Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-09-06
VIEWS OF
THE PUBLIC
Mr.. Dave E. Satterfield,
commemorative Attorney;
Mr.. R. B. Jordan,
Chief of Police.

Mr.. R. B. Jordan,
Chief of Police,
Richmond, Virginia.
In passing Through one Of the
streets in the colored section of Rich
mond accompanied by James R. il.
Jackson, about nine o'clock on Tues
day morning, on the twelfth, heard
heated words on the part of man
and on looking up l saw two white
men standing on porch on the OPP
posite side of the street, talking to a
little colored woman. One Of the
men was a large man of possibly $50
pounds and apparently 40. The other,
a younger man Of about 125 pounds
and apparently rs. The larger man
was doing the talking. I noticed that
his manner was particularly nasty.
By this time I had gotten directly
opposite and heard him say to her,
"That's not the first damn lie you've
told" 1t seemed that he wanted
the neighobs to hear how and what
he talked to her.
l Immediately stopped and called
to him not to curse at that colored
woman like that He turned, poinied
his finger at me and in a manner
which he seemed Ito think would
wither me, demanded that I go on
down the street and let him. attend
to his business. I insisted that I
was attending to my business By
stopping and contending that he
treat no colored woman in this man.
ner. He plated back, eyes, You
think we ought to let them dress up
in our clothes and not pay for them"
I told him l was not concerned with
that, but I did insist that he should
not curse at that woman.
/ was reaching in my pocket for
a paper to take his automobile num-
Der and get additional information
in that way when he again blated,
rWhat do you want?-my name?"-
and then, without waiting for an
answer, screamed-"You couldn't
write it if I told YOU"
By this time he had left the porch,
the woman slamming the door be-
hind him as her only protest of his
behavior. He now came across the
street to me and tried all he could
to inveigle me into fight. Among
his haunting remarks were, "What
do you mean anyhow? What do you
think you can do?" I told him that
had gotten the information I
wanted, that I knew what to do and
. how to do, and that he would hear
from it later. AS I walked on down
the street he remarked, "You want
to get the hell knocked out of you,
that's what you want" I told him
was not worried about that, be-
cause knew the proper way to take
care of a man like himself, and con-
tinued my way.
1t is fair to the younger man to
say that he took no part whatsoever
in the mistreatment of the woman or
myself. The impression which I got
was that the older man was trying
to show the younger man how to col
lect from colored people, by bully
ing and cursing them, since all Of us
know that such methods would not
even be thought of for any other
section.
The next morning, Jas. R. Fl.
Jackson with me, I called at this
same house, explained that we were
the men on the opposite side of the
street the previous morning and
wishd to see the woman who had
been cursed at. She came, and to
our extreme surprise, turned out to
be little more than a child. Both of
us are of the opinion that she can
not be over sixteen and she does not
look to be that. On explaining to
. her that we intended to take the
proper steps to see that the wrong
to her was righted, she told us that
the company in Question was the
Farley Credit Clothing Store.
She appeared to be almost too
scared to talk, but cheerfully init
mated that she would rather suffer
any wrong than risk going to court
against this man. This very fact
is what makes it so urgent upon you
gentlemen as officials to see that
this collection practice is broken up.
now understand that others use this
same practice, feeling secure in their
J. belief that no colored person is go
ing to court against them, and that
If one does, he will have no success
and therefore will be sorry he went
there.
Knowing full well that the whole
police force would have been imme-
diately hunting any colored man who
had so behaved to white woman.
and that he would have been quickly
landed in the station house if he had
not been killed before the officers
arrived, I ask that you officials will
please ignore the color question, and
see that the colored citizens of Rich
mond get the protection from this
unlawful collection practice which
your departments are supposed to
vouchsafe to them, by bringing this
, man to justice.
| am enclosing self-addressed en-
velope, and am ready to call at any
time and make oath to the truth of
: the foregoing statements, if you de-
: sire me so to do.
, Most respectfully yours,
S. P. B. STEWARD,
Box $50, R. F. D. No. 1, Dumbarton,
: Va.
August 26, 1880.
, AS said above, was with s. P. B.
Steward on both occasions, and if
deslred,am ready to come in at any
time and make oath to the correct
ness of his abovewritten statements
can be reached through him.