Description
The Colored Troops Fought Nobly - - Thanksgiving night Prof. T. V. Reynolds of the colored public school gave an entertainment in his hall in North Platte City. The exercises were given by the colored children and a small admittance fee charged.
Everything was progressing nicely and quietly when John Burch, Al Sonia, Dick Doyle, Bill Andersen, four negro boys, assisted by Clara and Sue Brasfield, commenced a free fight, cursing and using bad language.
Reynolds stopped his concert and called upon Austin Lewis and James Melton to preserve the peace and put out the offending parties. This they attempted to do but found it a pretty hard task. The disturbers were getting the best of melee when Marshall Dillingham appeared on the scene and arrested Burch, Sonia, Doyle and Brown and lodged them in the city jail.
It seems that there are two factions of colored people in Platte City. One set that tries to work and keep themselves respectable, educate their children and have some regards for morals, while the other set is opposed to them in every particular. Every time the better class have an entertainment the rowdy class go and try to break it up.
Reynolds the colored teacher is of course hated by the worse negroes and Thanksgiving night they determined to break up his concert.
The town authorities are determined to break up this rowdy element and protect the more orderly negroes. The negroes in jail and those not arrested are all old offenders and should be handled to the full extent of law - and the law contemplates more than a dollar fine.
Saturday Brown and Anderson were brought before Mayor Beery and fined $6 and $10 each, while Burch, Sonia and Doyle were each fined $10 with $7 worth of cost.
Judge Beery’s prompt action, in this matter, meets with the hearty approval of all respectable citizens, and he promises to double the dose at the next offense.Date(s) of Creation
12/8/1893
