The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1891-04-02
RACE PREJUDICE
In Omaha Causes a Free-fOr-All
Fight
BETWEEN WATERS AND NEGROES
In Observation-Disclosures and Pistols Brought
into RequisitiOn-A Burglary-The Lo-
gan County Matter to be Decided.

OMAHA, April Especial telegram to THE
HERALD "A free for all fight which came near
ending the lives of half dozen people, occurred
to-day about 1880 o'clock in a chop house ON
Fourteenth street between Dodge and Doug
lass. Race prejudice is assigned as the reason
for the row. Two colored men, one waiter on
the Burlington s. Missouri dining Car running
between Omaha and Creston, and the other
buffet man on the Chicago, st. Paul, Mime
apols Omaha railway. entered the place to
get meal. The 'hashers'' at once informed
them that no ''blank niggers" were waited en-
there. They protested without avail Officer
Jesse Newman also colored, had en- tered the
place few moments before and had been
waited on. He was sitting but short distance
away and his attention was drawn TO the
wrangle. The verbal disagreement was of very
shert duration, however, as the hashers beg an
fierce fusilade upon the two youths with the
offensive color. Officer Newman at once spoke
TO the proprietor, j. H Hopewell, and remon-
strated against such conduct, but Hopewell re-
Piled that The wouldn't wait on any blank
plank niger and my men needn't either" He
at once joined in the onslaught, whereupon the
"hashers" jump over the counter and began
beating the two co1ored men most unm erci-
fully. They tiled to make their way
to the door and as Newman inter
fered to protect them he was smashed
in the mouth with catsup bottle knocking
| two teeth down his throat He endeavored to
defend himself with his club, but his assailants
were too numerous, and he was repeatedly
knocked down. He finally managed to pull his
gun and fired three times. AS the crowd made
break for the door, Officer Rouzer who was
passing on motor, saw what was up and
| rushed to the assistance of his brother officer
He Knocked down two or three of the belliger-
entS, receiving several blows in return when
one of the hashers, known as "Sheeny George -
made pass at him with heavy meat clever
The fearful weapon was aimed TO cleaVe the of
ticer's head, but just as it descended Officer
Godola, who had fought his way in, struck up
the arm of the would be murderer, knocking
the weapon from his hand. As it fell, the keen
blade struck Rouzer upon the nose, splitting
open that organ from top to bottom. Notwith-
standing this, he struck his assailant with his
fist, telling him like a log. For the next few
moments all that was heard were the blows
from the officers clubs and it was not until
the hashers heads were literally pounded that
they surrendered. Sergeant Ormsby came with a
police squad just as the fight was over, and pro-
ceeded to arrest j. H. Hopewell, W. S. FIana-
gan, Joe Kelly, Ramsey Jensen, Frank Pierce
and George Matthews, alias ''Sheeny George -
The first four were charged with disturbing the
peace by fighting, and the other two with as
! sault with intent to kill
| Officer RouZer'S wounds are serious but if he
! Should get well he will carry fearful scar to
his grave. Officer Newman is a badly used up
man, while some of the hashers are in badly
delapidated condition. The colored men who
were the means of starting the fight quietly
slipped away in the excitement.