The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1902-05-18
BACKS USE GATLING GUN
To KILL THE POLICEMEN
Dsspsrste Fight Between Negroes and Peace off,
GERS Results in Death of Eight Persons.
D,,us, We're Compelled to Obtain Renosmsns and Burn the
Building Occupied by FUgtives.

rang out from the besieged house and
I Grant fell dead.
The attacking party hastily sent word
% police headquarters, and Chief OF
Police Ball dispatched the reserves to
the scene in several patrol wagons.
The officers determined TO make good
use Of King the negro who had surren-
dered and at the point of a Winches-
ter they forced him to walk up to the
rear Of the house and fire il. As soon
as the flames were discovered the Of
hcers, eager to get the inmates of the
house, stepped out Of their shelter in
every direction. Again there was a
shot from the house, and this time it
was Officer Edward Crabtree who met
death
An instant later there was a third
shot, and County Policeman Robert
Osborne fell dead.
The shooting had by this time at
tracted hundreds OF people. and nearly
every man who came TO the scene car
ried rife. The shooting into the house
became general citizens and officers
firing together.
Governor Gambler. advised by teIe-
phone of the riOting, hastily ordered
out the militia. Captain W. W. Barker
OF the Fifth regiment was ordered to
proceed with fifty men and a platoon
gun to the scene Of the shooting and
cooperate with the city authorities and
the sheriff of Fulton county. Chief of
Police Ban and Sheriff J. w. helms
also hurried to the scene. W. T. Jack
son, a street car conductor, was one
OF those who hurried to the scene. As
be was nearing the house he was shot
n Na fnHfrH a II
aTdson. A negro cabman driving a
spectator 90 the vicinity of the rioting
was hit in the hand by a bullet.
Call officer Spradlin, speeding to the
scene on his bicycle, received a wound
IN the arm. The desperate Richardson
had been lost sight Of The house
burned rapidly, and a number OF in
mates were seen to run to the store. to
a woodshed and to barn. Orders were
quickly given to fire every building into
which the negroes had been driven, and
IN few minutes the buildings were
burning.
Tried to Escape.
A main sewer that runs through this
part Of the city was utilized by two Of
the negroes as a possible means Of es-
cape, but to no avail. The crowd in
creased until at least 5000 people, 1000
Of whom at least. were armed. sur
rounded the burning area. Soon from
the mouth of the sewer Milton Rosby.
negro, was seen to emerge. A shout
went up. and the fleeing negro. who
struck out over an adjacent lot, was
being pursued. Shot after shot rang
out, and in a few minutes he fell dead.
The pursuing party quickly surrounded
him and filled mis- body with lead. He
was literally shot to pieces.
The crowd Of enraged citizens had
scarcely finished this work when an
other negro was seen coming out of the
sewer. He, too, made a run for life,
and managed to get into the back yard
OF one Of the neighboring homes, where,
surrounded by several head Of cattle,
be was filed with lead.
The FIRE started by the attacking
party spread rapidly, and soon the en-
tire block Of buildings. nearly all negro
houses. was destroyed. The police we're
busy arresting the few negroes found
in the vicinity, among them Steve Mes
bit and jim ingletOn-believed to be
members of Richardson's gang. The
police had great difficulty in getting
out Of the crowd OF enraged people
with the cOlored men. A mob Of 1000
SUI seA dLDAnA the paNIOl wagon ana
cried for the lives Of the men under ar
rest. The officers, throwing their men
into the bottom of the wagon, drew
their rev0lvers, forced their way
through the crowd. and, twenty min
utes later lodged their prisoners in the
county Jail.
In less than an hour the block of
wooden houses was burned to the
ground, and a search of the ruins was
begun. In a woodshed in the rear Of
richardson's store was found a skull,
and near it the steel barrel Of a rife.
William Gregg. a negro, was heard to
remark that it was a shame to kill ne
gToes 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.
Fifty men of the Fifth infantry did pa
troll duty in the disturbed district all
day, being relieved tonight by the Gate
City guards. AS a further protection,
Governor Gambler tonight ordered every
in Atlanta under arms, and
to remain at the company headquarters
until further orders. Order has been
restored, and Governor Gambler de-
clares that no unoffending negro viii
be molested.