Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly Read online

  HANOVER; OR THE PERSECUTION OF THE LOWLY.

  A Story of the Wilmington Massacre

  by

  JACK THORNE

  Published by M. C. L. Hill.

  Respectfully dedicated to the eminent heroine IDA B. WELLS BARNETT

  NEGROES FLEEING FROM WILMINGTON.

  DRIVEN OUT BY ORGANIZED BANDS OF "RED SHIRTS." OBNOXIOUS WHITE MEN ALSOORDERED TO GET OUT OF TOWN. NO LYNCHING ALLOWED. MAYOR WADDELL AND HISPOLICE PREVENT FURTHER KILLING. RULE OF WHITES NOW PREVAIL. THREEHUNDRED POLICEMEN SWORN IN TO PRESERVE ORDER--NO COLLISION BETWEEN THERACES EXPECTED. NO TRADE AT WILMINGTON.

  * * * * *

  [Associated Press Market Report]

  WILMINGTON, N. C., NOV. 11.--Spirits turpentine--Nothing doing.

  Rosin--Nothing doing.

  Crude turpentine--Nothing doing.

  WILMINGTON, NOV. 11.--With the killing of the Negroes yesterday thebackbone of the trouble seems to have been broken. The authors of thetragedy have gone to their homes and the mob has disbanded as if incontempt of the gangs of Negroes who still hang about in the blackquarters growling and threatening the whites.

  Law and order are gradually being restored; and those among the Negroeswho feel resentment against the whites are afraid to show their truecolors.

  Early this morning 300 resolute white men gathered at the Mayor's officeand were sworn in as new policemen.

  Late last night half a hundred white citizens got together and planned abig lynching party which was to raid the city from centre tocircumference to-day.

  There were six Negroes in jail who had been arrested during theexcitement of the day, and who some people of the town thought should besummarily dispatched. One was a leader, Thomas Miller, who was chargedwith declaring that he would wash his hands in a white man's bloodbefore night. Another was A. R. Bryant, charged with being a dangerouscharacter; the others were less prominent, but had been under the ban ofthe whites for conduct calculated to incite trouble.

  Mayor Waddell and his associates put a veto upon the proposed lynching.They said that good government was to prevail in Wilmington from thistime, and would commence immediately. The would-be lynchers were soinsistent that the Mayor called out a guard and kept the jail surroundedall night. This morning the six Negroes were taken out and escorted tothe north bound train by a detachment of militia, to be banished fromthe city. The citizens cheered as they saw them going, for theyconsidered their departure conducive to peace in the future.

  G. Z. French, one of the county leaders, attempted to escape. He ranthrough the streets, but was overtaken at the depot by several membersof the posse.

  A noose was thrown over his head and was drawn tightly around his neck.Gasping and half choked, he fell upon his knees, begging for his life.

  NEGRO BEGS FOR LIFE.

  "Do you solemnly promise that you will leave and never come back?" askedthe leader of the posse.

  "Oh, yes; yes. For God's sake, gentlemen, let me go, and I'll never comeback any more!"

  The frightened wretch was allowed to go and crawled aboard the train,scared half to death.

  After finishing with French the "red shirts" made a raid on JusticeBunting's residence. He was away from home. The mob tore from the wallsof his house the picture of his Negro wife and that of Bunting, and putthem on exhibition on Market street.

  They were labelled: "R. H. Bunting, white," and "Mrs. R. H. Bunting,colored." From Bunting's residence the mob proceeded to the house of aNegro lawyer named Henderson. The hard-knuckled leader knocked at thedoor. "Who's there?" came the query. "A white man and a friend," was thereply. Inside there was the deep silence of hesitation. "Open the dooror we'll break it down," shouted the leader. Henderson, badlyfrightened, opened the door.

  "We want you to leave the city by 9 o'clock Sunday morning," said theleader.

  "All right," replied Henderson, "all I want is time enough to get mythings in order."

  A Negro lawyer named Scott was also banished and left the city beforemorning.

  The Democrats hired one of Pinkerton's Negro detectives to associatewith the Negroes several weeks, and his investigation, it is said,revealed that the two lawyers and the other Negroes mentioned wereringleaders, who were inciting their race to violence.

  WHITE MEN MUST GO TOO.

  The retiring chief of police, Magistrate R. H. Bunting, Charles H.Gilbert, Charles McAlister, all white Republicans, and many assertiveNegroes, who are considered dangerous to the peace of the community, arenow under guard and are to be banished from the city.

  The Negro Carter Peaman, who was exiled last night, got off the trainseveral miles from the city and was shot dead.

  A report is current that John C. Dancy, the Negro United StatesCollector of Customs for this port, has been notified to leave the cityand will be waited upon if orders are not summarily obeyed.

  The city is now under thorough military and police protection and thereis no indication of further outbreaks.