Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1898-05-21
FIGHT WITH NEGROES
Soldiers from Camp Lee Take q Barn
by Assault.
A SOLDIER SLIGHTLY WOUNDED.
Injury Caused by a Pistol Shot from
One Of the Blacks.
NEGRO SAID TO BE BADLY HURT
White Boy and Negro start the
Troubie-COmpany Officers Rescue
fion-Housc Under Military Guard.

There was great excitement among tn
soldiers at Camp Lee as well as in th'
city generally last night over fight tina
. occurred late in the afternoon betweer
several members of companies I'm camI
and a party Of negroes just outside tn,
camp limits
There were the widest rumors afioat
regarding the result of the fight, it beinl
that soldier was in dying condition
1t was further rumored that the soldier:
had come near to lynching a negro, and
that it seemed likely further trouble OF
a serious nature would occur.
WHAT THE TROUBLE REALLY WAS
1t seems that at about 6 o'clock yester-
day afternoon negro became involved
in a quarrel OF some kind with a small
white boy who was on the lot on the
eastern side Of the camp. There seems
to be doubt as to whether the negro
struck the boy; stories conflict. At any
rate a soldier near by came to the boy s
assistance and ordered the negro away.
soldiers answer was a stone well aimed,
and soon the fight was hot.
One or two other soldiers ran up and
began aiding their comrade with a show
er of missiles The negro retreated a
few steps and then drew a pistol and
! fired. A soldier then opened fire, and the
negro fled 70 the barn on the property OF
| General A. l.. Phillips, short distance
| behind him.
There were several negroes in the build
| ing, and these seem to have rendered
| hasty assistance in closing and barri-
| cading the entrances. The number in
| the building could not be certainly ascer-
| tanned.
OPEN UP A FUSILLADE.
The soldiers were determined to get
| their man. however. and made rush
for the building. The negroes opened
fire from the barn. and one shot struck
a member of Company G Roanoke), Sc
! cond Regiment, infiictng a slight wound
i'm the side.
The casualty did not deter the beslegers
III the least but they rushed forward,
and. finding the doors closed, began
climbing up the side of the building, de-
teImined to enter by the windows
They fired several shots down at the
negroes through the windows. which
they broke i'm. The negroes replied with
several. but did no damage, and the men
sTcceeded in getting down into the barn
without injury or loss. They found only
two negroes there-Joe Clayton. employed
by General Phillips, and another. whose
name could not be learned, and who was
reported TO be quite badly hurt, as he
was lying on the floor groaning. The
soldiers think several negroes escaped.
TOOK CLAYTON TO CAMP.
The men paid no attention to the
wounded negro but seized Clayton, and
despite his protestatiOns Of ignorance Of
the cause of the fight and innocence Of
all completely i'm it. he was dragged out
of the barn and hurried towards the
camp.
Meanwhile. the noise Of the fracaS had
been heard in camp. but had created no
special attention. When the men were
seen dragging the negro towards the |
fence. however, several officers ran across
the grounds to learn the cause of the |
trouble. Captain Wilson. of Company G, |
Fourth Regiment was in the van OF the /
officers but several soldiers who were |
l6afing about their tents had the start |
of them and reached the fence first
The fighters arrived with their prisoner |
almost at the same time. and rs the negro |
was showed through an Opening in the |
fence a soldier from one OF the Norfolk |
companies dealt him a severe blow on
the side of his head with his fist.
PROTECTED BY THE OFFICERS.
Captain Wilson reached the negro about
this time, and ordered the men TO turn
him loose, but the excited soldiers paid |
no attention. The plucky little captain,
however. rushed in, and, selling the negro
hn GhA 1rn m |
showed him forward, and with drawn
sword forced the men to give him up.
a number of other officers, including
Captain Grimsley, officer of the day, and
Captain Tarrall, of Company B. Fourth |
Regiment, rushed up at this moment, and
aided Captain Wilson in protecting the
prisoner. The guard was turned out. and
two companies hastily formed TO guard
the man. and under this escort he was
taken TO the guard-tent. He was kept
there only a short while, when Major
Watson, of the Second, took a detachment
Of eight men. who had cartridges in their
guns. and brought him to the Third Police
station. where he was locked up.
Clayton says he knows nothing what
ever of the trouble, and took absolutely
no part in it. He will not talk readily.
rhe officers of the camp will make thor
lugh investigation.
SAW THE SOLD1ER'S WOUND.
1t is impossible TO obtain an accurate
story of what happened. phe officers in
camp know only their side the side they
saw; the soldiers know theirs, but are
n the main as mum as oysters. IL was
impossible for the Dispatch reporter To
earn by inquiry at the tents of the Roa-
loke company that anybody had been
urt. but member Of Company Il, OF the |
Fourth, says he knows positively that
member Of Company q, Roanoke. receiv-
ID a slight flesh wound in the left side
Is he helped 10 dress It, This man also
gave a few of the details Of the fight |
md as evidence of his having been en- ,
,aged in II exhibited a razor, which, he
said, had been dropped by one of the {
egroes.
This same soldier expressed the opinion
hat the negro so badly hurt would die. Z
nd was quite willing to believe the
umor current on the streets that he was {
cad.
This report was very persistent last
light, but IL could not be verified. The I
clice had no information OF the negro's ,
cath, and. in fact. knew practically no. r
hing Of the details Of the fight. There
an air of great mystery about the {
hole affair. h
CINEnAU VEE AT HOME AGAIN Y