The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1895-03-13
DETAILS OF THE RIOT.
Over $50 Armed Men Mt One Place and
n Mob at Another.


deville street was in the hands of an armed
mob this morning The rioting began at
o'clock. After 6 clock last evening, though
there was intense excitement along the
levee and many drunken men We're present,
there were no deeds OF violence. The po-
lice We're massed in the Sixth precinct po-
lice station, and had remained there all
night under command of acting Chief of
Police John Journee Everything was re-
ported quiet, and they were hopeful that
everything would remain SO, when there
came a message that dozen men had been
killed in front of the Jackson square, and
.that terrible riot was in progress. The
police were at once hustled into the patrol
wagons which were at the stations and were
hurried away to the scene of the trouble.
They had barely left when Sergeant Rich
ard Walsh, in command of the precinct,
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 Philip and First
streets, he found crowd of negroes. They
surrounded their wounded companion. The
mans head covered with blood He
was shot in the mouth. The negro, who
was unknown, was taken to the station.
Those who were about declare he was
crossing the levee when mob came along
and fired a yolley at him, killing him in
stantly. When the negro's body WAS re-
moved the Sergeant and squad of officers
went up the levees and found a mob of 250
men armed with Winchester rifles and other
guns. They marched along the levee up to
Eighth street, and then back on Tchoupit-
oulas street to Jackson, and then dispersed
according to what seemed prearranged
Va ctr
accosted by Sergeant Walsh, who recognized
most of the men, among the leaders of
whom was man from down town, named
walter Owens The mob was fully 25O
strong and armed with shotglnS and Win
chester rifles. Its members were sober and
acted with deliberation. On the levee Port
", Warden de Nc Mecubben was vas seen He declared
occurrence He said all the men were from
down town and did not belong to the
screwmen. AT $50 o'clock everything up
town was comparatively quiet with very
few weapons in sight. All negroes had left
the levee, and not one could be seen any
where. The rioters deposited their shot
guns and rifles in the barrooms in the Vi
cinlty.
THE SECOND RIOT.
While this was going on the vicinity of
the French market was in excitement.
bloody riot had occurred Four negroes had
been shot and one Caribbean killed The
trouble occurred on the levee at the land
ing of the Harrison line Of steamships op-
4,osite the jackson Square. In the fog
which prevailed a mob of one hundred
armed men got through the guards of the
police and opened fire on the negroes who
We're 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.
The shots seemed to come from the door
ways, windows, galleries and street. Look
where they would, the negroes saw pistols
and heard the reports as the revolvers
We're discharged. Each man then ran in
panic-stricken Those In e'n the crowd of of
whites who were not armed with revolvers
picked up stones clubs ana other improyised
weapons and attacked the crowd OF negroes.
Even the most venturesome of the blacks
could not stand this anu they. fed. Those
to state how many were shot They did
not see anybody fall, but knew from the
yells and cries that some of their COM
rades had been hit
For many minutes the firing continued on
the river front, and the police seemed
powerless to make any move against the
murderers, though it is said tnat there
was much larger force on the river front
given full sway, and they exercised it with
out stint Not until every negro had fled
from the river front did the white men
In the rioting down town, in the vicinity
of the French market, j. A. Balm, purser
shot. Robert Brooks white screwman,
was shot through the head and will die.
the head They jumped into the river and
were drowned. At Bienville street two un-
known negroes were reported killed
had their wounds attended to. Several of
the men only received slight wounds, which
once for their homes. One of those was
Robert Aitkens, forty years of age, resid-
| ing on South Rampant street, near the Illi-
| nois Central railroad He received fiv
wounds, made by bullets of small calibre.
| Two were in the forehead, over each eye,e
m ha ri
arm. To a reporter the wounded
| stated that he was talking to the purser of
without warning, number of shots were
| fired at him, the shooter being almost sew
| he could not identify any of those who did
| the shooting. Before he knew it, and be-
lRo ve tes B beng Ihot m at
board the vessel. while ct, the purser fell
| when the firing began there were num-
| Der of policemen between the rioters and
himself and purser Balm. and they imme-
| diately fell on their stomachs behind cotton
bales. When questioned every officer de-
| levee until after z o'clock and, consequent-
| ly, after the shooting began. Although
looking like a t@arget target Aitkins's itli injuries are
| he was walking home when met by the re-
| porter.
| DOES NOT KNOW WHY HE WAS SHOT.
| Leonard Melard, scale hand in the en-
d.
| corner of Bienville and Delta streets, re-
| ceved a bullet in his brain. and died this
| evening Louis Coste, forty-two years old.
! residing Johnson, between Marigny and
| Elysian Fields streets, was also in the same
| ward with Meard. He was shot while on
| the banquette of Front street. He was not
| working, and does not know why he was
| shot. His wound is in the right arm, and,
! though painful, is not dangerous There
! were not more than twenty in the gang
| who shot him, he stated but it would be
| impossible to identify them owing to the
| great fog. They had revolvers, repeating
rifles and Winchesters.
James Preston, of No. 20 St Marys street
| between Fulton and Chippewa, was also on
| the Harrison line wharf. His entire back
| was literally perforated with small bullets.
| about of No. % calibre. Preston, likewise
stated that there was great mob of men,
! all armed with every conceivable weapon.
| His wounds very painful. and may re-
| suit fatally. Henry Brown, aged thirty-one
| years. residing at No. GAS Howard street
| presented pitiful sight He was shet Ave
| times, and were it not that he is a man of
| very powerful constitution, he would not
| have survived many minutes. He has two
| gaping wounds in his right breast made by
| large balls two i'm his right hip, and one
| which crashed through his right arm Az
| though badly hurt, he is making a brave