Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-08-24

Armed with club, They Made tour " w.
City bent an Mincnief.

!.
Armed with clubs They Made tour " '"e
CITY bent on mincniei.
Al least two dozen colorod men ana
boys living in different parts OF my
CITY are nursing sore heads, dlsngureu
faces, bruised bodies or other INJURIES
AS n result of coming in contact WIN
an exceedingly tough gang OF white
boys which made tour OF the clty ol
Wednesday night armed with clups anu
hunting trouble. The crowd varied I'D
numbers, according to the locallty' pu.
at times it numbered at least 2uo, anu
with few exceptions each was reaa!
to do what mischief he could.
The scheme must have been hatched
befo1 night, az some Of the boys looked
MS If they had prepared themselves Tor
the FRAY in advance, and when the Time
arrived to start out they had no am,
Guilty in gathering up recruits VINO ilau
similar evil inclinations.
The disorderly gang took advantage
Of the excitement attending the paradea
| Of tho Reilly Lyceum Associations, ana
taking a position on both sides and 10
front of tho First Regiment Hand,
which was at the head of the line,
marched with it over the entire route,
Some of the boys we're armed with STOUT
clubs nearly as large and heavy as base,
ball bats, while others carried small
sticks. Some were not armed at al,
but nearly all took part in the sundry
disturbances.
Every negro with whom they came IN
contact received one or more blows. IN
some places they were knocked down
and maltreated in various ways, and as
n rule we're roughly handled. Most OF
the negroes saw it was useless to re-
taliate and got away as fast as they
could, Some were followed for several
blocks and set upon without the
slightest provocation. Several were
badly hurt, but no serious cases have
been reported, although it is said some
had homes broken. A man who walked
around with the parade said he saw
negroes assaulted on Second street
between Market and King, at Fourth
and French street, Ninth and French
Ninth and Walnut, Ninth and King
Sixth and West, Fifth and Madison
Seventh and Windsor and in Hedge
Vile.
The young ruiians were not conten
! with assaulting colored people, but go
into all sorts of mischief. At Fourtl
3 and French streets they stole nearly al
of the produce of u trucker, brok
watermelons and threw pieces at tn
3 owner and other people nearby, and a
D several grocery stores committed simila
3 depredations and dubbed sign
1 wherever they could reach them.
The members of the Reilly Lyceur
U Association are not responsible for tn
0 conduct of these boys and several time
9 members of the association remon
Q strated with them. The youngster
S kept their eyes open for the police an
:. where they saw officers did not max
Q any demonstrations. AT times it woul
I have been difficult for an officer to Sc
what was going on, the crowd was $
y large. The police iDterfered sever;
:, times.
~ About so young negroes. also arme
70 with clubs, retaliated Thursday and Z
o a result several white boys aud ME
. were injured. The negroes followed
: colored band, which paraded I'll
I, streets, and their actions were vel
p much like those of the white boys G
y the previous night. Robert Hayde
y and son of Assistant City Solicit,
n Medford FL. Cahoon were attacked ;
Y Ninth and Madison strects, and viii
~ men and boys we're set upon and a
N saulted at Ninth and Franklin, Eleveni
/, and Adams streets and at other place
y Young negroes have engaged in tn
" sort of amusement before and they %
rs largely responsible for the actions
80 the white boys ON Wednesday nigh
IS The police are to take hand, howeye
q and will probably make move pr
D. hibiting disorderly crowds from follo'
r. ing bar IS of music, and il this is n
3n effective an order may be issued COZ
40 Polling bands to have Police escor
rs when parading at night.