The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1912-08-06
JNO. P. GRACE HOWLED
DOWN In SPARTANBURG
ALMOST A RIOT DURING HIS At
TEMPTED ADDRESS.
Yells and Rotten Eggs Hurled at Him.
Several Fights During the
Evening.

I
the entire police force and the sheriff
and his deputies were either unwill-
ing or unable to suppress, broke out
when John P. Grace, mayor Of Char
lesion, spoke to an audience Of 1000
persons in the Harris theatre tonight
on the political situation in South
Carolina
After rotten eggs had been thrown
at Mayor Grace, he turned to Alder
man o. w. Leonard, acting mayor, and
said to him heatedly:
81 say to your face, sir, your police
force IS a disgrace. want to COM
pliment the police of Spartanburg.
They are almost as good as the New
York police. If I were you, sir, l
would resign. I would resign if this
thing happened in Charleston"
When Sheriff White declined to eject
man sitting near to him who had
been creating an uproar and whom
Mayor Grace had requested the sheriff
to remove, Mr.. Grace said: "Any man
who swears to do his duty ought to do
his duty under his oath or resign and
mot to crouch like coward or stink
away when duty calls" To the man
who threw the eggs, Mr.. Grace called:
'Let that dirty contemplate coward
come down here The man who did
that is niger No, will apologize
to the negroes for saying that. They
would not DO such thing"
Citizens by the score pleaded with
Alderman Leonard and Sheriff White
to be sworn in as special officers to
keep the peace. A deaf ear was turn
ed to them until late in the evening
as the meeting was about to adjourn.
A bowling mob took possession of
the streets afterward and the police
made no effort to cope with them.
There were numerous fist fights and
several arrests. J. Hertz Brown, can
didate for the legislature, an avowed
Jones man, was among those arrest
ed. Blease supporters feFeihly took
from the police certain Of their num-
bers who were arrested.
Mr.. Grace was for the most part
calm and moderate in his utterances,
but he showed strong feeling when
some, one shouted, "Blease says you
are a coward" "Let him come here
and say it." was the hot answer. Il
am not a thief and a liar and niger
lover"
The conclusion of his speech was
dramatic to a little group who re-
mained seated when he called for
those who favored the election OF
Judge Jones to rise. Mr.. Grace said
that they doubtless wanted Blease
elected so that they might obtain par
dons for friends or jrelatives VINO
were convicts. "But let me tell you,
he said, that they will not get out,
and furthermore, that Cole. L. Biease
will not only be defeated, but he Will
be impeached; he will be indicted; ne
will be convicted and he will go to
the penitentiary."
Mayor Grace said after the meeting
that he was satisfied by the events of
the evening that Jones would be elect
ed by an overwhelming majority. He
declared that he had accomplished all
which he had set out to do in his
speech.
Crowd Came Early.
People began to gather in the thea
tire long before the hour set for the
meeting. There were many present
from adjoining counties, and even from
as far distant as Anderson. Turner
Logan, Mr.. Graces law partner, and
a few other Charleston friends were on
hand.
There was no indication of disorder
until the theatre was jammed and
Mayor Grace and Alderman Leonard
came upon the stage. 1t had been
freely predicted that there would be
an uproar and an attempt would be
made to howl Mr. Grace down, and
Mayor O. L. Johnson had been request
ed to furnish ample police protection.
He had given out word that he would
bo ont of tho city but il was reliably