stations to Pea Island. 



But more resistance was to come. 

 Prominent whites in the area tried to 

 intimidate the black lifesavers out of 

 the service. They warned the surfmen 

 that the Northern inspector had no 

 intention of keeping them at Pea 

 Island, but rather was scheming to 

 force them out of the stations entirely. 

 One man, Joseph Case, did not know 

 whom to trust; he resigned. But 



Newcomb and Etheridge were 

 eventually able to hire a full crew, 

 filling the empty positions with black 

 watermen. These men served the 

 remainder of the spring season. 



In late May, just after the stations 

 closed for the inactive season, the Pea 

 Island station burned to the ground. 

 Newcomb, suspecting arson, immedi- 

 ately launched an investigation. 



He quickly learned that the Outer 



Banks community as a whole con- 

 demned the station's burning. Only a 

 few people had a vested interest in 

 removing Etheridge and his crew. 

 Although the most logical suspect was 

 the previous Pea Island keeper, the 

 testimony of people who had been on 

 the island that day pointed elsewhere. 



Two brothers who lived on the 

 island and served at the Bodie Island 



Continued 



COASTWATCH 7 



