Degradation 
 White Men of the West, your Kasier 
 Brethren ask you to Assist them. 
 
 f 
 eee 
 
 oat 
 
 Worse that Js. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Wits Me af Cara, Head Whe Paloma, 
 
 
 
 
 
 In order to save the Expense of keeping up a Poor House, or 
 for some other reason, the sick and afflicted Paupers cf 
 Jones County are hired out by the Negro Radical Board of 
 County Commissioners to themselves and other Negroes. 
 
 
 
 
 
 TRENTON, Jones County, July 20, 1876. 
 
 Str :—I find on examination of the records and other sources, that 
 at January term, 1873, of Commissioners’ Court of this county, a Mrs. 
 Nancy King, (white, and three children) were let out at auction to the 
 lowest bidder and was bid off by a negro who can neither read or 
 
 _ write, at the price of $5.50 per month. 
 
 At the same term, # Mrs. LucyLockley, (white,) aged and blind, 
 was bid off by another ignorant negio, who can neither read or write. 
 
 At April term, 1875, Sam’! Metts| (white and blind,) having a wile 
 and several children, was bid off ly a negro Commissioner at $5.00 
 per month. 
 
 At the same time, a white man named Alfred Davis, was bid off to 
 another Commissioner at $4.00 per nenth. 
 
 At April term, 1876, Sam’l Metts|the blind man named above, was 
 bid off by an ignorant negro at $4.5q per month. 
 
 At the same time, Alfred Davis, ramed above, who is afflicted with 
 cancer, was bid off by a negro at $575 per month. 
 
 There were many others bid far by negroes,-but not bid off by 
 
 
 
 \ 
 
 them. | 
 The Board of Commissioners ea of two white Radicals and 
 
 three negroes. If you need any nore testimony to corroborate the 
 facts above stated, it can be procured by scores of witnesses. 
 
 Very respéctfually, 
 
 | BENJ. ASKEW. 
 
 The facts above stated were verified from the records of Jones 
 county by Hon. Thomas J. Jarvis and Maj. J. A. Engelhard, in the 
 presence of Jake Scott, the Republicin member of Legislature, and a 
 large crowd of Republicans and Deniocrats. 
 
 Also, at Wilmington, New Hanover county, a hard-working and 
 respectable white man named Charles Ellis, died just before the war, 
 leaving a widow and two boys. The eldest boy went into the war and 
 was killed. 
 
 The widow rented one of her out kouses to a negro named Joseph 
 Hill. Mrs. Ellis died. Joseph Hill then took possession of her house, 
 and also took possession of her little boy (Johnny.) Maj. J. C. Mann, 
 the Radical Judge of Probate, gave the legal custody of Johnny to the 
 negro, Joe. C. ‘Hill, who has for eight years lived in the boy’s house, 
 and has had Johnny Ellis as his servant, waiting on him and nursing 
 his negro children. / 
 
 Joseph (. Hill is the negro candidate for the House of Representa- 
 tives from New Hanover. 
 
 
 
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