The semi-weekly messenger. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1897-1908, 1903-02-13
An INDIAyOLA MAN IN TOWN.
Condition of Affairs Horribly Dis
Threatened

torted-Minnie Cox Was Never
Threatened.
Among the names noticed on the
Buford Hotel register by an alert Cb-
server reporter. yesterday, was wv. r.
Rogers, Indianola, Miss" Mr.. Rogers
had scarcely found the bearings Of his
room when there was a tap on his door.
Come in" he said, and an Obs er e.
man was shaking hands with him il
less tina three seconds.
Mr.. Rogers is doing business in the
south for the Liddell Company, CT
Charlotte, and that fact brought him
closer to the reporter. In answer to al
inquiry he said that he left Indianoh
on Monday, and business was going
or there as usual"
THE whole business has been mis-
represented from the start" said Nj.
Rogers, land the misrepresentation
begun with the first official teleg an
which was sent to Washington. Not
only was the first message distorted.
but ever since it has been an impossi-
hility TO get the rea, facts in the case
before the country. It is true. as has
DcS1 state III Xix ~ > lSpOI . liza
no threats had been made against MY
| ME Cox. the postmaster, but that she
| resigned voluntarily and of her owl
| free will after a consultation with thu
leading people of Indianola that datel
as far back as last October. She re-
allied that conditions in her town were
coming to a crisis on account of the
bad conduct Of the negro population Cf
the town. and wrote a letter to the
D~Ostoffi re department explaining the
| situation. She wanted to resign in Oc-
tOber. but said that it would be better
for the business interests concerned. f
| carry on the work to January 1. and
then turn over the office to her success
sOr.
I'VE have begged the ]postofice de-
| Dartment." said Mr.. Rogers. "to send
inspectors to ~Indianola. and have given
written guarantees that We will aid in
! the arrest of any man who has ever
made a threat against Minnie Cox.
but. as I ave said. the beginning
| Of the trouble was not in the postofica.
! Minnie Cox held forth in a little back
| room of n store. Her office was about
10 by Il feet. She was courteous
| enough. but at all hour her little pen
was crowded with loafng negroes. A
white woman who had business there.
either to call for mail. or post a letter.
had to elbow her way through a crowd
Of loafing negroes. She would he e.
bowed and pushed about and subjected
to nnspeakable indignities and going
home, would relate her experiences TO
her husband. It followed that In the
course of time the white people rose UT
against such a state of affairs. Mimi
/ Gov uac NOT U-oitpH J,nnn nv n commit,
tee, out several citizens talked the mat
ter over with her, and she agreed that
i'll the interests of the community It
would he best for her to give uo the
postoffice
1t has been stated in the press re-
ports,' said Mr.. Rogers, that there is
nothing against the character Of the
woman and this is strictly true. The
trouble was not about her conduct of
the postoffice. The negro population of
Indianola is the bottom OF II all.
1.-THE first trouble began m the store
Of q Cheap john who employed a
white girl as a st%enograpner and clerk,
and a negro man as a porter. This
Cheap John finally made the porter a
clerk and a few days afterward he
grossly insulted the young lady. That
was the first act that inflamed the
white people Of Indianola. On the heals
| OIL CnlS came the outrage Oh d llSSIO
doctor, and h the white residents Of
the town found it necessary to take
some action in self defense. It was at
this ju%ncture that the consultation was
held with Minnie Cox. She was con-
Versant with the situation and took the
sensible view. But the whole matter,
rs I have said, has been distorted. If
President Roosevelt would listen to
Minnie Cox herself, he would have
a clearer idea of the real conditions OF
~Indianola."
rs the town suffering commercially
by the closing of the postoffice?" Mr.
Rogers was asked.
mot much" he replied. 1--WE get our
mail from Hartman, a postoffce only
5 miles distant. When the Indianoia
, postofice was in operation. we got fouI
mails a day. Now we get two, but we
are satisfied with that. The mayor OF
Indianola owns a livery stable. H ITO
posed to supply n team TO operate he
, tween Hartman and Indaanola twice :
day, free, if the citizens would pay fol
; a driver. He furnished a pair of whit
? horses and the citizens paid for a white
t driver. The mail IS brought from Hart.
man to ~Indianola twice a day. The
citizens of the town fixed UP boxes ir
: the county court house n rut q white
lady. Mrs. Halstead, in charge. She Is
now the postmaster in Indianola, AMI i:
/, dong the business OF the Town, tnOuSf
! she has no commission from the gov.
eminent.
l Making any kick about existing
5 conditions," exclaimed Mr.. Rogers
! Not a bit of it. We are perfectly vel
satisfied the way things are going. w
get our mail regularly. but n little bir
later han on the previous schedule &nc
= it is handed out to US by a white wo'
man."
:, How much does the special service
cost the town?' he was asked.
1T costs us on an average OF abnu
BIS a month. This money Is made VI
4 by the white people OF the town anf
: they are wiling to pay it as long a:
= Roosevelt is able to stand it."
What about the report in this morn
ing's special from Washington to Tn,
Observer that the negroes are suffer
ing on account Of not being able to ge
their mails from Greenville?' Mr.