Knoxville, were served
with a meal n the regular dining room of
the hotel on Sunday has created great in
dignation.
The first reports sent out were that
the train was special one, and that
there Were no white people to be served
While the train stopped for the morn
ing meal at Hamlet. Tbe report is
vigorously denied and the latest accounts
on SO, were offered an improvised dining
room to take their meal in.
The train on which Washington and
the other negroes reached Hamlet came
from Atlanta and was about four hours
late. Passengers on the train say that
Booker wired ahead for breakfast for
twenty-seven, this being the number of
negroes who wanted breakfast. Arriving
in Hamlet it was found that for the white
passengers on the train the little writ
ing room had been fixed UP and that the
main dining room, lately vacated by
white ladies and gentlemen was prepared
Tor the negroes.
At Hamlet Booker and thirty-sey en- other
negroes, including four or five negro wo-
men, marched through the hotel Office into
the main dining room, being ushered there,
while the whites who came the same
train were piloted to the writing room
for their breakfast all entering the hotel
across the same piazza leading into it. It
&c alun bat of ho
did not remove their hats til they were
in the room.
Writing of this occurrence a prominent
citizen of the State, who was Oh the spot,
says 1.-The colCr line was not only drawn
but the white man was actually discrim-
mated against the preference being given
to President Roosevelt's quondam guest,
Booker being given dead head" meal,
and the other negroes paying at the
regular desk, jast as did the white folks
as they passed out
Travelling men who have reached Raj
eigh since Sunday express the greatest in
dignation at the affair and pronounce 1t
as a most outrageous one. 1t is said
that one of these told the hotel proprie-
tors that they would suffer from the in
cident, and in return was told by one
of the proprietors that he did not care if
he did.
Some travelling men who were at the
hctel declined to stay at place where
negroes were fed in the main dining room,
heretofore supposed TO be for the white
people. Some took conveyances and drove
to Rockingham, while all who speak of
the affair do so with expressions of dis
gust. One prominent citizen of the State
while in Raleigh yesterday said that if
he had been there he would willingly
have assisted in throwing the negroes out
of the hotel.
UNITED STATES SENATOR DISGUSTED
While the Booker Washington negro
crowd was in the dining room being
foasted United States Senator A. O.. Ba
con, of Georgia, and party of prominent
Atlanta people went without their break
fast at Hamlet Sunday morning, declining
to use the small table IL the side reading
room where few plates were spread and
scant preparation made.
Senator Bacon was on his way to Will
mington and just before the train which
left Atlanta Saturday night reached Ham
lie. gave his order for Breakfast at Hamlet
to a man who went through the coach
taking orders from the white people.
When Hamlet was reached Senator Ba
con and the whites alighted and walked
lesurely to the dining room, which they
found to their astonishment was occu-
pied exclusively by Booker and his friends.
The Senator and others of the late par
ty were invited to be seated IN the little
side room which had been temporarily
improvised. A few, it is said, consented,
Lut the others preferred to leave then
appetltes unsatistied, and the Atlanta
party. with Senator Bacon walked up and
down the tracks, nursing their hunger
and their wrath at the disgraceful affair.
During the meal, II is reported that a
number 81 the local negroes of Hamlet
gathered around the windows of the din
ing room and watched with much delight
the movements of Washington and his
friends as they ate the dainty morsels
that had been prepared for them. When
the negroes had finished their meal they
walked out, seated themselves, lighted
cigars and cigarettes, and waited for the
train to depart.
INDIGNATION AROUSED.
The news that comes from Wilmington