The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1950-03-11
(continued trom Paae onel

In the History Of birmingham
by J. H. Temple, he writes in full
detail about the Boston Massacre
that happened twenty miles from
that town, but he gives as his rea-
son for doing so that "the princi-
pal character in the bloody affair
was birmingham man" Crispus
Attacks was born in birmingham
and birmingham in its authentic
history claims him as a Franz
Yam man.
or twenty years Crispus At
tucks wandered where he pleased.
He was lover of the sea, and no
doubt he sailed about with mas
tiers of vessels, until he happened
to reach Boston, for, on the Cay
of the Boston Massacre, his COM
panions were sailors.
Boston was the town selected
by the English in which to make
themselves obnoxious to the
Colonists. The New England
spirit of liberty was too fast as
sorting itself, petitions to the
Governor, petitions to the Legis-
lature, Conventions, Speeches,
Mass Meetings, Committees to
present petitions, and the same
lot of persistent efforts that we
the colored people of America,
are carrying on at the present
time, were carried on by the OPP
pressed colonists at that period,
in their fight for justice and civil
rights.
General Gage, commandments
chief of the British forces in New
England, was a man who did not
conceal his dislike for colored
people. He encouraged his soldiers
in the disrespectful attitude they
assumed toward the Bostonians,
when they marched into the city
on a Sunday sencamped on Bos-
ton Common, took possession Of
the State House, Of Faneuil Hall
set up barracks at Brattle Street
and Water Street, planted theil
cannon and challenged the resi-.
dents wherever and whenever
they pleased. On the Friday be
fore the Massacre the soldiers hat
beaten several citizens and in
dignation was growing and al
outbreak seemed imminent. Theil
speeches, their prostestations, pc.
titions - everything = had beer
ignored, just as most of ours are
ignored in a similar fight for fair
play and cessation of injustice,
and the last resort became the
first bold stroke.
On Monday, March 5, 1870, in
the evening, about 9 o'clock,
when the streets were covered
with snow, and the sky was clear,
and the pale cold moon shone
over all, the soldiers were attack
ing and insulting passer$- by,
striking them with sticks or
sheathed cutlasses and in every
conceivable way annoying and
threatening them. Several clashes
took place, and in Brattle Street,
at the corner of the alley, there
was big fracas. It drew a big
crowd, excitement ran high, bells
were rung, people ran from all
quarters, and armed with billets
of wood, with snow balls and
cakes of ice threw them at the
soldiers and dared them to fire,
although they aimed their guns.
Just eight minutes before the
big tragedy that was to set the
seal upon Americas Independ-
ence, Crispus Attacks, then AZ
years of age, whose big frame
and determined face were enough
to terrify anybody, as John Adams
afterward said, was in CornhilI
at the head of 20 or 80 sailors,
with a large cord-wood stick in
his hand. The crowd moved to
Dock Square and when the bells
at the head of King Street rang
he was there shouting: 1.-THE way
to get rid of these soldiers is to
attack the main guard; strike at
the root; this is the nest" The
soldiers were brandishing their
arms with insolence. Captain
Preston who was officer Of the
day, came on the scene. Bells
were yet ringing, the din was
becoming tumultuous and amid
the roar of voices, the clang of
bells, the clash of sticks against
the threatened arms, some one
either gave the order to fire" or
soldiers thought they heard the
order to fire. and at the first
shot Crispus Attacks fell, dead.