Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-07-03
| PREACHER WHIPPED AND
MURDERED.

President TAFT was much pleased
with his reception in Georgia and
this state seemed TO have done most
IN settling his policy relative to the
colored men of the Southland. The
following telegraphic report comes
from white sources, unfaYorable 20
the colored people and We presume
that the same can be regarded as
authentic. Here is what it says:
"Talbotton. Ca. June 24.-After
being taken from his house Saturday
by a posse, the body Of a blind Ne
gro preacher was found near here
yesterday in creek. The preacher.
whose name has not been learned.
had made speeches which angered
the whites in his neighborhood. and
public indignation against him was
further inhamed by the fact that he
had been seen at the home of the
Negro, William Carroker. who was
iynched Tuesday night. Carroker
shot and killed William Leonard. a
white man, Saturday, while a posse
OF whites was searching for the
preacher with the intention Of warn
ing him away from the community
The preacher Is said 20 have urged
Negroes not 70 work for whites. and
10 have had Sufficient influence 10
keep many OF the Negroes away from
their regular employment on white
mems farms. The posse is said to
nave whipped the preacher, but il is
claimed that they did no other vio-|
lence 70 him. and that his death VS.
accidental, due TO falling from a
bridge
Here then is a tale Of horror that
rivals the cruelties Of the Middle
Ages. Colored people, although free
must work for the whites. whether
they viii or not. A blind preacher.
who is alleged to have used his
tongue is whipped and then turned
.adrift to stumble blindly into a creek
and lie like a dog, away from fire
ends ana like an out cast in the
community. although he had COM
mitted no crime for which he could
be legally punished by the strong
arm OF the law. White men who
would be guilty OF such atrocities
are human hyenas.
They should be hunted down and
punished. 1t goes to show though
the kind and character of the white
men with whom the better class of
white sOutherners have to deal.
These are the Negotiating, blood
thirsty contingent and this case gives
an insight into the desperate fight
OF Robert jenkins. referred to in
another column and who died with
MS boots on" No one will ever
know the sufferings of this blind
preacher, whose cries for mercy
brought no relief and who wandered
away in the darkness of the night
upon an unknown road TO find death
and relief in a creek, unpIloted and
unaided by his heartless murderers.
Is there a man with pity? Let him
exercise It. Is there a man with
.sympathy2 Let him express It. We
fancy that we can hear the reverbe-
rations OF this good mans prayers
as he told his troubles to Daniels
God and called for help from his
congregation who knew not where
he was and who could not AFFORD TO
him the aid and help that he desired.
Sometime and somehow there will
be an end to all OF this 1t cannot
last forever and we must assist in
bringing about the change. Colored
men in the South must be brave and
sell their lives as dearly as possible
when the end comes. There are GER
tain classes OF white men down here,
who fear only death and injury. The
law Is a dead letter with them. We
must realize that we are living in a I
land that is as iawless In some Sec
tions as was the Far West fifty years
ago.
Cowardice VIII not do coiored men
and the ready rife must be called