Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1892-03-24
A RIOT AT THE TAX OFFICE
Collector Finck in the Hands
of a LaWleSS mob.
NEGROES URGED ON BY WHITES
The Mob Takes Possession of
the Office.


TcCOru dL tne county taN OlIlCc can be
best described in the words of an eve.
witness, who said that it reminded him
of what Wilmington experienced 80
years ago.
An infuriated mob, excited with drink
and the incendiary words of men who
openly melted them to the worst deeds
of reckless lawlessness, rushed over tho
desks of the delinquent tax collector,
beat that official ever the head and
shoulders, stole his seal of office, chased
him up stairs with yells of skill him,
the son -; kill Finck; kill
Dickey," &C., and then attacked him
again on the second floor of the building
with threats and yells Of personal ven
geance.
For several minutes the big apartment
filled with some 200 men more than half
of whom were negroes was nothing
short of pandemonium and it is only the
wonder that the record of Thursdays
doings does not include that of blood
shed and death.
Under any circumstances il is no mat
ter of pride for the annals of the com
munity that such n spectacle has TO be
recorded of tax collector of New
Castle county seated in his office, the
county records alongside him, with,
standing over him, burly drunken
negro, baseball bat in hand, and threat
ening to smash the collectors brains.
The facts are that the county official
while carrying out his duties was in
terror of his life and that but for the
timely aid of Officer Harry Taylor the
most disgraceful public outrage of recent
years would have been perpetrated.
now THE RIOT COMMENCED.
Thursday was the day for Delinquent
Tax Collector Finck, according to due
advertisement to attend at the office of
County Receiver John L. Dickey and
receive the taxes of such citizens who
were assessed and applied to pay their
taxes.
Att p.m.there was fair attendance of
applicants and matters went along
without anything of particular note oc-
curing until the hour of A p. m. drew
nigh. BY this time the apartment was
thronged with a large crowd. Negroes
largely preponderated and these were
mostly up at the head of the room near
the collectors desk. There were some
white men present who were drunk and
also negroes somewhat intoxicated.
The hour for closing was o'clock.
As that time drew near ex-City Auditor
John Mitchell, who was assisting Mr..
Finck got to the store door and opened it,
Collector F1nck took out his watch
and announced that time was now up
and that the books would he closed for
the day. With Mr.. Finck, behind the
1nu1r (Nnrt,ttr n..naaA,r I'll.
Dickey, John Callahan, Martin Keogh,
Lewis Dickey and one or two others.
AS Mr.. Mitchell opened the street
door voices yelled out, "Shut that door,
we're not going to leave" A burly
negro hustled Mr.. Mitchell and some
white men encouraged the negro. This
was the spark that ignited the mob.
Simultaneously those in the front
jumped over the desks in gangs. Mr..
Finck snatched up his books and rushed
for the stairway. Mr.. Dickey ran out
across the back lane to Bradford's tele-
phone and called TO the station for i'm
mediate police assistance. Someone
else ran around TO Mr. Solomon's office
on the same errand. Meanwhile
demoniac cries filled the office. Drunken
men yelled and struck in every direc
ton, they did not know or care whom
1t was pandemonium all in q second.
Meantime Mr.. Mitchell was running
the gauntlet through the infuriated
crowd that cried "Kill him, kill him p
His clothing was torn from his back
Half dozen negroes hung on him at .
time. But he lashed around with his
fists and before he had made half of his
tl,,, 1onpth nc - 1,.a l,o1 Il
given good account Of himself. He
was struck and pounded from every
| direction.
But his forced march, single-handed
up the length of the room was moi
effected on the floor. That was impos.
siblc. He had to stride or jump as best
he could from table to table until al
length he arrived, bruised and cut, with
three gashes on his face, at the tax desk
But there was no rest for him here. A
mob of colored men were already in
possession and they yelled with delight
at the sight of their victim in the sup
posed trap. Hatless, coatless, with Iii:
| clothing torn and bleeding from hi:
wounds he made quick dash for {
large back window which was open tC
the ground. His egress was successful
Meanwhile another battle was going OF
upstairs. The mob already had in it.
possession the delinquent tax collectors
seal, John Mitchell's purse and JOIN
| Callahan's overcoat.
The negro mob had chased the flying
delinquent tax collector upstairs, hat
battered in the entry way door and wa:
now attacking him with clubs and erie!
of vengeance. 1t was here that Oflicel
Taylor's timely aid rescued the county
official from personal danger and savec
the hoodlums from committing fata
crime.
Mr.. Finck however was badly beater
about the face and hands He received
| IL cut on the forehead and blackeneC
eye.
The marvel Of the whole incident il
that the tax duplicate books were no
stolen or destroyed.
1t is stated by an eyewitness that il
| the whole crowd there were not more
than half dozen Democrats present.
Later Mr. Finck was induced TO com,
down stairs and resume work. Tn,
inducement was Synonymous will
threats and it was actually in terror o
his life that the official opened his book
again. Officer Witsil sat alongside o
him and to limited extent was I
guarantee Of personal safety to the col
lector. There were also by this tim,
some four or five other friends arrived
whose presence gave additional as
surance of safety.
The only arrest during the whole o
the emeute was that by Detective Jane
l.. Hawkins of John Cannon. He wa
!! brought to the station at 4.10 O'Clock