Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1919-12-16
BARE NEGRO CONSPIRACY
FOR WARFARE ON WHITES
Queen Anne Negroes Held Secret
Meetings, Where Social Equal
ity Was Preached.
Dispatch IN baltimore sun

Dispatch IN Baltimore sun.
Cntreville, Md, Dec. I5-Chargcs
that Negroes in Queen Anne's county have
heen holding meetings at which they
have preached the doctrine of social
equality and have cndcavorcd to fomcnt
trouble with the white residents of the
county were made this morning hv Jus
tice Robert COursey, of this town, who
on Saturday night thrashcd a Negro
prisoner IN his courtroom, and thus pre-
cipitated disturbance among a group
of Negroes which threatened Tor n time
10 develop INTO = riot.
This old town was considerably stirred
up over the affair. IT, constituted the
first real display Of racial feeling in
CentrevIlle Justice CouIscv and other
white residents say that none. of the
hotter class Of coiorcd people in this
nelghhorhood had anything to do with
the disturbance and that they ore not
III sympathy with the crowd Of blacks
involved IN the atfair
The pommcling which Justice Cotr-
Fev gave the prisoner came immediately
after the closing ct q ease by hlm III
which hc fined Burgess Gnthu and
'harlt.s Gassouav Sl1 aud costs on tho
charge ut cunning without license and
sentenced C,rithn IL 80 days In jail Tor
contrnpt oi court.
Accor,hnc 10 Justice CoursCvs story
tin, morning Griffin kept insulting him
tmaIgnout the trial. declaring that be,
the prisoner had the same rights IS the
iusgis rate and making II PLAIN. says
toIr4ov that tho Negroes III this vicinity
ieij they Wcr,' Is good Is their white
neighborS
Tho magistrate declares that he thinks
to" whole matter was proarrnged, that
the Ncgrocs had invited arrest and that
thrN had planned "a start their campaign
t"r s".ial equality hv staging a demon
siTatIun N the courtroom.
CourseN SAWS that hc kept his temper
and Judicial calm throughout the hear
'ng tiriiiin kept UP his TRADE so in
.,s'en'ly, despite warnings, saws CourSey.
that he was Obliged to give the accused
a laIl sentence for contempt of court
~ the end " the case. according 20
iourScN's statement. Griffin insultcd him
iy using m aprrohriWlS cpithet, whcreat
the lustlrc hit The Negro On the point az
the Jaw, knocking him several feet This
morning CourScv has III his possession i
hIg knlC, which hc declares dropped
fopcn from Gr1,ns h7nd lie says
he Negro had the hnfc ready for use.
throughout th, trial group Of Ne
srocs >feod IN front oi the court house,
nm Following tho hearing. M SAYS
they hoasted they would Get hn.
C,oursey asserts that, in order - cheek
II chance of roiting NJ the start, he
laadCd his pistol, went out INTO tho
midst Of tire Negroes and told them that
r he found one al them IN tht streets
- ll.S0 oclock st night ~ would sr-
rysst Of sll them. They dispersed. hc /!
Saye, at this threat. This was shortly |
after J. O'Clock.
Sheriff Jarnes ". Yeatcs and Consta-
Hles John r. Williamson AMI Marion G. i
Council went through the town. Gispol-
ing other groups of Negroes
Four Negroes were arrested On thr
charge Of disturbing the peace end viii
have 3 heanng Friday IL WIS limited
that more serious charges VII bc LAID
against them. Whether or not these
harrce VIII have anything o. do with
lie meetings which the Negroes are al
Ced 70 have held has not been learned
The Negroes who are accused of hsv-
ing preached social equality and 81 trylng
70 foster disturbances against the whites
tre said n have held their meetings at $
Negro church outside the town. A. these
meetings demands vert made that the
whites erect hich school building for
,,olored pupils and lcncthen the school
- 4l4l Aif4 GL'L4 fsAlf4l~.
Those present ii these meetings. II Is
sid, had impressed upon them that the
ime had arrived Tor them no longer to
submit 10 the superiority cf tie whites,
hut 20 let the whites know that dIscrim-
nation against Negroes meant trouble
II l. reported th4t some - the Negroes
involved u the sffaIr ii SATURDAY. night
sere leader IN this movement 4 colored
teacher n domestic science IN one of tho
colorct schools was 5, annoycd and
threatened because of her refusal 10
make demands ior more rights for
Negro children In public schools that she
resigned hcr position IN lear. At least
M Is the story told ID Ctntrevilie
STATE Attorney EdwIn T. Brown
SAID TINS morning that he felt that there
woald b. no more q such meetings. that
the trouble Saturday night had pat au
and II the secret gatherings and that
the colored population of Cen'reyIlle
among the ignorant element of hclr r4cs.
= want Il say sand Mr. Brown
'tfIat those responsible for the trO0bie
only about one-haf Of one-
per cent Of the colored population II ms
county. The other o. ,ar cent Is made
Ip oi colOred citizens W.lo are are - Law
hiding anc as Trustworthy ~ any other
itIzens III the state Tiny Nill take tha
cad Ia suppre.elnE such disturbance
This lady Is looking far rugs. She saws
Axnnster
IN ak him I can fni nm. but II N