More About That Trouble
October 24, 1896
Summary
More information about Officer Foster’s brutal treatment of Susie Brown and Peyton Cox, an update of an article from the previous issue.
Transcription
Surprise is expressed on all sides that such gross injustice should be visited upon Daniel Nicholas, Susan Brown, Edward Brown, and Peyton Cox as was shown in our issue of the 17th inst.
We are informed that Officer W. T. Foster, not only invaded the home of Mr. Peyton Cox, interrupting him and his visitors, while at late breakfast, but actually beat Mr. Edward Brown's daughter with a stick, tearing the clothes from her body and exposing her person.
He arrested the lady who protested and the head of the house, Mr. Cox languishes in jail because he essayed to defend a woman.
Will the outrages perpetrated upon our people never cease? Will the Board of Police Commissioners forever be blind to the outrageous capers of one of the officers?
Here are three men and one girl sixteen years of age languishing in jail, when they should be unmolested and unconfined.
Upon what testimony, pray could Justice John J Crutchfield have fined these people for $25 each and required a security for twelve months of $300 each? Perhaps he did not have all of the evidence before him. Perhaps he did not know that Mr. Foster had himself violated the law, in entering without a warrant the confines of a citizen’s home. Perhaps he did not know that Mr. Foster struck a woman, beat her with a stick, while she was in a helpless, crying, pleading condition. Perhaps he was not aware of the fact that this strong, brawny policeman tore the clothes from her quivering body, dragged her through the hallway and to the street after having brutally assaulted her.
White men of Virginia, what think ye of this? Colored men of the Common wealth, what say you of the outrage?
Would you have done other than Peyton Cox did? Would you have seen helpless maidenhood thus treated without going to the rescue?
We are sometimes led to wonder what some of these prejudiced white men expect of us We are led to ponder whether they think that we will eternally submit to such treatment.
We are free to admit that the thugs, the brutes in uniform are getting fewer each year that we live and that the gentlemen are on the increase, but nevertheless, this manifestation of brutality stirs every spark of manhood in our make-up and causes us to demand once more the exercise of justice.
Officer W. T. Foster, you beat Susan Brown, you outraged womanhood, and you have thereby merited the contempt of not only colored men, but the white men as well.
Sleep on Peyton Cox, upon your prison couch. They may incarcerate you upon the eve of an election and cause your dependent family to suffer, but a reckoning day is coming bye and bye.
A thousand times would we rather see you in your forlorn condition than the brute in uniform who assaulted a helpless maiden.
But God will bring all things right in his own time. Liberal minded white men are sympathizing with us and many are being induced to espouse out cause.
As for us we shall plead your case at the bar of public opinion as long as you are confined in the city jail, and its reverberations will be heard long you have secured your release.
A coward would hardly assault a woman: some brutes would hesitate before they undertook the task.
We are informed that Officer W. T. Foster, not only invaded the home of Mr. Peyton Cox, interrupting him and his visitors, while at late breakfast, but actually beat Mr. Edward Brown's daughter with a stick, tearing the clothes from her body and exposing her person.
He arrested the lady who protested and the head of the house, Mr. Cox languishes in jail because he essayed to defend a woman.
Will the outrages perpetrated upon our people never cease? Will the Board of Police Commissioners forever be blind to the outrageous capers of one of the officers?
Here are three men and one girl sixteen years of age languishing in jail, when they should be unmolested and unconfined.
Upon what testimony, pray could Justice John J Crutchfield have fined these people for $25 each and required a security for twelve months of $300 each? Perhaps he did not have all of the evidence before him. Perhaps he did not know that Mr. Foster had himself violated the law, in entering without a warrant the confines of a citizen’s home. Perhaps he did not know that Mr. Foster struck a woman, beat her with a stick, while she was in a helpless, crying, pleading condition. Perhaps he was not aware of the fact that this strong, brawny policeman tore the clothes from her quivering body, dragged her through the hallway and to the street after having brutally assaulted her.
White men of Virginia, what think ye of this? Colored men of the Common wealth, what say you of the outrage?
Would you have done other than Peyton Cox did? Would you have seen helpless maidenhood thus treated without going to the rescue?
We are sometimes led to wonder what some of these prejudiced white men expect of us We are led to ponder whether they think that we will eternally submit to such treatment.
We are free to admit that the thugs, the brutes in uniform are getting fewer each year that we live and that the gentlemen are on the increase, but nevertheless, this manifestation of brutality stirs every spark of manhood in our make-up and causes us to demand once more the exercise of justice.
Officer W. T. Foster, you beat Susan Brown, you outraged womanhood, and you have thereby merited the contempt of not only colored men, but the white men as well.
Sleep on Peyton Cox, upon your prison couch. They may incarcerate you upon the eve of an election and cause your dependent family to suffer, but a reckoning day is coming bye and bye.
A thousand times would we rather see you in your forlorn condition than the brute in uniform who assaulted a helpless maiden.
But God will bring all things right in his own time. Liberal minded white men are sympathizing with us and many are being induced to espouse out cause.
As for us we shall plead your case at the bar of public opinion as long as you are confined in the city jail, and its reverberations will be heard long you have secured your release.
A coward would hardly assault a woman: some brutes would hesitate before they undertook the task.
About this article
Source
Location on Page
Upper Left Quadrant
Topic
Contributed By
Liam Eynan
Citation
“More About That Trouble,” Black Virginia: The Richmond Planet, 1894-1909, accessed May 12, 2025, https://blackvirginia.richmond.edu/items/show/1605.