Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-06-11

THE TROUBLE AT TAMPA.

The truth about the riot at Tampa on
Monday night is just beginning TO appear
fully. All press dispatches from Tampa
arc subjected to a severe censorship,
and therefore, the first accounts sent
out were very vague Now we learn
from a special 10 the New York Herald,
dated Jacksonville, and another to the
Washington Post, dated Savannah, that
the trouble was caused by certain men,
bers of two negro regiments Of regulars.
These soldiers, being in town on leave,
got drinky and hilarious, and bethought
themselves to have some amusement by
footing a number of saloons and shops
in the suburb known as Ybor City.
The proprietors of the places visited
by these very irregular regulars made
some little show of resistance, but with
the result, as we learn from the Herald,
that the Soldiers fired some forty or
nifty shots into the houses" In the
locality known as Fort Brooke, says the
same correspondent, "the rioters almost
demolished the houses, compelling their
occupants TO fee to Tampa for safety"
White troops were then ordered out, and
they succeeded In suppressing the rioting
on Monday night. but toward morning
il was resumed with increased vigor."
The first attempt TO dispense the ''regu-
lar rioters was made by u Massachu
sets company; the second by Il Georgia
company. The Georgians came upon the
negroes when they were at the height
of their wild revelry. and promptly at
tackled them" A large number Of shots
were fired. and it is asserted that four
colored men were killed and several
wounded. Several Massachusetts, and
Georgia soldiers were wounded.
whether all of the colored men killed |
were regulars, or some were regulars
and others were members OF the dsor- |
DERBY element of the town that had fra
ternized with them, we are unable to |
determine from the accounts We have |
seen. on Tuesday night the Second |
Georgia Regiment was placed on duty in |
Tampa and it's suburbs, and was success
1uI IN maintaining order, so far as we |
are informed.
Eyer since these colored regiments have
been In the South they have been giving /
more or less trouble, and the sooner they
are sent away the better it will be for all
concerned. Yet we do not know that we
would be entirely justified in sending them
10 Cuba, Porto Rico, or the Philippines.
We do not know what excuses they
might commit against the natives, and
their crimes would be imputed 70 us-that
is 10 say, TO the United States army.
Our government has been very cautious
and rightly so-about using the natives OF
tho Philippines against the Spanards, but
we cannot say they would take greater
license than these so-called regulars"
who wrecked parts OF Ybor City and Fort
Brooke. SO long as these negro soldiers
are under the eyes of their white officers
they may behave very well: but when
Eathered together in large numbers, when
Unnamed by liquor and when free from
tho control they have always been used
10. they are dangerous characters. But II
negro soiders who have been trained by
white officers are to become the terrors
OF all the towns in which they are quar-
tered. and are to be disrusted In our
army. what about The other sort?
The fact that the censor at Tampa
thought II right and prudent to suppress
ail selegraphic dispatches giving details
o. this rioting goes 10 show that he has
little experience with newspaper men.
All shat he could do was 10 delay the
OF this news. II. was sure
TO get out sooner or later. Letters sent ]
~ mali. and soldiers and civilians going !,
fsom Tampa 20 other parts OF the coun-
Try We're certain 70 carry the informa- !
ton 10 the outer world. AS It Is. the pub
'lc has been kept IN ignorance for several
asys. and whereas, We might have had /,
straight story from eye-witnesses Of
lrY AFFAIR We are now forced 10 rely upon