The Index-Journal from Greenwood, South Carolina • Page 54

EMS COMPANY tory of 'The Phoenix Riot' of Nov. 8, 1898 Told by James A. Hoyt, of Washington D. In Paper Read To Cosmos Club of Columbia HAS 20 STATIONS spring and several men were lodg road, aa did the preacher in Geor gla who accepted two bales of cot' the first reports it was noted tbat he had engaged board in one of the ed in jail, but to this day the Whit man slaying remains unsolved. District Agency Here own achedule thy axternooni re- called that he was looking out of the window of an office on the second floor of the then National Bank (Continued from Page Five) ton on his salary and In North Carolina a sheriff almost agreed to Some time after" the killing the swap a prisoner for a certain quan tlty of the fleeey staple.

to vote for R. Tolbert, the Re need not be jiialntained by mob Covers WideTejprw y. tory In Growing Business city, through City. Attorney Henry publican candidate for congress in Thjn wu no URA to come to their assistance; no AAA nor FCA. Cotton was selling at least than six vengeance, "rife must keep our hands and lieWfs unstained by boJuUqp, On the following Monday ne saw the Third district of said state, de and engaged Pin leer ton detective.

That 1914, also was excep th tronrer nwt Kl mui mk blood if we would have the ap siring And intending to vote for the to come here, for an investigation, tional In another respect. There heuses where suspects lived and worked aide by side with, some of themr- He gave the minutest detail hit every move bx the, hour day nd night, rea4.bout Jt without seeing the, fellow who was was too newspaper man and the lawyer, so the decided to "turn detective; themselves! (,.,. 1 u. I II They would try, remember some incident in report that would The Texas company, represented the union, passenger station and he The detective' agency requested the In this immediate territory by H. P.

Was more bloodshed in the com munlty, than for many years before said R. Tolbert, and upon attempting to so. vote, was denied the right to so vote, and hut vote per pound, and there was no suction that ths United States government should "peg the price" at Jven U-at figure Just half the posted price or 1934. the same issue, December 31, Payne, consignee, busi A young man or south Greenwood proval of our consciences or merit the confidence of the country. "Such an affair as that 1ft breen-wood county," The StauWm an editorial probably wrltfif by Mr, Rice) 'sets back for year the solu-i ness grow to substantial propor thus offered to the.

proper officers choked his wife to death end then tions on th, sUfngth bcg9 of th, flJee of tne newspapers, rig cr count, of all the coroner's bearing and then nian waa senherfl, put all that the city attorney, knew, a-bout, 't a carbon, copy, of his daily reports. The elective got a was rejected. appeal of the procjuct iuelf and of broke her neck. Another man slew his neighbor In a market on Christ And the further cauea ar. you want to see your detective come over to the depot right quick." Ws the message.

The city attorney and the rt porter met in less than, two min- utes and there was. Jhe fellow who had reDortiCd, Ulklng fa Jhe, known Greenwood man on ie Far-r MeianUV Bn orner the Saturday before, it is wonder- business-like handling of the trade. states that prior to such attempt to. identify a sifter and they pach- Thg State had a leading editorial rpmbably written by James Henry RlvJ. Jr') deploring the causes whfth gave rise to this exodus but AW, Brice Uhe manager of this mas Day and a short time before that killing the body or a young vote, and as required by statue, he had applied for registration under tion of our and ties the hands of those white men Who are most kindly toward the Negro and most anxious for good will be Job in a mill and never at an time let it be known who he was.

business at Greenwood, and through ed every stranjer closely but with out result for days. Finally, the reporter read one cf the ac his management lius grown and the laws of South Carolina, being man named C. Whitman with his throat cut was found in the Orphanage woods. afoertlng that it would be salutary come to occupy a place of large im entitled to such but tween the races. We deplore It Those reports were absorbingly if pie Negroes left that section in w.nemerne aus- portance in the business Jifejjf, this greatly.

lar numbers and could be re had been refusal and denied the right to rFgister, and he further ULKH UC1UM BlnUUMEU hi, MM section. That perhaps was the most sen Both writers of these editorials Interesting and after they had. beep coming ew days fche urtoeity of the, reporter, and the city attorney countings ip dUcptve referred to having wit'a. a well-known Greenwood r.u.i) tyov 4 o'clock on a certain atutday at-terpoqn on tne thep 'J plied by white farmers. Tlie writ rotated out the evils of the Ne sational murder of a quarter century in the immediate community feroa tenant system and pictured were reared in that section.

Hemp hill in Abbeville and Rice in Oreen wood. 1 day morning two men cave him oveT" a close range! 3ut the detective never did flnd out who killed J. C. Whitman.1 7 (Continued in Eighth 'Section) was so aroused they wanted, to see the detective with their own eyca. states that it he had been iermli-ted to register and to vote at said election he would have yoted for R.

R. Tolbert. the Republican candidate for congress in district. Signed because it had the clernents of mystery. The coroner's Jurjf met and Merchants' Btnk corner.

The ro porter remembered having sesn llif Tiie reports pf Ills goings and com The constitution or 1895 had not recessed and met and recessed until ings -were too wraith-like. Among local citizen anl by checking h-i; i been tested in the courts. Its avow nr'. if i y-i-. a ed purpose had been to dlsfranchjse the Negroes; to make legal and thebenefits ta come from the substitution of white tenants not wle owners.

Thomas, the Socialist barter, Is saying much the same thliW "now that Henry Rice may he Jest In peace! said it in much better English and with much more kncjledge of what he was talking abrtftt. ft Caoset of the Trouble constitutional the situation which Witnessps had been a political reality since Personally apiearcd and 1878. Governor Tillman had con tended for this as some of the car made oath that the above is cor red. COLUMBIA, S. C.

CREENSDORO, N. C. CHARLOTTE, N. C. dinal policies for which he had fought and he was politically su preme in Soutb Carolina, from Iis not at all likely that the Tol 1892 to 1902, and very powerful for GREENVILLE, S.

C. Notary Public S--. C. November 8, 1989 In every congressional district In DURHAM, NI C. berjj had advised violence at the pom or that they even expected it many years But the con stltutional convention of 1895 was tha day.

All circumstances indi 'hi h.vji- South Carolina, the Republican composed of men of both factions, party had a candidate for congress. Tiltmanltes" and "antl-Tillman LWa Here was the vote, as reported In The Stale, November 9: cat that they did not expect any suck) thing; they would httve made a $lte different disposition of theft forces had they any such ex-prcSitlon. But In order to secure the affidavits, which them-ttm were quite unobjectionable, it ites." The suffrage provisions of the constitution were the subject of some of the ablest debates ever heard in South Carolina's State First District: William Elliott, in cumbent, rvniorrat, 1, 938; George W. Murray, Republican, 660. Photo by Nichols A.

W. BRICB Tills company serves Shout 0 sta House. There were differences of opinion, but no division or faction Second: W. Jusper Talbert no wanot at all necessary for them al lines on this question, and a sin to set up a separate and pseudo tions with th 3 Texas company pro rglatiniv to pie Tolberbi), Incumbent, Democrat, 529; D. P.

Chat- cere determination to provide for the state election requirements ducts, and in addition serves a "bajjot box." Dropping the affldav it Jh an unauthorized "ballot box' Auto ficld. Republican, 30. Finance Conip number of large business enterprises didtfiot add anything to the legal Third: A. C. Latimer, incumbent, which would ensure "white supremacy." The provisions finally and industries in this locality.

Truck effectiveness of the affidavits. In an Democrat, 960, R. R. Tolbert, deliveries are made promptly and unaSthorused "ballot box" did notf adopted were similar to the suff- Republican, 107. and the high character rage provisions of the "Mississippi plan," adopted not long before.

Fourth: Stanyarne Wilson in addjinything to the legal effectlve-nesf of the affidavits. But it did ap SOUTH MAIN SJREET GRECrnVOOD, 0. cumbent. Democrat. 230; Pratt S.

The Mississippi constitution had of the service combined with the quality of the product has contributed to the prosperity of this, firm-Mr. Brice is a prominent, progres Eubcr, Republican, 27. stood the test of the courts. Fifth: D. E.

Finlcy, Democrat. The Tolberts had, as leaders of sive citizen, a member of the Lions 583; John F- Jones, Republican, 50. the Republican party in the state, club, and of the Presbyterian Sixth: James Norton, incumbent. church. He is nnave of Chester Eemccrat, 970; Junius 11.

Evans, determined to make a test of the new Squth Carolina, constitution. Their determination probably did Republican 33. county, a of P. and an alert, progressive business man. He ts atolll4iCont)4TJimi Seventh: J.

William Stokes, in not have the approval and sanction cumbent, Democrat, 5G7, J. li. iVcs of the McKlnlcy admlnlstratjpn it mle Jones and Wlnfred Edwards, ton. Republican, 129. 4' self, but it certainly had the sympathy Of powerful influences in the Republican party, in congress and out- R.

R. Tolbert was chairman of the Republican state committee. truck drivers and salesmen upon whose efforts and close attention to work are due very largely the first class service that has been the foundation for the healthy expan WE HELP KEEP GREENWOOD SPIC AND SPAN His father. Col. John R.

Tolbert, sion of this business. was collector of customs at Char leston, 1 and was the dominating personality of the family. R. R. Mr.

Brice gives close and constant supervision to every phase of the business and has never failed to avail himself of every opportunity to extend the business farther into this field. He has given to it the Tolbert became the Republican candidate for congress in the Third district against the incumbent Democratic nominee, Asbury MODERN Plant in a modern Greenwood Having; oW part in the business structure pf Greenwood gives us a sense- of, well being and satisfaction as to the future. The Buzzard Roost Hy-dro-Electric Development fives Greenwood first bid to industry. i ft Our finely equipped plant and expert launderers and cleaners give us first bid on your laundry and dry cleaning requirements same forthright application of ener C. Latimer of Anderson, later Un ited States Senator.

A Republican gy that has gone into his activities as a citizen. He has always been ready to lend his efforts to worthy community enterprises and has made this business an economic candidate was put up in every other congressional district, but it was evident that the test of the election peal to the Negro's credulity. Many of Qiem doubtless thought they were voting for "Mister Tolbert" whejj they were not. lwas this understanding of Negro psychology which ted Ethridge analthe other white men to object to he separate box and to make thest protest against a proceeding whlgh was Ineffective In law. and Irrifatlng at best That these objection! nd protests were intended to be violent is also most improbable.

But the keg of powder was there, andjthe match. The explosion was easy to produce. was nothing to indicate that- either Ethridge or Tom armed. The shooting was started by some one else, after the physical conflict between these two mi began. t.

lit order to understand the affair furthermore, it is necessary to realise that the carrying of firearm was at that time not uncommon In spite of the stringent law against carrying "concealed weapons the habit of carrying pistols was quite prevalent, a habit that hadSlts genesis in the experiences of fhe Confederate war and that hadMbeen kept alive by the turbu-lenconditlons of the "Rsconiitruc-tlotf period. Not every man "toted a gun," but many did. There would alw's be some weapons among sues a crowd as that which would naturally gather around a country precinct on election day. However, thaC there were rifles or shotguns, certginly rifles, used in the Phoenix affray might lead to the conclusion tha there was premeditation. Even that circumstance might be explained, as It was the hunting season Newspapers Kpeak Out The fight against lynching and other forms of lawlessness which CatjJ P.

W. Dawson had made for laws was to have been made in the factor of importance in the. community life. Third district, and that the precinct of Phoenix, in Greenwood county, was selected for the purpose of the test case. Evidence was and was courteously furnished by Phone 3316 For Prompt Delivery GRENDEL LAUNBEY Mr.

Watson, with a dry goods box on which the special election box was placed. The regular election boxes were Inside the store, on the produced that for some time prior to election day meetings of Negroes were held in the cammunity and addressed by some of the Tolberts. second floor of the building. Ethe-ridge, from another precinct, came The Negroes were instructed that on election day they should present themselves at the Phoenix DRY CLEANING up and demanded the removal of Tom's box and also demanded that aovtti CRccirrrcoD Tom cease taking affidavits. Upon Tom's refusal, Ethertdge kicked over the box and struck Tom on the head with a piece of board.

The general fight then ensued, iii which Etherldge was short and killed. Tolbert's Statement According, to the statement made In Washington by R. Tolbert, it had been planned that his cousin, R. L. Henderson, should represent the Tolberts at the Phoenix precinct on election day, but Henderson's mother was fatally ill the night before election and Thomas Tolbert volunteered to take Henderson's place- Mrs.

Henderson died Monday night. Thomas Tolbert went to Phoenix. R. Tolbert was at Abbeville court house on election day, and his father, John R. Tolbert, voted at Bradley, his home precinct.

Col. Tolbert, collector of customs at Charleston, had come up to vote. The account or the affair given to the, New York Independent, by R. R. Tolbert while he was in Washington a week or two after the trouble was well prepared, and In the main was accurate as to the occurrences at Phoenix.

In saying this, I am conscientiously returning a compliment, for in later years, when my newspaper work brought me, as a reporter, into occasional contact with "Red" Tolberts he hardly ever failed to express his appreciation ior the fairness of my i reports of "the pheenix riot." In his staTement, Tolbert went at length into conditions in South Carolina and boasted of his own and his family's standing, referring to the record of his father as a Confederate wldier. He said that he himself owned 2,800 acres of land in the State and that he was worth from $50,000 to $60,000. "My whole offense," he said, "consists in belonging to an unpopular political party and to my preference for negroes who work hard and pay their way and try to do right over the shiftless white trash who are the curse of a Southern Tolbert went on to say that his cousin, Henderson, chairman of the Republican township committee, had been warned by J. M. Gaines, Democratic County Chairman "to keep out of trouble, as the Democrats had decided that it would' be better to kill two or three white men and settle the thing than to let the niggers and have to kill a whole tot of people later." In spite of this warning.

If it was given, Tom Tolbert proceeded to carry put the plan which Henderson was to have executed, and Tom went to the Phoenix precinct on election day. According- to Tolbert's account, he set up the separate box, on the porch of the Watson store, ask to vote, and. upon refusal, sign affidavits that would be the basis both for a court teat and for1 a contest of Congressman's Latimer's seat-a profitable "racket" at that time among Republican politicians In the South. The State of December 17 quotes Joe Tolbert 'The box at Phoenix was dispensed with Just exactly 30 years ago. In 1808.

when Grant was a candi R. R. Tolbert stated, in his ac count, that Ethridge friend, Cheatham "started the shooting" and that Tom was unarmed. 'i w. frT'1 COMPLETE 11 According to R.

R. Tolbert's ac count, Tom, badly wounded, walked away from1 the scene, alone, as no one dared go to his assistance- Af date for president, Col. John R. Tolbert cast his ballot at that box. There was on that day a riot and ter walking about a mile, he fell.

and was later taken tchls home by someone. His father, John R. Tolbert, 63 To. be a pqrt of is a privilege iwe appreciate. To show this, apf3reciation we have tried to serve our customers more fujly as Jj every.

PPte m0aviiSe -a a meats with prices as low and sometimes. loWef irt other sections. -f The most modern equipment ii installed including cur refrig years of age, had expected to return that night to Charleston, af so esany years in The News and Coiner had, after his murder, been cand on by graduates Of his pa-perW. C. Hemphill in The News andjeourier and the Gonzales bro-thevi in The State.

Concerning, the Orejfiwood lynchlngs. Major Hemphill "In The News and Courier's edltjlal columns, said: "These Ne-groeg were not shot In the act of committing crime, or in attempting to $cape from the pursuit of the mob or in resisting the purposes of theig captors; but they were shot to eath while seated on a log, without protest or prayer." "It was manifestation of barbarism which no law-abiding man will approve; and which will rightly be charged egabut the 'civilization' of the tt- This editorial went on to eration. We are on our way with a Greater Greenwood' the box was discontinued until last winter when it was restored by the legislature In his statement In the New York Independent, elsewhere referred to, R. R. Tolbert said that there were three forms of affidavits prepared for be used fon Negroes who cotild neither read nor to' be signed with a mark; one for those who could sigh their names but could not read; and another tor those who could both read and write.

Here is one of the affidavits forms; Blank. No. State of South -Carolina: This certifies that the undersigned, being over the age of 21. male resident of the voting precinct of Ward nd legally qualified to register and vote, therein, did, on this, the 8th day of November, 1898, present himself at the said voting precinct mm ter voting at Bradley. He heard of the trouble "at' Phoenix fobablyi by messengerand learning that Tom had been wounded, started In a buggy, with a little grand-son, to Tom's-v house.

A crowd of men had gone and Col. Tolbert had to drive through this crowd. As he turned the buggy into the drive way, shots were tired from the crowd. R. R.

said that 38 bird shot struck his father in the head and 27 duck shot lodged in his body, (Evidently none of the guns used were loaded with buck shot, and the shooting must have been at long range.) However, it was a top buggy, and1 this may have aaved Col. Tolbert -and his grandson from more serious injury, (Continued on Page ft. Cot. 1) con'mn the inaction of the state' administration, which was character i as "utter incapacity or brutal Indifference." Protesting in the rani of "the majority ofthe white 3 of the state." He Nea-s and Cou'riiT "white, supremacy" 4m t4 mm 1 7.