The Beaver herald. [volume] (Beaver, O.T. [Okla.]) 1895-1923, 1899-01-05
RACE WAR IN OKLAHOMA CITY.
inhamatory Talk of Lynching and Run
ming Negroes Out of Town.

innhmatory Talk OF Lynching and Run
ming Negroes Out. of Town.
An Oklahoma City dispatch says:
The bitter race feeling existing in
this city was severely strained Christ
mas day and had IL not been for the
prompt and energetic action of the
police force and the wise movement OF
Mayor Allen in ordering the closing
OF the saloons la.e in the afternoon, a
serious conflict might have resulted.
As IT. was there was some inflamatory
talk OF lynching aud erunning the
niggers out of town" which quickly
subsidized when the police clapped one
OF the noisiest advocates of lynching
into Jail Subsequently there was an
abortive attempt to storm the Jail and
release the lynch law advocate, but
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. Nevertheless the atmosphere
seemed charged with trouble and all
day the streets continued crowded
with people in anticipation of fresh
outbreak, until, as a matter of pre-
caution, the mayor ordered the closing
of the saloons. This seemed to have
the desired effect, and by nine o'clock
in the evening the streets were com
paratively deserted. How deceptive
was this apparent calm, was demon
strated two hou'cs later, when a pistol
tol shot preceded by u ringing cry of
"Haltw was heard in the vicinity of
the Jail, and in twinkling the streets
Yere again thronged with people la
hiring under the belief that the Jail
rs about to be stormed. 1t proved,
however, that the shot was fired by
policeman to stop a flying darkey who
had run amuck with a butcher knife
in hotel.
The trouble which brought to the
surface the ugly feeling existing be-
tween the whites and the blacks was
the cutting of Jim Kennedy, white
man enployed at the oil mill, by
darkey named Sam Langston, employ
ed at the compress. They had quar-
relied in a saloon aud went outside to
settle there differences .when the
darley whipped out bis handy razor
and beg an slashing at Kennedy's face
and head. 1t occurred on one of the
principal streets aud quickly the two
men were surrounded by crowd of 400
or 500 men, on whom the sight of
blood flowing from Kennedy's badly
cut face and neck had an infuriating
effect. A rush was made for the a gro
and his life's story would have ended
r.. Al.
rival of a platoon of police who after
considerable exertion managed to res
cue the prisoner and landed him in jail.
The affair, however, famed the latent
antagonism to the black race into
fiery flame and chief among the advo-
Gates of running the niggers out of
town" was George Chinn, whose in
cendiary talk was checked by the po-
lice placing him in safe place where
his eloquence would be wasted. A
plan was quickly formed by crowd
of Chinn's con panions to secure his
release by force, but when they APP
preached the muzzles of half dozen
revolvers held by SO many determined
looking policemen the threatened res
cue fizzled out.
Two hours later young negro who
had been discharged from the Pick
wick hotel went into the hotel office
and demanded the wages alleged to be
due him, displaying at the same time
a murderous looking butcher knife.
His answer was a volley of heavy Office
chairs. most of which landed on mis-
head. Disconnected by this warm re-
eeption the negro hastily retreated,
and as he ran up the street a policeman
called on him to halt. But he only
ran the faster, and that he did not dy
was because he lacked the wings The
police fired a shot across his bows
which caused the negro prize to heave
10 and surrender.