Matthew Bullock facts for kids

Matthew Bullock was an American man who faced a difficult situation in the 1920s. He was accused of causing trouble and had to leave his home in Norlina, North Carolina. He went to Canada, where his case became very famous. Many people fought to protect him and make sure he was safe.

Matthew Bullock's Story

The Apple Argument

In January 1921, in a town called Norlina, Matthew's brother, Plummer Bullock, tried to return some apples to a store. He said a young store clerk had given him bruised apples instead of the good ones he picked. The store owner refused to take the apples back. A big argument started. As more white men came into the store, Plummer left.

A Dangerous Night

A few nights later, an angry group of white men, some with guns, decided to "punish" Plummer. They wanted to get back at him for arguing. But a group of African American men stood up to protect their neighborhood. A gunfight happened, and some people on both sides were hurt.

Right after the fight, a group of white men, who were given special power by the law, went into the Black neighborhood. They arrested between 14 and 18 men. All of them were accused of "inciting a riot," which means causing a big public disturbance. Some were also accused of planning to murder. Plummer Bullock was arrested, but his brother Matthew was not caught. The arrested men were all put in jail in the town of Warrenton.

The very next night, a white mob attacked the jail. They killed Plummer Bullock and his distant cousin, Alfred Williams. Many people believed Alfred was with Plummer at the store during the argument. Matthew Bullock quickly left town and eventually made his way to Canada. He settled in Hamilton, Ontario, where he worked in construction.

Fighting for Freedom

In 1922, Matthew Bullock was found in Canada. The state of North Carolina asked Canada to send him back. Bullock was put in jail in Hamilton because he had entered Canada without permission. In Canada, his case became very important. Activists argued that he would not get a fair trial in North Carolina because of his race. They worried he might face the same terrible fate as his brother.

Support in Canada

The campaign to free Matthew Bullock was led by the people of St. Paul's African Methodist Episcopal Church. This church was later renamed Stewart Memorial Church in 1937. Reverend J. D. Howell and Assistant Pastor John Christie Holland were very involved. The newspaper The Globe also helped a lot by writing many stories about the case.

Support in the U.S.

In the United States, the NAACP worked to help Bullock. However, white residents in Norlina signed a petition asking for him to be sent back. North Carolina Governor Cameron A. Morrison put pressure on the U.S. government to have Bullock returned for trial.

A Judge's Decision

On January 26, 1922, Charles Stewart, who was a Canadian government minister, announced that Bullock would be released. He also said that Bullock's illegal entry into Canada would be forgiven. This was because Bullock had behaved very well while living in Canada.

However, only a few weeks later, the Americans again demanded that Bullock be sent back. Bullock was arrested once more. The judge in Bullock's extradition hearing was Colin George Snider. He demanded that North Carolina show clear evidence of Bullock's guilt before he would be sent back. Most of the evidence was from people who said they saw what happened. This would have meant North Carolina needed to send witnesses all the way to Hamilton, Canada. Governor Morrison refused to do this. Because of this, the Canadian judge released Matthew Bullock.