Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-08-08
ALEXANDRIA AFFAIRS
Startling Information Impaired to
Citizens This Morning.
ALLEGED ATTEMPT TO INclYE RIOT
Exciting Scenes in the Mayors
Court During Trials.
OFFENDERS FINED

Evening Star Bureau,
No. 701 King Street,
Bell Telephone No. JOG,
ALEXANDRIA, Ma, August ), 1883
A startling surprise greeted the citizens OF
this city when they awoke this morning
from the quiet slumbers of the night. The
information that Alexandria had been pa
trolled during the night by mob of sew
eral hundred negroes fell upon the people
as would a thunderbolt at MONDAY. EX-
cltement was portrayed on many faces as
the story of an attempted assault, heinous
and hendish on a little eight-year-old white
girl went the rounds with its sequel of
midnight gathering of negro sympathizers
determined to protect by force the alleged
perperrator of the crime, then behind the
police station bars.
Against the name Of Ben Thompson,
colored youth, aged twenty years, was the
charge of attempting a criminal assault on
little Lillian Clarke, daughter of Mr.. Ed
ward and Mrs. Julia Clarke, who reside on
Patrick eet near the corner of Wytne
street. Long before the hour of holding
poilce court citizens congregated in the VI
cinity of the station house, and when may
or Simpson took his seat on the bench
every aValiabie space IN the court room
was occupied.
Four negroes who answered to the names
of James Turkey Edward Gibson, Alfred
Mason and Harry Mcdonald, were first
ushered into the dock. The charge Of dis
orderly conduct, carrying concealed weap-
OILS and lhciting riot was entered against
their names. Lieut.. Smith first took the
witness stand. He stated that the town
was very quiet up to shortly before II
O'Clock, when several negroes were seen to
pass the police station together This at
tracted the lieutenants attention, and
shortly thereafter that officer noticed
crowds of colored people congregated on
several corners.
The Mayor Notified.
The lieutenant then proceeded to Mayor
Simpsons home to notify him of what he
| had seen and heard The mayor directed
| that officers the street be ordered to the
station house to preserve order in the event
| of any aggressive movement being made
J On the part of the colored people. Officers
, Belts Howison, Beach, Deane, Young,
| Hall, Lyles and Spinks were so notified by
the lieutenant, and they proceeded to the
vicinity of the station house. The leuten-
ant said that at this time there was no dis
| turbance, nor was there any gathering of
the white citizens, and to his knowledge no
such gathering occurred.
Officers Lyles, Howson and Spinks were
| dispatched to the lumber yards, situated
| near the river shore, but they found moth
| ing unusual there's Shortly past / o'clock
| Lieut.. Smith6obsefved crowd of colored
men gathered at the corner of Cameron
and Fairfax streets. He went over and
| told the negroes to dispense. This they re-
fused to do maintaining a sullen silence.
| After some parleying the mob moved down
to Hard Corner, ia few blocks down Fair
fax street. where they again halted. With
a squad of officers Lieut.. Smith again COM
manded the men to dispense, and as they
continued to- refuse he grabbed Two of
them, Mason and Mcdonald. turning them
oyer to Officer spinks and citizen, Mr..
Harry Fisher, who conveyed them to the
station house. In response 20 questions
the negroes stated that they had gathered
| to see that there should not be a repetition
of the Mccoy lynching of three years ago
| for the criminal assault of the little Lacey
girl AT Hard Corner" the crowd NAM
| bered, according to the officers about 200
officer Atkinson's Story.
Officer Atkinson, who next took the
stand toiu of arresting Turley. The latter
and negro named Richard Washington,
| the officer said were acting as Spokesman
| for large gathering. He heard some one
| yell: Boys, what say you? Let's lynch
Bob Arnold referring to Mr.. Robt. Ar
| mold, who had gone to the station house to
inform the officers of the negro gatherings
| Messrs. David Makely, VIM. Shoeni and
| another citizen then came up, assisting Of
| ficer Atkinson in arrest1ng Turley When
| searched al the station house a large pis-
| toll and box of cartridges We're found on
| Turkeys person.
Officer Belts gave in substance the evil
| dence given by his brother officers The
| negroes, he said were to be seen on al
| most every corner and moving in every di-
| Tection.
| Officer Young also witnessed the disturb
| ance and endeavored to pacify the coored
| people. They were obdurate, he said and
| seemed bent on mischief He stated that
| there seemed to be corner in the eastern
| part of town without its squad of rioters.
| While the hearing was in progress John
| Nelson and VIM. Washington were recog-
| nized in the court room as being impi-
| Gated in the disturbance and were taken
| into custody.
| Several citizens testified as to the riotous
| proceedings between 1 and o'clock this
| morning Every witness examined, except
| Turley, who later took the stand, testified
| that no threats of lynching were heard on
| the part of the whites. Indeed, from the
| evidence, it appeared that very few people
| knew of the nature of ThomDsons alleged
! offense, Mayor Simpson and the police
| officers had taken every precaution to pre-
| vent any undue excitement.
TurIey Takes the Stand
James Turley, after consulting his attor-
| ney Joseph r. Flanigen, made a state
| ment to the effect that he going from
work late last night and met several white
| men, who loudly threa tened to lynch some
negro, who at that time, Turley stated
was unknown to him. He retraced his
steps, he said, for the purpose of ascer-
| tanning what the trouble was he pleaded
| innocent of the charge of causing disorder
After Turley finished Mayor Simpson
summed up the case, remarking that it
brought to light most remarkable condi-
ton of affairs in this city. There was
nothing to show, he continued, that the i'm
prisoned negro was in the slightest danger,
and yet the colored people had attempted
to ncite a riot which might easily have
called down upon their heads swift and
terrible calamity. He imposed fine of $50
Albert Greene, Allen Carter, Robert But
Ter, John HaskinS, James Alexander, Ed
ward Payne, Thomas Elsey. Richard Wash
ington, John Nelson and William Washing
ton wee next arraigned, charged with be-
ing implicated in the riot.
About the same evidence as was given in
the other cases applied in these, except
that the above named were not charged
with carrying concealed weapons. Greene
was fined $50 and the others s. each, except
ing VIM. Washington and Nelson, who were
dismissed. >.
The Alleged Criminal.
Ben Thompson, looking cowed and fright