The age-herald., 1902-05-18
Negro DeSperado6s Fire on Officers Who Attempt to
 Arrest Them
BLOCK OF BUILDINGS
 BURNED DURING FIGHT
Neuro Who Was Entrenched In Store of Police Until Four Had of Police Unti Four Had
 Fallen Dead.

TLANTA, May H.-An effort by officers of the law to arrest ne- EndA gro outlaws, who had barricad- ed themselves in a store, resulted today in the most fatal riot in the history of the city. Eight men were killed including three policemen, white citizen and four negroes. Six persons, black and white, were wounded.
 The most exciting scenes prevailed at the place of this disturbance, and every avail able policeman, with militimen called out by the Governor, had all they coul do to keep down a general riot.
 An entire block of buildings was burned before the conflict which began early this morning was terminated.
 The Dead.
 Ed Battle a bailiff of Fulton County. H. G. Osborne, a policeman of Fulton County.
 Thomas Grant, a city policeman.
 Edward Crabtree, a city policeman.
 will Richardson, the negro desperado, who killed these men.
 John Harrington, a negro who attempt cd to escape rom d. SeWeKs
 Unknown negro, believed to be Charles Clisby, killed in nearby yard.
 will Gregg, negro, died tonight Was shot by unknown men, while passing comments on the fray.
 Wounded: s. A. Kerlin, beaten by ne- groes; w. A. Wright, a county police man, wounded in the left shoulder; W. T. Jackson. a street car man, wounded in hip; Owen Heard, a county policeman, wounded in the thigh; County Officer Spradin, wounded in the arm; Shepard Finger hackman, shot through the hand.
 Outside the City Limits.
 The scene of the tragedy was on Me- Daniel street, a few hundred yards out side the city limits. The country police first attempted to raid the place alone and later the city police were called upon for aid. Still later the Governor was ap- pealed to and the military were ordered out.
 In the barricaded store were three ne- groes It is believed there were at first as many as five and two escaped before daylight The store was a small arsenal in which were a number of Winchester rifles and a small Gatling gun. It was a rendezvous for a gang of thieves and murderers. Within were sharpshooters. who picked off the men on the outside with precision and deadly effect. Every time a man showed himself he was shot to death
 The torch was finally brought into re- duisition and amidst the flames was heard the crack of the rifles as the deadly mes sengers of lead sped on their way. The flames accomplished what the bullets fail- ed to do. Two members of the gang rush. ed out one to death, and the other the leader was burned up after his body had been riddled with bullets.
 Before the riot was ended three brave officers had been shot to death, one citi- zen had fallen with a rifle In his hands, four negroes were killed and many others wounded.
 5000 Shots Fired.
 During the entire affray at least 5000 shots were fired. Citizens had joined the police, armed with shotguns and rifes After the burned body of the negro was found an angry crowd of white men seiz- ed it and bore it towards the city. Chief Ball threw a cordon of police across a street at the city limits and took the body away from the crowd and had 1t sent into the city in a wagon.
 While the procession was passing, Will Gregg, a negro, was heard to remark that 1t was a shame to kill negroes that way, and he had no sooner spoken the words than he was riddled with bullets He was carried to the county jail where he died tonight.
 Governor Cander's Statement.
 Fifty men of the Fifth Infantry did patrol duty in the disturbed district all day being relieved tonight by the Gate City Guard. As a further precaution Governor Candler tonight ordered every rnilitiaman in Atlanta under arms and to remain at their company headquarters until further orders Governor Candler made the following statement tonight:
 "At ' o'clock this morning I was called mn by Deputy Sheriff Shropshire who in- formed me that desperate negro, who had on yesterday afternoon waylaid and wounded a policeman, had been located. in an old storehouse on McDaniel street beyond the city limits, and that the coun- tv police had surrounded the house and were waiting till daylight to captufe him. Before day the negro shot from the house and killed a policeman. With this state want he telephoned me for authority to burn the house. I advised him not to do so, hut to guard the house and prevent the ascane of the negro and call me again when got to my office. at once order ed Major Barker to proceed without de- lay to the stcene of the disturbance with fifty men and a Gatlin gun. In few r,inutes Deputy Shropshire advised me by ,elenhone that while he had been at the telephone talking to me Sheriff Nelms had the house. burned and the negro es- caped. but was believed to be in another house close by Meanwhile the troops un- der Major Barker had gone to the scene of the trouble with a Gatlin gun to open fire on the house, orders being given. him not to fire on any house in which were any women and children; but before the troops arrived. it having been ascertained that there were no women or children in the house, 1t also was fired. In the mean time the negro who was armed with two Winchester rifles and was an expert pnarksman had killed three more white officers and wounded two others and two negroes had also been killed, but the