The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1912-09-27
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 81, 1912.
An Unfortunate Affair.

An Unfortunate Affair.
Tuesday night of this week a stu
dent of Fisk University got into a
row with a white man on a street
car. 1t is said a student who was
not familiar with the street car rules
in this city got on the car and took
a seat by q white passenger. 1t is
said the white man gave him a shove
and told him he must not sit by him.
It is further stated by those who wit
messed the episode that another stu
dent remarked to the one that had
been showed that he would sit by the
white man and he did so, but that
no sooner had he taken the seat than
the white man struck him in the
face, breaking his glasses and cutting
his face considerably. The student
~thereupon proceeded to give the white
rufian a good drubbing. 1t is said
he, the student, knocked the white
man across the bench and thumped
him good with his fist and then
kicked him around to his hearts con-
tent.
No other passengers, white or
black, took any part in the row. The
two were arrested. On Wednesday
afternoon in the city court it was the
special pleasure of Judge Killen to
fine the student fifty dollars and to
dismiss the white man No one is
surprised at the decision of the court,
but on the other hand, all Negroes
of Nashville would have been sur
prised if any other verdict had been
rendered.
A reporter for the Tennessean and
American in reporting the case says,
"the Negroes on Jefferson street are
inclined to overrun the car" This is
true. but every Negro who rides on
f
the Jefferson street car pays his fare.
But il the railroad company will in
sist that the Negroes who furnish
more than se~venty-hve per cent, of
the patronage Of the Jefferson street
line must give the whole car to the
white passengers, it is believed the
Negroes who patronize the Jefferson
street a line will quietly discon.
tinue that patronage and make some
other provision to get to town.
The Negroes in the vicinity
through which the Jefferson stree
car passes own a large majority O.
the property. They are taxpayer
and regular patrons of the car. The!
have a perfect right to overrun thu
car, which they do, and to this tim
that right has not been questioned.
It is said that a white mar who wa
on this car remarked after the III
pleasant affair referred to above ha
tken place, that to his mind tn
white people who live in a Negr
community like that in Northwes
Nashville should make up thei
minds to behave themselves or els
move out. This gentleman spoke tn
whole truth The Negroes on tn
Jefferson street line are very consi,
crate toward the few white passe,
gers. They are not as insistent
the white people are who ride on Il
Buena Vista or st. Cecilia line
where few colored people ride c
those lines it is often the case tn
every seat is taken by white passe
gers, and If a Negro gets on he mu
stand up or be crowded in a corne
but on the jefferson street line the
is less friction than there Is on al
line in the city. True the Negro
predominant, but there is a spirit
fairness prevalent at all times.
The row between the student a.
the white passenger was a very l
fortunate affair. We regret that
happened. It is better sometimes
yield a point for the sake of harmon
but since it has happened and t
young IN gave a splendid accom-
of himself, the matter will have
stand for what it is worth. Be
the student and the white man col
have avoided the row; first, If
white passenger had taken his 81