The Greensboro Watchman Extracts

GREENSBORO, ALABAMA
“The Greensboro Watchman”

March 24, 1887

BILL SEAY, an old and respected darkey, who has been quite a noted character in these parts for many years, died on last Friday.
April 28, 1887

ANDERSON OAKES, colored, was hung at Jasper, AL on last Friday, for the murder of a MR. WOOTTEN (sic) several months ago.  The doomed man, when asked if he had anything to say, replied “Yes, tell everybody to let whiskey alone.  It is what brought me here today.  If it hadn’t been for whiskey, I’d never killed MR. WOOTTEN.  Tell them to keep away from bar rooms and out of bad company”.
June 30, 1887

FRED MORGAN, colored, was hung in Augusta, GA last Friday for the murder of EMMA LOUIS, also colored.
July 7, 1887

A colored boy, named EDMUND JONES, aged about thirteen years, jumped from the passenger train at Greensboro on last Saturday morning while it was running at the rate of fifteen or twenty miles an hour, and struck his head against the end of a cross tie, which injured him very severely.  It was thought for awhile that he was dead.  Perhaps this accident may serve as a warning to other boys, who are in the habit of leaping from the train after it has started, and cause them to quit their foolishness.  It is a common practice at the Greensboro dept, and the boys seem to pay no attention to the warnings given them by the railroad employees.  Maybe they will learn a little sense after two or three of their number have been killed.
July 21, 1887

FRANK HARRIS, alias MAY, a colored man living near Greensboro, died very suddenly on last Sunday.  It is supposed by many that Frank made a raid on someone’s watermelon patch the night before and ate a melon that had been poisoned, which caused his death.  This inference is drawn from the manner in which he died.
July 26, 1887
(at New Berne Township)

BILL FENDERSON, a colored man, caught a catfish which weighed 29 pounds last week in the creek near here.
July 28, 1887

On last Monday at the opening of the county court we counted one Hundred and sixty-five Negro men and women in, and on the steps of the Court House.  Most of them came from the plantations in Hale, and we suppose had “business in Court”.  It would have been much better for the farmers had these laborers been at home pulling fodder.  It is a noticeable fact that the courts in Hale are occupied almost entirely by trying Negroes for stealing, carrying concealed weapons, etc.
August 4, 1887

A colored minister in Georgia asked his congregation for a week’s vacation to visit a summer resort and recuperate.  An old sister in the congregation arose and made a vigorous protest against granting the vacation on the grounds “dat de deble takes no hollerday, but gits in his work ebry minit”.
August 18, 1887

A case was tried in Greensboro on last Monday before Justice Pasteur, which, for brutality, surpasses anything we have heard of for a long while.  All of the testimony went to show that CHAS. MADISON of North Hale, a colored boy about 18 years old, while on his way to school a week or two since had stolen a watermelon from his grandfather’s patch, which misconduct was reported to his father.  When Charles returned home he was stripped of his clothing, bound hand and foot, thrown upon the ground, and severely beat with stout hickory switches for a considerable length of time by his father and two other Negro men.  He was then bucked and whipped.  Tiring of these modes of torture, they swung the boy to a tree – head downward – and beat him until all three of the men were exhausted.  There was not a place on the boy’s body as large as a hand that was not terribly lacerated.  As a consequence, he had to remain in bed for about ten days, hardly being able to move during the time.  The three brutes were bound over by Justice Pasteur until the meeting of the next Grand Jury, and in default of bond were committed to jail.
August 25, 1887

FAB BEST, a colored man living on MR. WM. H. LAVENDER’S plantation, came to town last Saturday and evoked a difficulty with MESSRS. W.G. and W.O. MILLER about some trivial matter.  In the scuffle which ensued Best struck both of the Messrs. Miller on the side of the face with a brick which he held in his hand, inflicting painful wounds.  He was tried before Mayor LAWSON Saturday evening, found guilty of disturbing the peace of Greensboro and fined $10 and costs, or 20 days on the streets.  After this trial, he was arrested on a charge of assault with intent to murder.  He waived an examination before Justice Pasteur on Monday, and was bound over to the Grand Jury in a bond of $300, in default of which he is lodged in jail.
September 8, 1887

ROBERT BEVERLY, colored, formerly of this place, convicted of forgery at the Spring term of the city court of Montgomery county on January 28th, 1886, and sentenced to two years in the penitentiary, was pardoned by Gov. SEAY on the 6th inst.
September 22, 1887

MONROE JHONSTON (sic), the Negro who murdered a MRS. FOSTER in such a horrible and cold-blooded manner, near Leeds, some two weeks ago, met his doom on last Sunday at the hands of an enraged mass of citizens.  He was hung to a tree.
November 10, 1887

A mob of sixty armed men took GEORGE HART, colored, from the Opejika jail on the night of the 4th inst., carried him to the spot where he, in October, 1886, foully murdered a white boy named EDDIE WALDRUP, and hung him.  JOHN HART, who was an accomplice of George, was lynched for the same crime on the same spot, about a year ago.

HENRY ROBINSON, colored, was hung at Union Springs last Friday for murdering a man name OWEN.

At Akron, Hale County, one night recently we learn that two Negroes, decoyed an old man name GEORGE HOLMAN, colored, from the station into a field not far from the railroad and there knocked him senseless and robbed him of all the money he had, which was five dollars and sixty cents.  They then fled and left him for dead.  He was in Eutaw next morning in an unconscious state, and could give no description of his assailants.
December 1, 1887

Two Negroes on the construction train got into a dispute, which results in a fight.  JIM EDWARDS, one of the parties, had his head cut in several places, and also badly wounded in the temple, and the temporal artery cut in two.  Jim was brought here and his wounds attended to by Dr. Wedgeworth.

GREENSBORO, ALABAMA
“The Greensboro Watchman”
Newspaper (Thursday Edition)
January 26, 1888

Deputy Sheriff J.M. AUTREY, of Tuskaloosa county, was shot and killed on the 24th inst., at Hull’s Station while undertaking to arrest a Negro named JIM SEMMES (sic).  He made his escape, and had not been captured at last accounts.

February 2, 1888

JIM SEAMES (sic), the Negro who shot and killed deputy sheriff AUTREY of Tuskaloosa county last week was captured on South Sandy creek on the 28th, and taken to Tuskaloosa and lodged in jail.  He had to be shot and badly wounded before he could be taken.  The Warrior Guards, under orders from Gov. Seay, guarded the prison to prevent the Negro being lynched. The next day he was taken to Birmingham by the sheriff and locked up for safekeeping.

The scheme to colonize the Negroes in South America will hardly take in this community.  Several years ago many were induced to leave this county for Kansas by designing men, but in a few months all who could return, did so, wiser, but poorer than when they left.  HENRY SMITH, a respectable colored man of Hale was one of the number.  He took with him nearly two thousand dollars, and returned without a dollar.  It would hardly be safe to broach this scheme to him.

February 9, 1888

One of the reasons given for an exodus of the Negro is, that he is counted out of his vote in the South.  Well, the members of the great morality party at the North may as well make up their minds first and last, that the people of this country are going to rule it, by fair means, if possible, by some other sort, if necessary.  And if the negro’s staying here depends upon his ruling the whites, then the sooner he starts for another clime (sic) the quicker he will get there.  As a politician, Mr. Nigger has played out.

The leader of the Negro exodus gives as one of the reasons why he proposes to carry the Negroes to South America, “that they can find there a home where they can earn their money and not be cheated out of it”.  The inference from which is that in the South, he is cheated out of the benefit of his labor by the whites.  There never was a more baseless charge made.  The fact of the business is that the shoe is on the other foot, and the white man is the one to complain, that in paying for the negro’s labor, he fails to get what he bargained for.  We venture that assertion that there is not a man in this section, who employs Negro labor for farming or any other purpose.  Who can honestly say that he ever gets a faithful day’s work for the money agreed to be paid. The truth is, the Negro will contract to do a month’s or year’s work at a stipulated price, and will not give good honest work for over one half of the time.  The result of which, is, that whilst the Negro is making a good living, and flourishing like a green bay tree, the white man is paying for something he does not get, and is getting poorer every year.  If the fact of being cheated out on one’s honest dues is a good ground for emigrating, the Negro should stay by all means, and let the white man go.  He is the one to walk, and not the lazy Negro, who is eating up the substance of the white, without giving value received.
March 1, 1888

JOHN JENKINS, colored, broke into MR. C.H. deYAMPERT’S store on last Saturday night and carried off some clothing, cigars, and about $10 in money which had been left in the cash drawer.  A portion of the stolen goods was found in Jenkins’ truck.  He made his escape.

ANN DORMAN and WILLIAM WOODRUFF, colored, known and respected by the people of Greensboro generally, both died on the 7th inst.

The Negroes have recently had their graveyard – just east of the public cemetery – surveyed and laid off into lots.
April 5, 1888

JUDY GRAY, colored, who is said by her children to have been one hundred and ten years old, died in Greensboro this week.
April 19, 1888

HENRY WILSON, alias, WESLEY JENKINS, colored, was indicted by the last Grand Jury for the murder at Akron of an old negro named HOLMAN the latter part of last year.  The murder was committed for the purpose of robbery.  Wilson got only about $2.50 in money and a new hat from Holman.  He is now in jail at Greensboro.  His trial is set for next Friday, April 20th.
April 26, 1888

Owning to the absence of important witnesses, the case of the State vs. HENRY WILSON, colored, for killing an old negro at Akron named HOLMAN, which was set for last Friday, was continued until the next term of the court.

A negro was lynched at Bessemer on the night of the 24th inst. For the commission of an outrageous crime.  We are strenuously opposed to lynch law, but in an instance of this sort, we have nothing to say.
May 3, 1888

JIM SEAMS, colored, who murdered Deputy Sheriff Autry, of Tuskaloosa county a short while since, was tried for the crime in Tuskaloosa last week, and sentenced to be hung on the first of June next.

The Dallas Democracy must not lose sight of the fact that the white people of the black belt are damaging themselves when they divide.  It is all they can do, now, arrayed in solid phalanx, to keep the Republicans out of power, and if the “house divides against itself”, Mr. Nigger will step forward and take the reins of government in hand.  Gentlemen, we can not afford this, – yet if you persist in your present course, the results is inevitable.
May 10, 1888

On last Friday the Sheriff of Lowndes county was notified that a large number of Negroes had armed themselves and banded together near Sandy Ridge for no good purpose.  The Sheriff raised a posse and repaired to the scene, intending to arrest the ringleaders of the mob.  When within a short distance of the place where the Negroes were located, the posse was fired into, and two men were wounded; the shots were returned, and a general melee followed, in which several Negroes were badly hurt.  No one was killed.  The Negroes took to the woods after this.  The Sheriff telegraphed to the Governor for aid to quell the riot, and the Greys and Blues and Mounted Rifles of Montgomery were sent at once to the scene of trouble.  They quieted things on short notice, and without bloodshed.  It seems that the whole trouble grew out of the lynching of the negro who so brutally murdered young Gresham a few weeks ago.

A telegram from Montgomery, dated the 5th, says that the military companies who went to Lowndes county the night previous to suppress the negro revolt, returned this afternoon, having traveled from Letohatchie to Sandy Ridge.  They succeeded in quelling the riot by assisting the Sheriff in arresting, without difficulty, the ringleaders of the conspiracy, twenty-four in number.  Several of the prisoners have been interviewed by correspondents since being put in jail at Hayneville. Their interviews show clearly that they were determined on a whole scale destruction of human lives.  No further trouble is looked for, since they are in durance vile.  The other Negroes are convinced now that the State authorities are determined to protect them in their rights before the law.  The wounded are doing well and a reconciliation is about to be brought about.
May 24, 1888

HAYWOOD AMOS, colored, while hauling corn for MR. C. HERRAN last week, had the bad luck of falling through a bridge on Prairie creek, near Mr. H.’s house.  One mule was killed and old-cuffe was considerably bruised up.  The wayfaring man had better be on the qui vive.
May 31, 1888

GEORGE JACKSON, colored, formerly of this place, but now of Uniontown, was arrested near the depot in Greensboro on yesterday while witnessing a game of ball, for giving away whiskey on the grounds.  He was bound over to await the action of the Grand Jury in the sum of one hundred dollars, which bond he gave.
June 7, 1888

“Better Than Begging”
Choctaw Herald:  The male members of the Colored Baptist Church, of Bladon, have rented sixteen acres of land near town and have planted the same in cotton.  They met on Friday, sixty in number, and gave it a first-class working.  It is to be worked jointly, free of cost, and the proceeds thereof sold for the purpose of aiding them in building a new church.
June 21, 1888

Saturday evening a crowd of darkies were in Prairie creek feeling for fish, and three were bitten by moccasins.  They suffered a good deal, but are doing very well now.
New Berne Township
June 27, 1888

The darkies bitten by the moccasins last week are all up and able to work.  They say that they will not trouble the finny (sic) tribe any more, but will stick to the old reliable dry salt pork.
June 28, 1888

Mr. G.T. WILBORN’S mules got out last Saturday night while up at MR. THOMAS ELLIOTT’S.  One of them came back home, but the other strayed off.  On last Wednesday Mr. Wilborn found his mule dead near FRANK PRINCE’S, colored, house, and discovered that it had been knocked in the head with an axe.  He went to Frank Prince and asked him if he had seen anything of his mule about there within the last few days.  The negro was guilty, and showed it so plainly that Mr. Wilborn had him arrested.  He confessed that he killed the mule, but thought it was THOS. CEPHUS’.  After a preliminary trial he was carried to jail at Greensboro.  We hope that he will have the pleasure of digging coal for quite a number of years for his brutality.

There are eight prisoners in the Hale county jail – all colored.

LANDY OGLETREE, a notoriously bad negro, was tried in the County court last Monday for carrying a concealed pistol, found guilty and fined $255 and in default of the payment of the fine, was sent to the coal mines.

LIST OF JURORS:  The following named persons constitute the Jury to serve at the July term of the County court, which convenes on Monday, July 23rd:

Tom McCrory, J.D. Spigner, Sid Redding, J.A. Mazing, Henry Clary, John Elliott, J.D. Clary, Giles Wyatt, Minor Tidmore, W.H. Sims, F. McJohnson, George Blake, STEARLIN SMITH (colored), F.A. James, John T. Clary, Geoirge M. Nabors, E.J. Stickney, Bob Skinner, Levi Christain, Lewis G. Daniels, John Singley, O.T. Authone, Willie Gordon, E.W. David, John R. Martin, T.W. deYampert, M.F. Dickinson, Calvin Wyatt, Phares Clary, J.D. Summer
July 5, 1888

The mobile register says that on the 27th of June an accident happened at a point one and a half miles north of Hurricane Bayou, on the Mobile and Montgomery division of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, resulting in the death of five persons and the injury of five others.  The accident was caused by a washout into which the fast train, No. 3, south bound, was precipitated and badly wrecked.  The dead are:  JOHN MORGAN, engineer, Mobile. SAMUEL WILLIAMS, colored, mail agent of Montgomery.
August 2, 1888

REUBEN RIGHTOUT, a negro in Mobile county, applied for a pension. Having served in the late war, his application was granted.  He gets a monthly allowance and about eleven hundred dollars back pay.

The colored Democrats held a conference in Indianapolis and passed resolutions endorsing Cleveland and the St. Louis platform on the Tariff question.  They pledged the best efforts of the colored Americans in support of the Democratic ticket.  They appointed a National committee with W.T. SCOTT, of Illinois, as chairman, and F.S. ANDERSON of Pennsylvania, as secretary.

There is in our community an old colored woman named EDITH FOREMAN, who claims to be 115 years old.  She is a native of Virginia.  Indeed, we do not doubt her age at all, for we have questioned her often in regard to her past history and find her dates correct.  The most remarkable feature of her life is that she has not been sick or taken a dose of physic in half a century.  She thinks that a dose of medicine would kill her.  Can any community beat ours for octogenarians and centenarians.

August 8, 1888
New Berne Township
A good many deaths among the darkies in our community during the past ten days.  They are considerably exercised over a protracted form of fever that we have here and diagnosed by the darkies as “dis delay terrified fever”.
August 9, 1888

WM. SIMS, a white man who has been working on Mr. JNO. POWERS’ place near Carthage during the past year, shot and killed a negro man a day or two since for using abusive language to his (Sims’) wife.  Sims left immediately after the killing and has not been heard of since.
August 30, 1888

PAULINE McCOY, a negro woman, charged with the murder of MISS ANNA JORDAN last February, was tried for the crime in Union Springs last week, was found guilty and sentenced to be hung on the 12th of October next.
September 27, 1888
Hollow Square Township

The colored people of Evans’ have erected a nice, commodious church near Mt. Zion.  The noble veteran, CAPT. T. W. COLEMAN, gave them the land, lumber and nails, and besides had the lumber hauled.  The white people of Evans’ contributed liberally.

September 18, 1888
New Berne Township

HENRY ALLEN, colored, met with a serious accident last week at the oil mill. Had his hand nearly cut off at the gin.
September 27, 1888

Greensboro and Hale county have quarantined against Jackson and Meridian, MS, Decatur and Birmingham, AL, and all places in between with yellow fever.
October 11, 1888

There are two murder cases on the criminal docket of the present term of the circuit court, – that of the State vs. JOHN GEORGE for killing B.F. BOIGGS, and that of JACK O. JACKSON, colored for the murder of an old man at Akron some time since.

A very sad accident happened in the Evansville neighborhood on last Saturday.  While out deer hunting MR. B.S. EVANS shot and killed PINK ELLIS, colored.  Mr. Evans, so we are informed, went into the drive, and told Pink to take a certain stand, and not to move before he was called off.  After the dogs had been put on the trail, Mr. Evans concluded to take a stand himself, and as he was approaching it, he thought he saw something moving in the bushes near the point he was making for.  He stopped and looked intently at the object, and came to the conclusion that is was a wild cat.  He took aim and fired.  To his horror and surprise, upon approaching he found that Pink had moved from the place he was at first stationed, and that he had mistaken Pink’s striped coat for a cat, and had killed him.  His grief at the accident was indeed great, as Pink had been with him twelve years or more, was his foreman and most trusted servant, and always went hunting with him.  Mr. Evans bore the funeral expenses, and told Pink’s wife that he would support her and her children until they were large enough to take care of her and themselves.  The noble and generous act is to be commended, and testifies how deeply the accident is regretted by Mr. Evans.
October 18, 1888

ELIAS CROOM recently assaulted ANDREW PEARSON with a ditching shovel inflicting quite a painful wound in the left side, both colored.

MR. G.B. BISHOP shot and seriously wounded a negro in the Evansville neighborhood on last Saturday.  The only particulars we could gather in reference to the affair were that Mr. Bishop had his gun while the quarrel was going on, and final termination of the fuss was that he shot the darkey in both legs about the knee.  The gun was loaded with bird shot.

In the case of the State vs. HARRY SHARP, colored, tried on Monday last, charged with burning DR. J.D. BROWDER’S gin house near Gallion a year or more since, the Jury returned a verdict of not guilty.  Messrs. Coleman & Coleman appeared for the defendant.
October 25, 1888

Several days ago, JOHN HILL, a respectable negro planter, was found dead in his field with his throat cut and fifteen other knife wounds about his body.  A few days later, FRANK EVANS’ body was found hidden in a thicket near the town with his head nearly severed from the body.  Wednesday morning last, the body of ISRAEL JONES, and inoffensive farm hand living three miles out, was found in the Coosa river with the entrails cut out and other wise mutilated, giving unmistakable signs of a foul murder.  Again this morning the body of a fourth unknown victim, believed by many to be a white man, but recognition is impossible, was found in the suburban w_?_o’s.
October 30, 1888
New Berne Township

The health of our community is not so good.  We have a persistent, pernicious form of fever, the so-called “typho-malerial (sic) fever” that is very fatal among the colored people, and the legendary “black camel” during the past two weeks has visited the huts of a good many darkies and borne them across the dark river into the far beyond.
November 1, 1888

From  Prof. C.A. GROTE, Hale’s most efficient Superintendent of Public Instruction, we learn that for the scholastic year of 1887-88 the amount paid out for white schools was $1,665.08; average length of white schools days, 62; average pay of white teachers per month, $19.54.   The amount paid out for colored schools was $5,860.12; average length of colored schools in days, 115; average pay of teachers, $37.57; number of scholars enrolled in white schools, 697; colored 3,464.  Amount of public money received, $7,755.50; amount paid to teachers., $7,525.35.  The total State appropriation for 1889-89 for Hale is $7,191.10, of which amount $1,184.35 is for white and $6,006.75 is for colored schools.  Total number of white children enumerated, 1,526; colored, 9,553.
November 15, 1888

The School Fund
Editor Watchman:  Please give us space in the columns of your valuable paper for a few words on the all important question of Education.  Seeing the report of our most efficient County Superintendent, Prof. C.A. Grote, last week, has caused us to think much upon this vital question. We notice that the colored race receives about five-sixths of the money appropriated by the State of Alabama for the cause of education.  We notice that while the white race pays at least 90 percent of the taxes, their schools average only 62 days per year, while the colored schools run 115 days.  These things ought not so to be.  Justice would say that each should furnish the money for its own education.  We claim that is not right to educate the black race and neglect our own.  We contend if the Legislature of Alabama has a right to divide the poll tax according to race, it has a right to set apart a State appropriation according to race and, we believe that such appropriations should be based upon the revenue raised by said races.  We contend that the present system is much worse than no funds.  As it stands, one race pays the taxes and the other gets the benefit of it, and that race is worthless both to Church and State.  We humbly trust that the next General Assembly of our State will do something to heal up the wounds of our race.  May God put it in the hearts of our Legislators to rightly consider the poor white children of Alabama.  May the next General Assembly of Alabama foretell the appearing of the day star (sic) that shall redeem our race from ignorance.  We do not presume to dictate to our Legislature, but we ask a careful consideration of this matter.  I repeat, it is unjust to take the money raised by the white race to education the negro, giving him a free school of 115 days per year, and the white only 62 days.  Give us the New England system.  Levy a school tax on both races and keep it separate, and do away with the present unfair system.  Give “Mr. Nig” all you collect from him, and our race all collect from it, then we will see how the schools average.  Let the State supplement the negro’s funds and thereby education them.  Now Mr. Editor, please pardon me for intruding upon your valuable space.  May God grant that our race may arouse from their lethargic state and education their sons and daughters.
November 20, 1888
New Berne Township
It is our sad duty to chronicle the death of NORRIS HUGGINS, colored.  Uncle Norris was respected and loved by both white and black.  He leaves a wife 85 years old.

The death angel is hovering around the door of “UNCLE DOC FRYERSON”, one of the best colored citizens in our town.  When this continued fever once gets a hold on a person, it never knows when to stop.

SAM WALLACE, colored, while out hunting this morning met with a serious accident.  He fell with his hand over the muzzle of the gun and it was discharged taking off part of the hand.  The wound was dressed by DR. WEDGEWORTH.  You sporting men had better keep your weather eye open.
November 22, 1888

Two Alabamians Fight to the Death in Darkened Room
Birmingham, AL (Nov. 11th)
Some time ago DR. ROBERT NABERS, residing at Montevallo, this State, employed W.W. SHORTRIDGE, a lawyer, to collect a few claims against delinquent patients. The returns were not satisfactory and the men quarreled, but parted without coming to blows.  Word has just reached here that last Saturday, Nabers called at Shortridge’s office and the trouble broke out again.  They finally agreed to fight with bowie knives in a darkened room near the office.  Removing their coats and shoes, the men entered the room and fought blindly, but desperately for nearly ten minutes.  The duel was one of the most vicious ever known in Alabama.  Persons living in the lower story heard the noise as the duelists rolled upon the floor and ran upstairs.  When the door was broken open Nabers staggered into the office with blood streaming from a dozen gashes in his face and breast.  Without saying a word he rushed down the stairs, still clasping a gory knife in his hand.  Lying upon the floor of the room was Shortridge.  His head had been slashed in a fearful manner.  The arteries of his neck had been severed, one eye had been gouged out and his hands were cut so terribly the fingers hung only by the tendons.  The man was dead.  Nabers, after leaving the office, ran out upon the street where his bleeding face and gory garments spread consternation among the Negroes.  The doctor seemed to be crazed with pain and staggered wildly along the streets until he reached a store, where ALBERT KEENAN, a negro, stood in the doorway.  Without saying a word, Nabers rushed at Keenan and struck at him with the knife, which he still held in his hand.  The negro started to run into the store, when the now thoroughly insane man made another desperate lunge at him.  Keenan seized a gun which was lying upon the counter and then turned to face the mad man, who was in the act of making another swing with his knife.  The two men clinched, but Nabers, who was weak from the loss of blood, was no match for his antagonist, and was quickly thrown upon the floor.  Before he could get on his feet again, Keenan dealt him a terrible blow upon the head with the stock of the gun and, leaping over his body, he ran into the street and cannot now be found.  Nabers never regained consciousness.  Both bodies were buried yesterday, the funerals being largely attended.
November 29, 1888
Notes from Powers’

JOHN FINDLAY arrested a negro, GEO. PATTON, for stealing meat on last Saturday night.  After trying him, he turned him over to JOHN KING for safe keeping until the necessary papers could be taken out.  During the night the negro made his escape.  King shot at him with his pistol as he ran off.  The next morning about a dozen negro men, members of the Knights of Labor, marched up to King’s house and wanted to know why he had shot George Patton.  Mr. King explained that he only shot at him.  Query:  What does all of this mean? (something very bad indeed for the Negroes if they persist in such as this).
November 29, 1888
Notes from Dominick’s

Recently a little negro boy, while amusing himself by putting sticks on the segments of the cog wheel of MR. JAS. MADISON’S gin, to see the pinion break then, was caught in the band wheel, and his hips were carried under the band shaft, when little JIMMIE MADISON saw his condition and stopped the team.  His life was saved, but he will bear marks of his folly for time to come.
December 10, 1888
Newsy Notes from Hollow Square

One of our colored renters, WOODWARD TRAVIS, had the misfortune not long since of smothering his baby to death by lying on it.

On the 30th ult., MR. B.S. EVANS missed one of his hogs from his lot.  He began to look around and saw where the hog had been killed.  He went and got MR. SEABORN TRAVIS to help him to trail it up.  It was found in the house of PETER RICH, one of Mr. Evans’ renters.  It was proven that it was killed and carried there by one JOE JACKSON, son of the late JOE JACKSON who died at the coal mines a few years ago.  He was sent there for stealing a drummer’s sample case at Carthage.  Peter Rich is Joe’s stepfather, and Joe was arrested at once and tried before CAPT. N.H. GEWIN and the bond fixed at $200 each, which they failed to make.  MR. W.M. SAMPLE then took the gentlemen and escorted them to jail.  Peter was liked by all the white people that knew him, but keeping bad company has got him into trouble.
December 13, 1888
New Berne Township

One of the strangest cases of sickness that has ever been in our town is that of “UNCLE DOC FRYERSON”, one of the most respected colored citizens in our village.  His pulse and temperature are normal, yet he refused all nourishment and says that he wants to go “home”, and is truly dying of asthenia or starvation in this land of plenty, just as many of the soldiers died during the late war of nostalgia or a longing for home.