The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1900-08-17
RAIN STOPPED
RACE RIOTS
WHILE MOB BEAT NEGROES UN-
DER EYES OF POLICE.
Chief Devery in charge-The Depart
ment, with a Record of Efficiency
Against Rioting, Fails to Suppress
Disorder.

New York. Aug. 16.-The West side
riot ceased between and 3 o'clock
this morning. A rain storm came up
then and the black and white toughs
that had been fighting under the eyes
of the police since o'clock were tired
out. A common, drunken assault
started the trouble, which the police
could easily have controlled; the New
York police force is distinguished for
its effective handling of mobs. But
those who saw the rioting grow de-
clare that the police did not want to
stop it, so 1t went on until the weather
and WEAKNESS dispersed the crowds.
Today the disturbed district was thor
oughly patrolled and all was quiet.
There was a sense of restlessness and
nervousness, but there was no violence.
The police were doing their duty.
All that was feared was an outbreak
at the funeral of Robert Thorpe, the
policeman, whose murder by the negro
Harris was the cause of the bad race
feeling. A crowd blocked the streets
in front of Thorpe's late home at 2
o'clock. Forty plain-clothes policemen
were in the crowd, and If a negro ap-
peared they hustled him out, telling
him where it was healthier. But very
few colored people were in sight. save
on the fire escape. The funeral process
sion started promptly, Chief Devery
leading in barouche. a passage was
forced by the reserves without much
difficulty, and no sign of trouble was
seen. The crowd turned itself into an
escort.
The facts that the police have to an
swer for today, however, are a serious
arraignment. Here they are:
The Arrests.
Arrests made, 33-whites, 8; negroes,
30. And the whites were the aggrCs-
sors.
The first incident was a common as
sault by a drunken negro.
1t was early in the evening: the sta
tions were Immediately notified, and
/ reserves were at the disposal of the
officer in command.
The chief was on the scene. He
! hangs out there, knows the neighbor-
hood, and he took charge.
His assistant was Inspector Thomp-
| son, who has developed into a handy
| clubber.
| The mob grew slowly and gradually
| Citizens and reporters who watched
! the mob say the police were indiffer-
ent, often slow to render help to a
negro in the hands of the white toughs
and that the chief maintained his easy
! good-nature all night.
The shooting by a negro OF Police.
man Thorpe, whose death is given as
| the cause of the whole trouble, Is q
| humane suggestion of the motive foi
| police sympathy with the whites.
When the disorder broke out Actinf
Captain Brennan, of the West Forty,
seventh street station, called out hi'
reserves and told the men to keep al
tough citizens in their houses, blacl
and whites alike, and he had no trouble
Acting Captain Cooney, of the Wes
| Thirty-seventh street station, took NJ
such measures, and it is said that hi
men did as little as they could.
A reporter who saw the colored bi
cyclist, Jesse Paine, pulled off hi
wheel and beaten, says that there wer
policemen there. The reporter ran t,
them and begged them to rescue Paine
They would not do it till a threat o
charges was made, then they escorted
the negro away, and after persisten
demand for an arrest one white loase
was taken to the station. This ac
counts for one Of the three white ar
rests.
Many fights between whites an
blacks resulted tonight. Vincent A
Streets colored, and James Shane
white, began n row and both were ar
rested. Alex. Robinson, a negro, an,
colored friend were on a Thirty
fourth street car. Some one set up
shout as the car neared Eighth avenu
that the two negroes ought to b
lynched. A rope was thrown aroun
Robinson's neck and fifty men an
boys pulling, the mob started for
lamp post. A squad of police appear
ed and dispersed the crowd. The tW
negroes got away.
Pawnbrokers Do a Thriving Trade
Eery pawnshop in the "Tenderloin
did a thriving trade in small arm
today. A leading pawnbroker said tc
night that he knew of five shops tina
had sold out everything from blac
jacks to Colts A. Most of the pur
Chasers, he said. were negroes. Wor
reached the West Forty seventh stree
station tonight that n larg mob wa
at Eighth avenue and Forty-secon
street The reserves were run ou
and dispersed the crowd, which mum
bered over 1000 persons.
The Powers Case