New-York tribune., 1900-08-17
OUIETRR ON WEST SIDE.
POLICE CENsURED FOR MUCH OF THE
TROUBLE.
-wENTY-FOUR PERSONS HURT IN THE DIS
TURBANCE. MANY OF THEM BY Po-
LTCEMEN - THORPE's MUIR
DERER ARRESTED.


Of Wednesday nights disturbances on the West
Side a stranger passing along Eghth-ave., be-
tween Thirtieth and Fortieth SITS. would not have
suspected that negroes had been hunted by the
police and by excited crowds that part OF the
city until long after midnight In the side Streets
where many Of the tenement houses were occupied
by colored people. there signs Of disorder
where q few hours before stones had been hurled
- By noisy hoodums fleeing negroes. The only re-
rnnders of the disturbances the presence Of
larger number OF policemen than usual on the
sidewalks and the gathering together of people in
small crowds al intervals TO talk about the
Of the previous night
+ was evident from the talk one heard on the
streets that the disturbances had not been of a
magnitude warrant Of the reports Of riot
and bloodshed that had been spread abroad. II
was said freely by witnesses of the disorderly
scenes Of Wednesday night that the police had
done much anybody to encourage and pro-
mote the abuse Of inoffensve negroes IN the dis
trict. Most OF the persons who had been chasing
negroes on Wednesday night It said, were
email boys half grown men and policemen Many
grown people ran with the crowds to see what wa:
going It declared. but few except police
mn laiI ,fOlent nands on the fugttives.
What tarI ened in nearly every case. witnesses
said thut crowd of hoodlums would make
dash at some negro, assailng him with stones
and other missiles and crying, XIII the ngger,
and then policemen would join In the chase OF the
frightened colored MAJ, catch him, club him If
resisted. and then drag him away TO police
station. The sympathy of the police seemed TO be
directed against all the colored people Of the
neighborhood. because negro ruffian had killed
Policeman Thorpe Sunday. The fact that few
persons had been hurt seriously In the disturb
snCes mentioned proof that there had not
been dangerous riot. The only person supposed
TO be injured fatally is Lloyd w Lee. negro
had stabbed Il policeman in one OF the fights
Twenty other cclored men hurt severely
enough be taken TO hospitals for treatment.
Tn-ea white had been hurt, but not seriously.
no TROUBLE AT THORPE's FUNERAL.
Few people anticipated any trouble at the funeral
OF Policeman Robert J. Thorpe in the afternoon
from OF his sister, No. 49, Ntnth-ave.
The police were stationed in great numbers about
the house and neighborhood. At p. m. there was
large crowd outside the house. II contained not
single negro. The people composing 1t were
orderly and had gathered mainly from curiosity.
Chief Devery attended the funeral as a mouTner,
and there were several other officers and many
patrornen Of the Department present force of
I2O policemen had been detailed to march ahead
Of the hearse IN the procession TO the Twenty
third-st. ferry There was short service IN the
house and when II had ended the pallbearers car
ried the coffin containing Thorpe's body from the
top floor Of the house the heerse in the street
Many persons in the crowd tried TO push forward
as the coffin carried out but the police re-
strained them There disorder
The l20 policemen started ahead OF the hearse
and the procession begEI. its march The route led
10 Thrty-seventh-st, to Tenth-ave. to Thirty
slxth-st. Fifh-ave., to Twenty-third-st. to the
ferry The burial in Greenwood Cemetery.
When the procession reached ThiTty-seventh-st
q negro bicycle who did not appear to know
what the crowd meant, tried TO the line.
Chief AbAyery. who near, ordered a policeman
TO escort the to & place Of safety. About ten
minutes later while the crowd was lingering in
NinIh-ave. Thfrty-seventh-gt negro. respect
ably dressed, walked along Thirty-seventh-st. 10
Ninth-ave and turned down the avenue. He was
assaiIed by q number of small boys with garbage
and various missiles. He sought refuge in a bak-
cry pte N 476 Ninth-ave., almost directly opposite
the Thorpe home. and the baker kindly closed his
doors to protect the negro. A roundsman sent
four policemen escort the man away.
PoLICEMAN's MURDERER ARRESTED.
Arthur Harris, the negro who killed Policeman
Thorpe, was arrested il Washington. D. c., on
Wednesday night about the time innocent colored
men We're being chased through the streets in this
city. Arrangements were made here 10 get the
proper requsition papers and have Harris brought
back this city possible Reports from
Washington stated that Harris arrested at the
home Of his mother al No. 1872 Est, s E, Wash
ington, nearly opposite the Fifth Precinct police
station Harris had been known as a boy TO some
Of the older officers Of the precinct, but he had
been away from home several years The request
for his arrest received from the New-York De-
tective BureaE
Harris was in bed when arrested, and tried TO
make the officers believe that his Will
laTns. At first he was inclined 10 be ugly, but
seeing that there many policemen for
him to handle. he submitted arrest. He soon
afterward admitted his Identity and started with
MS captoTS toward the pOllce station. Harris was
still unaware OF the nature of the crime charged
against him. He did know Of the death of his
victim
III get out Of this scrape all right" he said
10 Sergeant MuIhal whom ne knew.
This Is serious than you think the ser
geant told him
Harris then told his version o the trouble that
occurred when he used his penknife the police
He at Forty-frst-st. and Eighth-ave
on Sunday night, he said with mis- common law
wife, as he called her, and he left her to go to
restaurant q cigar. When he returned. he
said the officer who In citizens clothes, had
hold Of the woman, and he GIarris) walked and
asked:
What are you doing with my wife?'
Don't neddle with me- Is what he says the
policeman told him
Harris said he took hold Of the officer know
ing Of his Official character. and when he did so
the latter struck him. Then" he said, II pulled
out my penknife, and I think I him twice"
He thought he cut him IN the chest and stomach
He said he had no idea that he had killed the
policeman, and, not wanting 10 get locked up he
got on a train and went to Washington. II was
until after he had put IN a cell that he
was told of the officers death. and then he anx-
iousy inquired:
DO you think II is a case of the chair?' meaning
the electric chair. He added that he would save
his life if a fair trial given him. The prisoner
iItimated that his plea would be self-defence
coupled with the fact that ne did not know Th3TPe T
to come here without requistion; the Masning+ i+
upon presentation Of the proper papers.
ONLY ONE VICTIM IN DANGER.
The only person injured in the tights Wednes
Gay evening, who danger yesterday, was
Lloyd W. Lee, the negro of No 2N West Thrift
eth-st, who stabbed Policeman Kennedy and was
shot the jaw by Kennedy and beaten terribly
by other policemen. Lee was in Bellevue Hospital.
Kennedy was taken there to identify him yester-
day