The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-08-07
Two Famous Riots in TC4Vn
of Providence.
The Hardscrabble and Olney'S
Lane Outbreaks.
Four of the Rioters Killed Before
Order Was Restored.

The doings OF the bicycle desperado on
North Main street recently and the fail
ure Of the police TO capure him have
caused no end OF comment in this town
and there are good many sensible
citizens who are wondering where the
police department Is at anyway. OF
course they will be allowed to keep on
wondering, SO far as the department is
concerned, for the police authorities do
not appear TO worry very much about
what opinion citizens may happen TO
hold as to their efficiency. AT tie same
time there is a good deal of discomfort
and dissatisfaction as what is regarded
ms the latest instance of incompetent ad
ministration and the question is being
asked whether the police force is drifting
into an Inane and incompetent condition
slmiIar TO that which characterized it
when mobs held sway, during which
many houses were wrecked and other
excesses committed, while the poica
were absolutely powerless to stop the
ougrages.
There were two occasions in the earlier
history of Providence wnen the lack of
an efficient and sufficient police force
was taken advantage OF by the lawless
element to commit outrages which could
not be permitted were the force what it
should have been. The first riot Of serious
proportions occurred in 1924, when a
place known as Hardscrabble in the
northwest part of the town was almost
entirely wrecked. There were some
twenty houses in that locality, and most
and probably all of them were tenanted
by colored people. II was claimed thar
at this place midnight orgies were held,
and that it was a disgrace to the town.
The police of that day were appealed to
to clear the section OF it's undesirable in
-habiiants, bur they did nothing in the
matter and certain of the citizens Of hot
teurpsr took the matter into their own
hands.
They gathered in force and mar ched to
Eardscranble where, after driving the
people out tney entered upon the work
of destroying the houses. just how
many buildings were wrecked has not
been recorded, but probably very few OF
the 20 were left intact. subsequently
oliver Cummins, Joseph Butler, Jr.,
Nathaniel u. Metcalf and several others
were indicted or rietiBg- at -Hardscrsb-
BILE. After trial, although the evidence
showed their participation in the affair,
they were all acquitted. This acquiItal
was regarded as an endorsement OF their
action, and as in approval of their sum-
mary method OF suppressing what they
considered to be an evil and nuisance.
Far more serious in every way, how
ever. was what is known as the Olneys
Lane riot, which occurred in September,
1881. Olney's Lane and another section
of Providence were at that time occupied
largely by colored people and some
whites OF very shady character. The
houses were the resort or the vicious and
turbulent, while 1t was the favorite
stamping ground for sailors, VINO were
constantly coming into port on vessels
from nearly every part of the world, for
in those days Providence had COM
merce that amounted to something There
were many bloody affrays and other dis
turbances in both OF these localities, and
30 notorious had they become that re-
spectacle citizens believed that they
would be justified in resortin ing to the
most summary methods to clear them
out
The trouble was preclpitated by party
OF sailors who started to walk through
the lane. Trouble followed and there
was fusilade Of stone and brickba
from both sides. Finally most of the
party that had started through retreated
TO the west end OF the lane, but i've
sailors Kept on. here was another voIley
OF stones and gun Yves discharged. One
OF the sailors, William Henry, declared
he had been shot and retreated, while
two others, George Erickson.snd William
Hull, kept on toward house occupied
by colored people, thoir intention evil
IDENTIFY being To avenge the injury done
their companion. They were met at the
ftsps by a colored man armed with a gun,
who ordered them TO keep off, They re-
piled oy declaring they would take the
weapon from him. Again the colored
man ordered them TO keep of or ho would
shoot. The sailors dared him TO fire and
almost Immediately the weapon was dis
charged. Erickson fell dead to the
ground.
Then the crowd that had been gathering
at the foot OF the lane during the affray
rushed In and the attack on the houses
began, two being torn 10 pieces almost