Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1909-08-07
DRIVING THEM AWAY.

News comes from Oklahoma that
explains itself and demonstrates that
President Taft's policy towards color
ed men is operating against these
same colored folks and not I'm their
favor We need only invite our pa
irons TO read the forowing:
Fort smith. ARK. August BE
cause Sugler. Ok. town of 5000.
bars negroes and Chef Ledore had
imported a 17-year-olG black boy 20
act as COOK in his home. a lyuching
OF the negro was narrowly averted
last night. when a mob OF white citi-
zens surrounded the house with the
avowed intention OF killing the
black a white man. Frank Fer
brecht. Warded on the attack until
both city and county officers arrived
and succeeded In dispensing the
/ crowd. Before leaving. the leaders
of the mob demanded that the negro
leave town within -twenty-four hours
and threatened 20 dynamite the
house
Ever since the negro arrived.
three weeks ago. his presence has
been bitterly resented In passing
along the streets he was in constant
danger. and on one occasion q heavy
dry-goods box was dropped from an
upper story. narrowly missing the
negro.
Two weeks ago a mob of thirty
/ men surrounded Ledore's house.
while occupied only by Mrs. IefiOre
and her children. When the mob
approached the kitchen door, Mrs
/ Lefore seized q rife aud fired several
shots. The mob was disorganized
and no further prosecutions were
manifested until last week. whn
/ the LefiOre family was summoned to
| Rogers. Ark, by sickness.
Knowing the state of public feel
ing. Mr.. Lefore asked Frank Fer
| brecht TO watch the house while he
was absent. About II O'Clock last
! night a mob appeared and demanded
! the negro. Ferbrecht went to the
gate and attempted to reason with
the leaders. but was seized He
wrenched himself away and ran TO
the house and, securing pistols.
/ threatened TO shoot any one who
came into the yard. He fired several
shots 20 attract attention and was
finally Reinforced by sheriff and
deputies, city marshal and town Do
| lice, who dispersed the mob. Notice
/ has been given Lefiore to get rid OF
the negro before another twenty
TOUR hours. under threat of dynamit-
Ing his house
IL VIE be noted that the southern
white man has been standing by
his Negro servant and that while he
was In the town, the poor whites"
as they are known there did not
dare interfere with his household.
Mrs Lefiore is as brave as her hus-
band. This is the kind OF protection
on which the average colored person
In the South can depend. A full
blooded. aristocratic southerner will
stand by a colored servant to the
last and will emphasize his prefer
ence In a manner that leaves no
doubt as to his intentions.
Colored men who are looking for
aid or succor from Washington had
might as we'll change their opinions
and devote their attention to othef
themes and individuals. We are
here in these '1ow-grounds OF sor-
row and We might as we'll realize
that help must come from those
In our own immediate neighborhood.
Self reliance is what is needed and
devotion to duty. We should take
hope and increase our courage
Death Is the worst that can over
take US and as FOR suffering. we
have been experiencing that ever
since We hrst cried and ever since
we hrst saw the sunlight In tSe
heavens.