The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1898-12-27
ALMOST 4 RACE VAR
Ugly Features to Oklahoma
City's Christmas Day.
POLICE BALK LYNCHERS
Mayors Prompt Action Fur
Their Aids to Restore Quiet

Oklahoma City. o. T., Dec. 2S.-CSpe-
cial)-The bitter race feeling existing in
this city was severely strained yesterday
and had it not been for the prompt and
energetic action Of the police force under
Chief Cochran and the wise movement
The saloons late in the afternoon, seri-
Gus conflict might have resulted. AS il
was, there was some inf1amma togy talk
Of lynching and running the nigSers out
OF town" which quickly subsidized when
the police clapped one of the noisiest ad-
vocates of lynching into jail. Subsequent
" there was an abortive attempt TO storm
the Jail and release the lynch law advo-
cate by a number of friends, but u line
Of policemen was thrown across the Jail
entrance and the threatening aspect of
their cooked revolvers caused the mob TO
waver and finally melt away. Neverthe-
less, the atmosphere seemed charged
with trouble and all day the streets con-
tinued crowded with peoplei n anticipation
of a fresh outbreak, until, as a matter
of precaution, the mayor ordered the clos
ing Of the saloons. This seemed to have
the desired effect, and by o'clock in the
evening the streets We're comparatively
deserted. How deceptiv vase this appar-
ent calm was demonstrated two hours
later when a pistol shot, preceded by
ringing cry of 'fHalt!' was heard IN the
vicinity Of the Jail, and in twinkling tie
streets were again thronged win people
laboring under the belief hat the jail was
about to be stormed. 1t proved, however.
that the shot was fired 10y a policeman
to stop a flying darkey who had run
hmuck with a. butcher knife in a hotel.
The trouble which brought to the sur
face the ugly feeling existing between
the whites and the blacks was the cutting
of Jim Kennedy, white man. employed
at the OIL mill, by a darkey named Sam
Langston, who is employed at the COM
press. They had Quarreled in a saloon
and went outside to settle their differ
ences when the darkey whipped out his
handy razor and began Smashing at Ken
nedy's face and head. 1t occurred on one
of the principal streets and quickly the
two men were surrounded by a crowd OF
400 or 500 men, on whom the sight of blood
flowing from Kennedy's badly cut face
and neck had an dnfuriating effect A
rush was made for the negro, and his
iife's story would probably have ended
right then and there but for the opportune
arrival of a platoon of police who after
considerable exertion managed ID rescue
the prisoner and landed him in jail The
affair." however. famed the latent artaS-
onism to the black race into a fiery fame
and chief among the advocates Of run
ming the niggerS out of town was George
Chinn, whose incendiary talk was check
ed by the police placing him in a safe
place where his eloquence would be vast
ed. A plan was quickly formed by a
crowd of Chinn's companions to secure |
his release by force, but when they ap-
preached the muzzles of half Il dozen re- |
rolvers held by so many determined look
Ing policemen the threatened rescue iz- |
zled out.
While the prompt action Of the police |
had the effect of checking open talk of |
violence, the drinking resorts were crowd |
ed with men who as their passions arose |
under the influence of fiery stimulants |
continued to talk of what they would do |
in the event that Keunedy's wounds |
should provefatal. and as the ugly feel |
ing increased, Mayor Allen issued an or |
ger CLOSING the Saloons. ne OfQer was |
promptly complied with and by O'Clock |
the streets had resumed their normal |
quiet.
Two hours later a young negro who had |
been discharged from the Pickwick hotel |
went into the hotel office and demanded |
the wages alleged to be due him, display |
ing at the same time murderous looking |
butcher knife. His answer was a volley /
OF heavy Office chairs, most OF which |
landed on his head Disconnected by this |
warm reception the negro hastily retreat |
ed and as he ran up the street police |
man called on him 10 malt. But he only /
ran the faster, and that he did not i;y |
was because he lacked wings. The police
man fired q. shot across his bows which |
caused thu negro prize to heave to and |
surrender His head was badly cut where /
the chairs had landed full and fair and |
this led to the erroneous report that he |
had been shot by the officer. This affair /