The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1900-08-16
RACE RIOT.

iej9 ~ AfASL. wv q a. ~
Policeman Killed by a Negro Arous-
ed the Ire Of the Whites--Reserves,
Called out-Many Badly injured,
But No Deaths. +.
NEW YORK, Aug. 15.-A mob of
several hundred persons formed at II
o'clock tonight in front o.. the home
of Policeman Robert J. Thorpe, Thirty
seventh street and Ninth avenue, to
wreak vengeance upon the negroes of
that neighborhood because one OF their
race had caused the policeman's denth.
Thorpe was stabbed and bruised last
Sunday night by several negroes, while
he was attempting to arrest a colored
woman. The man who inflicted most OF
the injuryiis said to be Arthur Harris,
a negro who came here several weeks
ago from Washington. In a.few min
utes the mob tonight swelled to 1900
people or more, and as, they became
violent, the negroes fled into any hid
ing place they could get.
The police reserves from four sta
tlons, numbering four hundred in all.
were called out. Il
Mob Grew Rapidly.
Z The mob OF white men which grew
with great, rapldIty. ragged through the
street and negroes. regardless of age or
sex. were indiscrimlnately attacked.
Scores We're injured. 1t took the com-
bined efforts OF the reserves with as
many more policemen on patrol from
the four districts to restore order.
Clubs were used until the police 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$ottarl missiles. The trouble
grew out of the death OF Policeman
Robert j. Thorpe, Of the West Thirty
seventh street station, as the result OF
a murderous assault by negro early
Sunday, in Eighth avenue and Forty
first street. Thorpe was attempting to
arrest4a negrosRhan+ Arenur Harrissand
another negro attacked the policeman
with razors. He died the following day.
Aroused the White Residents. 4
The poiiceman's death aroused the
white residents OF the district included
from Twenty-ninth to Forty-second
street, and from Ninth avenue to Sixth
avenue. Open threats against the me-
groes were made and the blacks replied
in kind. While not condonIlg the Of
fense 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. be-
tween Thlrty-sixth and Thlr!y-seventh
streets. AT once the house became 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 It's In
fluence, doubtless, on the rising tide of
anger. A small group. gathered about
the poiiceman's home md Captain Con-
ney, OF the West Thirty-seventh street
station, sent n small squad Of men.
Trouble was not anticipated. however,
and the squad was more in the nature
OF guard Of honor for their dead COM
rade.
Set Up Howl.
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 reclte the vir-
tues OF the dead policeman. She said
the negroes ought to be killed. Just
then q young negro walked by. The
white men made q rush for him and he
was quickly surrounded. He was bent
en- and kicked and was rescued with
great difficulty. II there had been q
carefully. arranged plot and this had
been the agreed signal the outbreak
could not have been more spontaneous.
Men and women poured by the hun
dred from the neighboring tenements.
Negroes were set upon wherever they
could be found and brutallyj beaten.
The blacks at first offered resistance.
but they were so soon.outnumbered that
they fled without delay.
For the next hour the streets were
filled with rioting, surging mob. 1t
wns n scene on very much the same Or
der as took place few days ago In
New Orleans. New York has seldom
had Its equal. The shouting OF the
men. the shrieking OF the women, the
lamentations OF the children, the
shooting of revolvers, crushing Of win
dows and ull made a perfect pandemo-
MUM.
PoPULIsT SENSATION.