Hutchinson gazette. [volume] (Hutchinson, Kan.) 1895-1902, 1895-03-14
SHOT DOWN BY NEW ORLEANS
LEvEE STRIKERS.
WINCHESTERS AND REVOLYERS USED
The Purser Of Brlti,h Vessel Among
Those Wounded and International
Complications Arc Threatened
Tho Police Are POwerless and
the Militia Are Under
Arms-RiOters Armed


an armed mob all day and the police,
with their scattered numbers, were
powerless and unable to cope with
the armed strikers.
Seven negroes were killed in the
early morning, while eight others
were wounded, two fatally, as a re-
suit of the attacks which have been
made upon the negroes.
Among those who were wound ed by
the shots fred on the levee was Pur-
ser Balm of the British steamship En-
ginser. The captain Of the vessel
threatens to make the shooting of
Balm an international affair.
The white men are completely in
control of things and have declared
that no negro shall appear on the
levee front. AS result of this, all
work on the levee is practically at a
standstill, while not a negro can be
seen among the shipping.
The time of the shooting seemed to
have been fixed for the hour just pre-
ceding the beginning of the working
day. It seems to have been totally
unexpected, for the negroes were
upon the levee in large numbers
The blacks evidently believed that
there was a sufficient police force on
the river front to protect them.
Early this morning the police in
the Sixth precinct were notified that
q terrible riot was in progress in
front of Jackson's square. Officers
were hurried to the scene but had
barely started when Sergeant Rich
ard Walsh, in command of the pre-
cinct, heard a volley of shots from
the direction of the levee in front of
the station. The morning was ex-
ceptionally foggy, but he rushed to
the scene Among the freight cars
on the levee, between Philip and
First streets, he found crowd of
negroes, surrounding a negro who
had been shot in the mouth The
body was taken to the station. Those
who were about declare that he was
crossing the levee when a mob ap.
peared and fred a volley into them,
killing him instantly.
When the negroes body was re-
moved the sergeant and squad OF
officers went up the levee and
found mob of $50 men armed with
Winchester rifles and other guns
They marched along the levee up to
Eighth street and then back on
Tehoupitoulas street to Jackson and
then dispersed, according to what
seemed a prepared plan, all negroes
having disappeared. They were ac-
costed by Sergeant Walsh, who recog-
nized most of them. Among the lead
ers was a man from down town named
Walter Owens.
While this was going on, a bloody
riot occurred in the vicinity of the
French market on the levee, at the
landing of the Harrison line of steam
ships, opposite Jacl1son's square. In
the fog which prevailed a mob of 100
armed men got through the guards
of the police and opened fire on the
negroes who were at work. They
fed in terror, some jumping into the
river. Those who ran across the
levee in the direction of the square
were subjected to deadly volley
from doorways, windows, galleries
and street, while those of the whites
who were not armed with revolvers
picked up stones, clubs and other inn
provised weapons and attacked the
negroes.
The fleeing negroesdid not see any
body fall, but they knew from the
yells and crys that some of their
comrades had been hit. Later it was
ascertained that four negroes had
been killed outright and a number
had been wounded, several fatally.
Two other negroes jumped into the
river and were fred upon and un-
doubtedly killed.
For many minutes the firing con-
tinued on the river front and the
police seemed powerless to make any
move against the murderers, though
a much larger force was there than
that of yesterday. Not until every
negro had fed from the river front
did the white men desist
The entire police force was called
to the leveeEand Governor Foster was
telegraphed to while the militia were
ordered to keep themselves in readi-
ness.
Members of the mob soon began
drinking and became uglier each
moment.
Among the general merchants the
riot was discussed and while the kill
ing of the negroes was condemned it
was conceded generally that the ship
agents were largely responsible for
the trouble by bringing negro screw
men to take the places of the home
men.