Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1905-01-27
TROUBLE IN
POCA. SCHOOLS
FRICTION Between Patrons and
Principal of Colored School.
Six Men Arrested

The old trouble sn the colored sehoots
:" roc@hontas. mention of which has
oeeh made from time TO time i'm theso col.
umns, eliminated last week I'm the ar,est
ana trial OF SIX of tho leading colored
men oi the town. The trIal took piaee
OH FRIDAY night before Justice Owens In
the Police Court. Barnes Gillesnte Y
l.. sexton aud w. F. Morris apneored ,or
the pi"intiffs and w. NJ. Minter for the
defendant negroes.
Justice Owens decided that n groo,,.
case was not made out and the negroes
were dismissed. The trial was one Of the
most sensational that has occurred I'm
i"c"ho"tas Tor years. The court room
was crowded with negroes, and a large
lumber of the best citizens of the town
were present. The trial was concluded
about 1890 at night.
The history of the case is about as fol
lows; Prof. Hance, n colored man ~
ability. and the school board saws man
VI good Character. has had charge of Tho
coIored schools since 1900. Shortly aftor
MS coming trouble began To appear. ue
was not acceptable 10 number of the
reading negroes OF the town. Chargas
were from time 10 time, preferred apains,
hlm some of them of a very serIo,,s ra
ture. These charges were promntIv in
'oS''s"lou Dy the white school board and
pi"""uhced grOundless. and Hance was
annually elected Principal of the school
me negroes seemed, however, determin-
eu 10 get rid OF him, and charge after
o""'Ho was brought against him, To be
pronounced groundless by the board. as
before, and the school moved along.
Wlthin th" last week or so the part,e.
VINO seemed determined To run Hanca ont
VI Town trled another scheme. which suc.
oec"eu' II not getting rid of him, I'm about
CLOSING ms school. Certain charges we,e
preferred against one of the assIstant
teachers-a woman. She resigned ana
LETT town. Counter charges were hron,,,,,
against the Principal again .John
naper' -, Ohairmani V. l.. Sexton and E. i
"n'e. schooI board of the town, inyesti-
gated Hance again. inviting eyervbodv
interested to appear and testify. After
an investigation these intelIIgent ana
upright white citizens OF the town saIt
that there was not one "scIntIlIa 90 a.,
dence' against him. Several OF tbeIa
ing negroes. mentioned above. then nm
dertook to accomplish their ends bv sto,-
P'hR the children from schoOI-a reguIar
boycott. In surprisingly short time the
school dropped from lG5 pupils TO Abo,t
| j. HoIl0wing all this warrant vvas 10
sued for ThRxton. Carter, Sanders Froe
White and Spencer, CHARGING then, -
oo"SPlIihR 10 lnJure and break up the
''nooi' AT the trial n number of the
witnesses testified that one or mora OF
these men had asked witnesses In ston
their children from school I'm ordar a.
freeze Hance out. The negroes were NO,
convicted there being some douht 40 40
the law In the case. The matter I. ~
understood, would be- taken befora ar
Clear Fork District School Board for fu,.
Ihef tflal. what the end of the aTatr
VIII DE Is not clear at this writing Ono
thlng seems settled, and that is the ma
grOes OF POcahOntas are likely IN ha ,yith
out school if this state of things CO.,,
tinues. John l.. Baber. E. j. Ware "
oeXton' ana others have done ali that
couiu DC dohe To give the colored children
the same advantages the white childrep
nave. The white people pay about se5o
per year FOR the support of the colorad
scheOl there and the negroes abont SEo
Notwithstanding they (the neeroesl ara
not satisfied and are continually kicking
up fuss, IL is said, and the school hoard
OF the county are getting tired. 1t is fur-
ther said that the only objection to Hance
has been that the white people think
too much OF him. He is not a politician
is sober, quiet man, who tries 10 do
his duty without mixing up in outside
matters. he has had the full confidence
Oh the school people and has always con-
Quoted himself well.
1t does seem, they say, that the nearer a
negro approaches, in manner, conduct
etc., the bestt Of a white man the
more he is disliked and hated by his own
race.