The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-08-29
MOB IN NEW YORK CITY,
Avenge Murder Of Policeman Thorp;
by Attacking Negroes.
RIOTERS FIGHT 500 BlUEC0ATS

Negroes Dragged From Cars, Houses ah'
Stores, Women Beaten and Mon Shot
Stabbed and Clubbed-The Outbreai
Lasted Nearly Six Hours - 0uellet
by Police Reserves.
New York City (SpeciaD. race
war as fierce as it was sudden ragec
along the west side Of this city be
tween Thirtieth and Forty-ifth streets
and along Sixth, Seventh, Eighth and
Ninth avenues Wednesday night. 1t
called for the services of TOO police
men. commanded by Chief Devery In
person, and for six hours there was
virtually reign of terror such as has
never been seen in New York since the
Draft Riot days Of war times.
The air was filled with shots; ne.
croes were attacked on street cars anu
dragged from bicycles in the streets.
They were pounded and beaten, III
some instances into inseEsiblllty. ana
the police were at times wholly una.
BILE to afford protection or to controi
the mad, sweeping fury of the mob.
The riot was the result Of the killing
on Sunday of Policeman Robert j.
Thorpe, of the West Thirty seventh
street station by negro. Arthur aar-
ris. A wake over ThOrpe's Dody was
in progress. Feeling against the ne
groes in the neighborhood of Thorpes S
late home had been at white heat Tor
q couple of days.
A drunken negro pulled revolver
ON two white women, friends OF
Thorpes family, who were standing
in front of the Thorpe house. That
started the trouble, which sDread like
Wlldfire.
Over two hundred negroes were PAD
" beaten. They were dragged from
street cars, pelted with stones, beaten
kicked and jumped upon.
Then word passed from one poiice
station to another, and reserves came
out like quick-ncving dctachments OF
troops. Rioting suppressed III one
place broke out in another.
Saloons were closed by orders OF the
police, and merchants, alarmed by the
crashing Of bullets through windows,
were forced to close their stores.
At midnight the rioting had spread
to dozens of points along the entire
west side from Twenty-third TO Fif-
tieth streets. It was scene to re.
mind the sober, staid citizens Of New
York Of the outbreaks in the South
and Southwest that drew Virtuous an
ger from Northern cities.
Clubs were used until the policemen
were almost exhausted. Revolvers
were emptied into the air, and in one
or two Instances fired at the upper
stories Of the negro tenements, from
which the negroes defensively fired
bricks, paving stones and other mis-
siles. That many negroes were not
killed outright is miraculous, for the
mob at times was frenzied.
Cars in Broadway and Eighth ave-
nue. were stopped by tine mob ard ter
ror-stricken negroes dragged bodily to
the street, where they were kicked and
beaten.
TerrorizeG negroes, pursued by the
mob, took refuge in many OF the
Broadway hotels. Pistols. razors
clubs, bottles and stones were freely
used by both negroes and whites.
Store windows were broken by flying
missiles.
Even the negro women caught in
the streets suffered at the hands OF the
mob.
Police reserves were called out from
every station between Charles street
and West l25th street Inspector
Thompson Mt first took charge. but
was soon relieved by Chief nevery
when the magnitude Of the war was
realized. Soon after lis arrival Chief
Devery ordered out the reserves from
four east side stations.
In Eighth avenue alone there were
eight ambulanceS stationed to care for
the wounded. and $50 policemen were
scattered along the few blocks.
Police Captain Cooncy and two po-
licemcn were wounded, one Of them
Kennedy, The partner of the mur-
dered Thorpe, was fatally cut with
razor.
Saloons in the vicinity Of the rioting
were closed by the police. This threw
into the streets hundreds Of half intox-
icated men. who hastened to swell the
ranks Of the rioters.
Through the effective work of the
police the rioting was Quelled and the
throngs dispersed about > o'clock a.
m. At least sixty negroes were
wounded, several of them probably ia
tally.
A general order was issued early in
the morning suspending all days off,
for policemen, and directing them to
remain in the stations when off duty
in order to be prepared for any fur
ther outbreak.