The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1895-03-14
After 6 o'clock last evening, although

After 6 o'clock last evening, although
there was an intense excitement along
the levee and many drunken men were
present, there were no deeds of violence.
The police were massed in the Sixth pre-
cinct police station and had remained
there all night under command of Acting
Chief of Police Journeay. Everything
was reported quiet and they were hope
full that everything would remain so,
when there came a message that several
men had been killed in front of Jackson
Square. The police were at once hustled
into the patrol wagons and were hurried
away to the scene of the trouble.
They had barely left when Sergeant
Richard Walsh, in command of the pre-
cinct, heard volley of shots from the
direction of the levee in front of the
station. The morning was exceptionally
foggy and when Sergeant Walsh heard
the shooting he rushed to the scene.
Among the freight cars on the levee
between Philips and First streets, he
found q crowd of negroes. They sur
rounded their wounded companion The
mans head was covered with blood. He
was shot in the mouth. Those who were
about declare he was crossing the levee
when a mob fred volley into him, kill
ing him instantly. When the negro's
body had been removed the sergeant and
a squad of officers went up the levee and
found mob of 250 men armed with win
chester rifles and other guns. They
marched along the levee up to Eighth
street and then back on Tehapitoulas
street to Jackson and then dispersed.
according to what seemed prearranged
plans. The mob deposited their shOtguns
the rifles in the bar rooms in the vicinity.
While this was being done the vicinity
of the French market was In excitement
A bloody riot had occurred. The trouble
occurred on the levee at the landing of
| the Harrison line of steamships, opposite
Jackson Square. In the fog which pre-
vailed Il mob of 100 armed men fought
| through the guards of the police and
opened fire on the negroes who were al
work, who fed in terror, some jumping
! into the river. The ones who ran across
the levee in the direction of the square
were subjectd to deadly volley. The
shots seemed to come from dOorways
windows, galleries and street stores
Looking where they would the negroes
saw pistols and heard the reports as the
revolvers were discharged. Each mar
then ran in different direction and the
poor devils seemed panic stricken. Those
in the crowd of whites who were MOI
armed with revolvers picked up stones
clubs and other improvised weapons anC
ATTACKED the crowd of negroes. Even the
most venturesome of the blacks could moi
stand this and they fled.
For many minutes the firing continued
on the river front and the police seemed
lpowerless to make any move against the
murderers, though it is said that there
was much larger force on the rive
front than that of yesterday. The rioters
were given full sway and they exercised
| it without stint. Not until every negro
had fled from the river front did tn,
white men desist.
| Leonard Mallard, the negro who wa
shot in front of the sugar exchange, die,
at the Charity hospital at $3.50 p. IN. II
resided at the corner of IRENE and 81
Paul streets, and leaves family.
| j. III. Balm, the wounded purser of tn
British steamship Engineer. is comfOr
ably settled at the Touro intrmary. Hi
wounds fortunately are by no means S
serious as they were at first supposed t
be.
Another body has been identified as tina
of Henry James, a cOlored laborer, resiC
ing at the corner of Cypress and Clar
streets.
Henry Bland, colored laborer, who re
sides in Algiers, crossed the river thi
morning in search of work, and just let
the river when the firing began. He II
ceived load of small shot in the body an
was taken back to his home, where he nov
lies in dangerous condition.
The police, up to s o'clock tonight, ha
made but two arrests i'll connection wit
the riot. Robert Brooks and Mike Fit
patrick, both white screwmen, were take
into custody in the evening. Both wer
wounded, Brooks in the groin and Fit;
patrick in the wrist, and are said to hav
been shot by their comrades during tn
| E,,,,n N,n
charged with melting q riot and remande
to await hearing.
Calmly reviewing the happenings of tn
morning, everything would seem to ind
cate the attack to have been prearrange
affair. 1t is rumored, and there is ever
reason to believe the rumor to be correc
that secret meeting was held last nigh
and the bloody affair of this morning carr
fully manned out. The details seem
be that the crowd of rioters who wer
sent up town were residents of the lowe
district, while those who were sent dow
town were among those who live up tow
The guns and rifles which were used b
the down town men who went up tow
seem to have been deposited in the v;
rious saloons along the levee. 1t seems
have been generally understood that th
guns made use of down town were take
to some place in the vicinity of the suga
refineries in a wagon and were then place
away until such time as they were n
quired. 1t also seems to have bee
agreed that in the precOncerted atTac
that the shooting should be done betwee
6:45 and 7:30 o'clock, at time when til
men would be going to work.
The bureau of reiglt and transpOrtatio
held a special meeting to discuss tn
troubles and decided, the local authorize
Having failed to take steps to repress tn
lawlessness, to request the various con
mercial bodies to send delegates to gel
eral meeting at l p. m., to take steps t
lprotect commerce and the lives and prof.
lerty of the citizens. The response to tn
Icall was unanimous. The meeting col
vened at l D. m. and remained in sessio
Iuntil 8 80 p. IN. The session was resume
at s p. m, and lasted until near midnigh
During the first session the debate wa
heated and finally resulted in the adoptio
Iof a resolution appealing to federal az
thority for protection and requesting tn
president of the United States TO interven
lin behalf of law and order, the governmer
of the state and the local authorities hay
ling unanimously failed to meet the 81
luation and preserve the peace. The boo
les represented in the meeting were
The Louisiana Sugar Refining compan!
the Maritime association, Young Men
Business league, Bureau of Freight an
TRANSPORTATION, Tropical Fruit associf
| lt;o, Board of Trade Cotton exchange