The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1897-06-26
"A HOT TIME" ON ELM PLACE.
Four Colored Women Hold the Fort
Against Officers of the Law,
But Finally Succumb.
-From De Baltimore Sun Of weanesday:

From the Baltimore Sun of Wednesday.
Elm Place is small court north of Biddle
street, between Little Pine street and Myrtle
avenue. No. 926 was until yesterday oceu-
pied by Sarah Collins, her daughters Blanche
and Estelle, Mary Ellen Coleman and four or
five infants, all colored.
They were considered undesirable tenants,
and the owner of the house, Mr.. Charles l..
Fulton, desired to get rid of them. All
peaceable means having failed, Mr.. Fulton,
after due legal process, secured writ of eject
ment before Justice Thomas c. Bailey, and
it was given to constable John ]. Carroll to
serve.
This was the beginning of the most excit-
ing experience in Constable Carroll's life.
Taking his assistant, John Schweinsberg, he
went to the house about O'Clock yesterday
morning to dispossess the tenants. The door
was locked and an animated counsel of war
was going on inside Mr.. Carroll demanded
admission in the name of the law, but he and
the law were told to emigrate to some Plu-
tonian shore. The officers then barst in the
door.
Each of the four women held an infant in
her arms. One hourished an axe, another a
plate, the third poker and the fourth a
stove-liter, and all threatened to kill the etfi-
GERS. The latter were forced into the street
more broken open, and as Carroll and Sch
weinsberg rushed in they were met by volley
of plates and stove lifters. One of the women
aimed a vicious blow at Constable Carroll
with some iron weapon, but missed him and
struck Sarah Collins, inhicting deep cash on
her forehead.
Three times the officers brok, in the door
and each time were they forced out before a
storm of all kinds of missiles. By this time
an excited crowd of three or four hundred
colored people had gathered about the place
and tumut ensued. Several bricks were
thrown and all kinds of threats and curses
were hurled at the constables.
Patroman Sebold arrived upon the scene,
but his presence only increased the excite
Inent Word was sent to the northwestern
police station and Ser eants Glynn and Brown
and Patrolmen Candy and Welsh hurried to
Elm Place The women in the besieged
house had again barrcaded the door and were
shouting defiance TO the invaders and Justify
singing ''rhere's hot time in West Balti
more today
Constable Carroll assisted by Sergeants
Glynn and Brown, once more broke open the
door, while the patr0mGn held the crowd III
check. When the four women in the house
saw that the invading army had been rein
forced they became desperate and wild with
rage and fought like furies Chairs. pokers
stove-lds and everything they could get their
hands upon were hurled at the officers. One
aimed a blow at Sergeant Glynn with "a lamp
and another picked up coal-oil stove and
hurled it at Constable Carroll and then tried
to bite him. All this time the women were
pouring out torrents of profanity and abuse
and yelling like Indians, while the uproar was
increased by the frightened screams of the
children.
One of the women, who fought with the
utmost ferocity, held three children in her
arms, but did not seem to be incommoded by
them The others during most of the battle
held one or two infants each, and this placed
the officers at a disadvantage, because they
were afraid of injuring the babies.
Finally the Coleman woman collapsed IN
fit and was carried outside. The policemen
then made a rush and captured the others,
who were dragged, screaming and fighting
to the patrol wagon.
The crowd outside, which had been noisy
and threatening all during the battle, became
more excited by the arrests and a small riot
ensued. Some of those in the crowd began
to throw bricks and only desisted when Ser
geant Glynn drew his revolver and threatened
| 10 shoot the first one who repeated the act
| At the station the four warlike women
asked a jury trial and were held for court by
Justice Wood, whereupon Mary Ellen Cole
man fell in another fit. During and after the
hearing the station was crowded with residents
of Elm Place, principally colored girls, who
came as voluntary witnesses.
The policemen state that the affair was the
most exciting in which they ever engaged.
The Coleman woman was so much over
come by her efforts and successive fits that
she had to be taken to the Maryland General
Hospital, where she lay unconscious nearly all
the afternoon. The other women went 10 jail
in default of bail.