The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1912-06-16
BLACK PERIL CAUSES
SOMETHING LIKE PANIC
White Women of South Africa
Arm Themselves to Guard
Against Outrage
: AFFIRS BEING HUNTED
Illicit Sale OF Drink to Brutal
Natives One Cause of
Growing Evil
JOHANNESBURG. June !,


The black peril scare has once more
set its seal on Johannesburg This time
almost a condition of panic prevails
Vigilance committees are springing up
all over the place. and the guns,niths are
reaping a harvest. Women ar. tevotlng
themselves to revolver practice. and the
Daughters of the Trausvaal a local body
OF female volunteers. who divide their
time between ambulance work and anna
ionic militarism. are extending their
sphere Of usefulness 80 that non-members
may learn now 10 use iircarnis and praC-
ticc iu-itsu.
In Turffonten. n th.ckly populated sub
urb OF Johannesburg. n woman vas not
only attacked by unknown kafirs. hut
was carried from her room. where she
vas sleepins with her baby. TO II pianta-
lion i9 yards away. Ten DAYS after the
outrage she died from shock
Similar Instances. although fortunately
unacconpaned by fatal results. are oc-
In the Orange Free State and Cape
Colony.
The Government Apathetic
In spite OF this reign of black terror. the
Botha government does nothing to show
that II has the welfare OF the community
at heart. For this reason the people OF
johannesburg are taking the law into their
own hands. kafiir drives arc becoming "A
constant occurrence
The black peril Is the most appalling
menace to our white women which the
mind OF man can conceive. There have
been several dreadful cases reported re-
Gently, the details OF which are too hor-
riblc to record, and many more cases OF
frustrated attempts on white women by
Eaftirs but the worst case of all has
been that which occurred about 4 fort
night ago in Il Johannesburg suburb the
victim of which succumbed to the shock
suspect Is in custody, and circum-
stantial evidence may enable the law TO
avenge the terrible crime, but there can
he no Identification. for the victim is
dead and even had she been alive Kaffirs5
are SO much alike that she could we'll be
excused If she failed to Identify one or
other of her ASSISTANTS.
y wave OF intense bitterness against
the kafflr is passing over the land. Vigi-
lance societies are being formed. and
many persons are counsellng lynching.
All this points to a condition OF affairs
so grave that men and women are Obliged
TO carry loaded revolvers, with the full
intention OF using them without COM
junction in circumstances such as are OF
but too frequent occurrence.
Causes of the Evil
4 frequent cause OF this evil is the
employment OF black men in household
duties. But there is another class equal
iy daring and equally to be dreaded
There are nearly quarter of n million
natives employed in the gold mines in
and around johannesburg. These men
are kept in compounds like so many
prisoners and in the decentralization OF
these natives n certain class OF unscru-
pulous white men and women engage.
They supply the natives dllicitiy, yet
successfully with liquor. for which the
native has an unquenchable longing. II
is these half-drunken natives who COM
init fearful attacks on white women and
murdcrousy assault each other.
1t is. however. because of the unnat-
ural life these natives lead that crime is
so rife among them. II the vast avail
able tracts of land near Johannesburg
and the Reef mines We're secured as
native locations. where the men could
bring their native women TO live. there
would be less Of the black peril But
this means expense TO the mines. and
the idea is taboocd.
There must be no mercy shown to this
class of crime. The justice meted out to
the depraved brutes who assault our
white women must. in common fairness,
be applied 10 the degenerate white men
who similarly attack black women.