The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-06-14
RACE RIOT IN MATAWAN.
RETOLVERs, CLUES, BRICKBATs, AND
RAZORS USED.

1--WE Colored Men HAD whipped Two white
HHen In Reyport, ana Ekeyport Sent n mob to
HrntawAn TO Get IevenEe-Matawan Coiorcd
Men Lay in Ambuah-white Men Reinrorced.
MATAwAS, N. j., June IA crowd Of young
men from Report was noticed In town carly
last evening. and several OF them wero heard to
boast that a number OF Matawan colored men
would be laid low boforo the crowd returned to
Keyport. A fight had occurred at Keyport q
few days before. between two Mntawan colored
mon and two Report white men. The colored
men whipped the Reporters. Threats were
madc at the time by several Reporters that
every colored man in Matawan would have to
suffer for what the two had done. Accordingly,
row was started at IL o'clock last night, near
the front doorway OF the Old Homestead Hotel,
at the foot of Main street, here.
Primas Washington, q colorcd employee Of
Frank A. Polling, the proprietor Of the hotel,
was standing just inside the doorway whom the
crowd OF Reporters, numbering eighteen, 1t is
said, advanced toward him. Some one said,
There stands ono of those black coons," and
with that one of the crowd hit Washington in
the face, while another pulled him from the
doorway and out into the street. The Keyport-
ers were armed with rovolvers. clubs. and brick
bats, and Washington was dubbed almost into
inscnsibility before he was released. The Key
portcrs then advanced toward the Central Rail-
road depot. where two colored men were
recognized AZ tho men who had won
Albert Ward and JEFFERSON Brown. Thc mob eoSS
rushed upon them with clubs. The colored men
was sleshed about the face and head. Then tho
mob fell back a little toward the doors OF tho
o aeSf' mem .ns SEEING sR0r a a wss of e escape. lR PSsS he'd
through the door Of the hotel and up the stairs.
The The S s1HSa sd an mot n Sa5s BB slIs9s the that m ,sI, w ma1s
on the part OF tho colorod men was all that
saved their lives from the fury OF the angry
The Reporters then drew away from the
hotel and held . council OF war near the railroad
the colored men in the neighborhood got together
And armed themselves with clubs and razors.
t rnes W IN dgtISo into on ambush bus on along the h road .ddtbses 30,
TO- Keyport. Tho Keyport crowd in the mean
time had been nursing their wounded compan-
seemed to have had enc enough tahs' h HsM' and and ' Rsd
We're told, 'G Sowe1eP. e that 'e the e color; I heA
were waiting for them along the road to Key
keyport, which is less than two miles away, for
endorsements 1t was only about an hour
later that ne men who were waiting at the
from the direction of Keyport, and a crowd, it is
said, OF nifty men were soon seen advancing
colored force OF about fifteen men. finding them.
i if!ss' as nd iSs id tSe%selTe s in he F Woods {ST a ' bsiF
mile away.
The Reporters triumphantly returned home
about . o'clock this morning, saying as they
went that they would soon take another hack at
Mataw ans colored population. There was no
police interference, and no arrests were made.
Primas Washington. who was attacked by the
mob at the Old Homestead Hotel, said this morn
ing;
Il don't know any reason why the men should
have treated mi as they did. / never had any
did nearly kill me. One fellow struck me first
with his fist, and another hit me with a club.
while several others hit me with br!ckbats. Some
one Of the crowd fired n pistol at me, ana the
bullet whiZZed past my ear"