November 10, Thursday Early Afternoon

Sprunt Compress Employees, New Hanover County Public Library

The fire bell alarmed black workers as far away as Front Street at the Sprunt Cotton Compress. Several hundred bewildered workers stopped work and gathered ourside. According to one news account, the men informed Sprunt that they were "hard working...and that the whites ought not to stir them up and terrorize then." Sprunt promised them safety. A mob of whites approached the scene and threatened to fire into the crowd. Armed, some whites wanted to "kill the whole gang of negroes," but Sprunt and other whites refused, as it was little less than murder." George Rountree had called for the rapid fire gun at the armory but later denied to help calm the crowd. Eventually, the crowd dispersed and the African-American workers attempted to return home. (WRRR 131-133).