Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly: A Story of the Wilmington Massacre.Thorne, Jack
History
Hanover; Or The Persecution of the Lowly: A Story of the Wilmington Massacre.
Thorne, Jack
African Americans -- North Carolina -- Wilmington -- Fiction; Wilmington (N.C.) -- History -- Fiction
The 10th day of November, 1898, can never be forgotten. I will not close
this narrative without mentioning an act of bravery performed by a lone
woman which stopped the vulgar and inhuman searching of women in our
section of the city. The most atrocious and unpardonable act of the mob
was the wanton disregard for womanhood. Lizzie Smith was the first woman
to make a firm and stubborn stand against the proceeding in the southern
section. It was near the noon hour when Lizzie, homeward bound, reached
the corner of Orange and Third streets. A block away she saw a woman
struggling to free herself from the grasp of several men who were, in
turn, slapping her face and otherwise abusing her. The woman fought
until her clothes were torn to shreds; then with a shove the men allowed
her to proceed on her way. Lizzie could have saved herself by running
away, but anger at such cowardice had chased away every vestige of fear.
She leisurely walked up to where the fight was going on. "Halt," said
one of the ruffians to Lizzie, "an' let's see how many razors you got
under them duds. That tother wench was er walkin' arsennel. Come now!"
roared the man, "none er your cussed impert'nence." Lizzie, instead of
assaying to comply, akimbowed and looked defiantly at the crowd about
her. "Oh, yo' po' white trash." "Shut up or we'll settle you an' have
done with it," said the leader, making a motion toward his hip pocket.
"Yo' will, eh!" answered the girl, "yo' kan't skeer me. But ef yo'
wanter search me I'll take off ma clothes, so yo' won't have ter tear
'em," and Lizzie began to hurriedly unfasten her bodice. "Yo've got ter
search me right," she continued, throwing off piece after piece; "yo'll
fin' I am jes' like yo' sisters an' mammies, yo' po' tackies." "That'll
do," growled one of the men, as Lizzie was unbuttoning the last piece.
"Oh, no," returned the girl, "I'm goin' ter git naked; yer got ter see
that I'm er woman." White women were looking on from their windows at
this sight so shocking. One had the courage to shout "Shame! how dare
you expose that woman in that manner?" "Them's the curnel's orders,"
replied the leader, raising his hat. "Who is the Colonel, and what right
has he to give such orders?" shrieked the woman. "You ought to be
ashamed of yourselves for your own wives and daughters' sakes." The men
skulked away and left Lizzie victor on the field. Yours for justice and
right,
ADELAIDE PETERSON.
CHAPTER XIV.
The Flight of Reverend Selkirk.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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