The Washington times., 1901-07-16
NEGROES ON A FIGHTING TRIP.
For Over Three Hours an Alley Sec.
tiou Is Terrorized


The vicinity of Seventh and n Streets
northwest was the scene last night of
| an exciting riot, lasting from shortly
after o'clck until 1880 o'clock before
the police of the Second precinct could
lay their hands upon the guilty parties.
During this interval negro residents of
o Street Alley, Madison Street. and
Shepard's Alley fed crying through the
streets to the police station on Fifth
Street. where they informed Desk Ser
geant Springmann that two colored men
armed to the teeth were assaulting
everyone in sight.
Policemen Evans and Forteney, who
were patrolling the Seventh Street beat,
were told the names of the Offenders
and kent watch for them. but the blue
coats had hardly responded to one dis
tress call before they were called OFF TO
attend a disturbance in another locality
on their beats.
1t was shortly after o'clock, while the
two policemen were standing on the cor
nor of Seventh and n Streets, that cries
of murder" were heard issuing from
Madison Street, which is just in the rear.
The police ran at once to the scene of
the trouble. On arrival there they found
a negro by the name of Thorn Varney
engaged in administering a terrific beat
ing to William Dixson, colored. Grouped
around the combatants were at least a
hundred negroes. who were held in check
by a friend of Narney, negro by the
name of George Shanklin, who brandish-
ed the leg of a chair. At the sight of
the policemen Shanxlin fed. while the two
policemen, by using their clubs vigorously,
succeeded in placing varney under arrest.
hn fol, fn OF
house, where the cause of the disturbance
was discovered. Both varney and Shank
lin, il was learned, intended to leave the
city on the 1870 o'clock train last night
for Pittsburg, and, having drank freely
during the day and part of the evening,
decided to paint red the vicinity where
they had spent so many years.
Consequently both men started for
Shepard's Alley, where Varney lived, and
became involved in a dispute with Lizzie
Jones and Susie Smith, sisters of Varney,
and in the end beat both women severely.
The two men then left that section and
visited Madison Street. where their ap-
pearance was the cause of great excite
ment among the dense colored population
of the street. Many of the residents were
sitting in chairs in front of their homes.
The two men, 1t is said, deliberately
threw many of the women out of their
chairs and fought with various colored
men, each time coming 9Ns victorious.
They met their WaterlCboS however when
from whom they tried to take bucket
of beer. Johnson seized a chair and
struck Varney stunning blow in the
mouth. which caused the latter and
Shanklin to beat hasty retreat They
were just at the height of their raid,
however, when Policemen Evans and
Forteney put in an appearance.
Varneys arrest was communicated TO
many of the colored residents who had
been assaulted. and in a few minutes the
stationhouse was covered with negroes,
all of whom were desirouS of placing
charges against the negro for assault.
After a consultation the police finally
agreed to place five charges of assault
and battery against the prisoner.
In the meantime a description of Shank
lin was sent to all police stations, and q
sharp lookout was kept for him in the
vicinity of his home. The police received
Information later lin the night that Shank
lin. accompanied by five other negroes,
all of whom bear bad records. had gone
to the Pennsylvania Railroad station. Po-
liceman Waidron in citizens clothes vis-
tied that locality and succeeded III loca-
ting the much-wanted man seated On 4
truck whiting TO board a train. After a
short struggle. during which SEanklin
made a desperate effort to escape from
the policeman, he was finally oyerpoWered
and taken to the station, where a like
number of charges were entered against
his name.
Both men will be given hearing in the
Police Court this morning. at which ses-
sion the police will have number of otIsr
persons who were assaulted by the pris-