Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1900-08-16

NEW YORK, August ia mop of
several hundred persons formed at II
O'Clock tonight in the front of the
|, home Of Policeman Robert J. Thorpe
at Thirty-seventh street and Ninth
avenue, to wreak vengeance upon the
negroes of that neighborhood because
one of their race had caused the police
mans death. Thorpe was stabbed and
bruised last Sunday night by several
negroes while he was attempting to
arrest a colorei woman. The man
who inflicted most of the injury is said
to be Arthur Harris, negro who
came here several weeks ago from
Washington. In few minutes the mob
tonight swelled to 1900 people or
more, and as they became violent the
negroes fed into any hiding place
they could get.
The police reserves from four sta
tions, numbering four hundred in all,
were called out.
Ihe MOD OF W hite Men
which grew with great rapidity ragged
through the street and negroes regard
ly attacked. Scores were injured. 1t
took the combined efforts of the re-
serves with as many more policemen
on patrol from the four districts TO re-
store order. Clubs were used until the
police were almost exhaustedl Rle-
volvers were emptied into the air AMI
in one or two instances, fiered at the
upper stories of the negro tenements
from which the negroes defensively
fired bricks, paving stones and other
missiles.
The trouble grew out of the death
of Policeman Robert J. Thorpe, of the
West Thirty-seventh street station, as
the result of murderous assault by u
nuegro early Sunday morning in
Eighth avenue and Forty-first street.
Thorpe was attempting to arrest ne
gress when Arthur Harris and another
negro attacked the policeman with ra-
zors. He died the following day.
The >policeman's death
Aroused the White Residents
of the district included from Twenty
ninth to Forty-second streets, and from
Ninth avenue to Sixth avenue. Open
threats against the negroes were made,
and the blacks replied in kind. While
not condoning the offense of Harris,
they INSISTED that he was only one, and
that the race ought not to be blamed
for his action.
The policeman's body was brought
to his home tonight in Ninth avenue,
between Thirty-sixth and Thirsty-sev-
ents streets. At once the house be-
came a sort of shrine and from all
over the vicinity men and women
called to pay their respects. Many
carried handsome floral offerings. AS
the night grew on the feeling against
the negroes seemed to grow. The fact
that many saloons roundabout were
crowded had its influence, doubtless,
on the rising tide of anger. A small
group gathered about the policemans
home and Captain Cooney, of the West
Thirty-seventh street station sent a
small squad of men. Trouble was not
anticipated, however. and the squad
was more in the nature of
i Guard of Honor
for their dead comrade.
A few minutes before II o'clock an
Irish woman under the influence OF
drink came out of the place. She set
up howl, and began to recite the
virtues of the dead policeman. She
said the negroes ought to be killed.
Just then young negro walked by.
The white men made a rush for him,
and he was quickly surrounded. He
was beaten and kicked, and was res
cued with great difficulty. If there had
USSn d Cdl VLOAAy 1l oll5Cu put dIlu IA4o
had been the agreed signal. the out
break could not have been more spon-
taneous. Men and women poured by
the hundred from the neighboring ten
ements. Negroes were set upon wher-
ever they could be found, and brutally
beaten. The blacks at first offered re-
sistance, but they were so soon out
numbered that they
Fled Without Delay.
For the next hour the streets were
filled with a rioting. surging mob. 1t
was a scene on very much the same
order as. took place a few days ago
in New Orleans. New York has sell
dom had it's equal The shouting of
the men. the shieking OF the women,
the lamentations of the children. the
shooting of the revolvers. crashing of
windows and all made a perfect pam
demonlum- nBs1--19Ig1d s,-.- 81.
The police in other parts
Did Much Clubbing
but the injured men were II negroes.
Lloyd Lee. of Thirty street,
and Seventh avenue, was shot in the
cheek, received scalp wound and a
broken arm. He said policeman had