The Montgomery advertiser., 1907-09-28

| sponse to alarming reports of an up- rising of negroes succeeded in bring ing about a better understanding be- tween the races and no further trou- ble Is expected. | Talk of a riot between the whites and blacks at Plateau as a result of the lynchfng at that place last Sum day morning alarmed the people of that neighborhood last night, and when several white citizens brought | their families to Mobile for protection, with the report that the negroes were armed and on their way from Prich- ard Station to attack the white peo- pie Capt F. M. Maddox of the 1st Regiment. Alabama National Guard in the absence from the city of Colonel duMont, Issued a riot call
 At 3 o'clock this morning when the call was issued every available means was used to get as large a crowd to- gether as quickly as possible. The re- suit was that twenty-one men, some ana newspaper men. were gotten to the armory and mustered in for immediate duty by Captain Maddox.
 Those Who Responded. The men who answered the call for immediate help, promising by oath be- fore Captain Maddox to observe the laws of the State and of the United A. x, command; Capt. Ernest Groves of Company E; Lieut. W. J. McGowan, Jr.. J. g. Naylor. J. c. o'ConnelI, Billups | Harris, David Holt, T. E. Mcdonald l. J. Bryson. C. M. Fagerstrom, M. B. Seals, G. B: Boykin of Plateau. G. N. Boykin of Plateau, Ira Lewis, Sergt. w. T. Wilson. Tom vilincich. M. c. Mcconnell, A. J. Rob, w. B. Niolon, E. A. Desporte and sergt A. Bauer.
 This soldiery consisted of nine news- paper men, including machine men, not enlisted, and several men found on the I streets.
 Just as soon as each man was pro- vided with a Krag-Jorgensen rife, a l certain amount of riot cartridges. suits, poncho, and other paraphernalia, they hurried to the car line where a special car had been placed at the disposal of pany,
 The Run to PIateau.
 The car was run special, and started right for Plateau. where the trouble was supposed to be on. The car got on the Whistler line by mistake after crossing the railroad track, and was brought back 200 yards and started for Plateau.
 The car was stopped at the Southern Railway track in the town of Plateau. nearly an hour before daybreak. A march was formed and the soldiers started, up the track toward the thick settlement, In five minutes a negro afterwards feund to be Frank God bold. a Plateau butcher, was found crossing road with a gun on his shoulder He was halted, his rife and pocketful of cartridges taken from him, and he was made a prisoner.
 The soldiers went to Tom Dickey's house and established temporary head quarters. The people in the house were all up. and said they had been up most all night in fright. A guard was placed over the negro prisoner on the front gallery, and the soldiers started in a march of twos to parade the settlement and see what was doing. They were led by the Boykins. who had come to the city during the night. One of the men had left his wife and chill dren at the police station and the oth- CTS family went To the Windsor Hotel.
 Some houses were in darkness. but most of the people in the town were up, and many negroes were seen on the roads. At first, the soldiers stopped sev- eral and made enquiries. Later in the morning 1t was decided to make prts- oners of all the negroes carrying guns.
 Due to Misunderstanding.
 The soldiers got as far as the ne- groes' hall when day broke, and pr. D. A. C,aWthon and several other white men arrived. Dr. Cawthon discredited the reports that any negroes had armed themselves for a riot, and said he had found the negroes peaceable. A few innocent-appearing negroes showed up and 1t was soon seen that there had been a misunderstanding between the races in the neighborhood. The whites heard that the negroes were going to attack them. and the negroes thought the whites were after them.
 While Captain Maddox and some of the citizens of the place were talking, and the soldiers spread out In the set clement the hsst real excitement began when a negro mill hand named Frank Holloway, standing at his front gate with a double -barreled shot gun In hls hand, was ordered to halt and nc ran. As he started up the road he threw his shot gun down in front of him and ran with several soldiers following He was finally captured and made a pris- oner. and put in the line of march, la ter being taken to temporary head quarters.
 After spending some time going over the settlement, seeing who was out, and who were carrying guns, the men from the city returned to MT. Dickey's house. and at separate times questioned the two negro prisoners. In the mean time Holloway had been searched and a big Colts revolver was found in hls hip-pocket, of which he was relieved.
 Negroes had Weapons.
 Godbold claimed to be law abiding citizen: said he was a butcher, got up early in the morning, and carried his gun with him most os the time, as matter of custom. because he general lv had considerable money with him. An effort was made to have him i'm plicated some of the leaders among the pIicate some of the leaders among the
 Hollaway said he had gotten out of bed just few minutes before the sol- diers arrived having been told that lot of white men with guns hal just co me out on ears, ana he thought there would be trouble. He said he had not been hunting for 'rouble, snd claimed to be good citizen. He gave the officers the names of se' eral negroes, including House, Chatman' Nicholas. and others, who were sup posed to be leaders among the negroes and who had been talking about the trouble in the neighborhood.
 Squads were immediately sent out to different parts of the country to trv to locate these men, and one was found His name was Will Nicholas, and he was found asleep. Nicholas was examined and also claimed to be -a law abiding citizen, and the helper of the sheriff's force. At different times several other negroes were stop ped and examined. and by o'clock large crowd had gathered Captain Maddox and his men walked every where a house could be seen, telling tho naopIa to gef together so that there