Albuquerque daily citizen. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1895-1903, 1902-05-17
PITCHED BATTLE
Police and Negroes
Fatal Fight.
Seven Dead and Six Are
Wounded.
An Entire Block Of Buildings Was
Burned Out.
MILITIA ORDERED OUT.

Atlanta. Ca May 17.-Four white
men and three negroes are dead, five
white men and one negro are wound
ed, and an entire block of buildings
burned is the result of a conflict that
began here early today between the
police and blacks.
The dead are: Edward Batele. bail
iff, Fulton county; H. G. Osborne, po-
liceman, Fulton county; Thomas
Grant, city policeman; Edward Crab
tree, city policeman; Will Richardson,
a negro desperate, who killed these
men; Milton Rosby. a negro who at
tempted to escape from a sewer; an
unknown negro, killed in a nearby
yard.
The wounded are: S. A. Kerlin,
beaten by negroes; w. A. Wright, coun-
ty policeman, wounded in left shoul-
der; w. T. jackson, street car con-
ductor, wounded in the hip; Owen
Heard, county policeman, wounded in
the thigh; Call Officer Spradlin.
wounded in the arm; unknown negro,
shot through the hand.
Yesterday afternoon former Police
man S. A. Kerlin was waylaid by five
negroes with whom he had trouble
while a member of the force. The as
sailants were frightened away or Ker-
lin would have been killed. A sergeant
stationed at Fort Mcpherson found
Kerlin unconscious.
At midnight County Policeman
Golden heard that Kerlin's five assail-
ants were located iI house on Nc
Daniel street and hastened to the city
to secure a warrant for arrest.
Golden was joined by Officers Dun
bar and Cheshire and accompanied by
a number of Kerlins neighbors, in
Guiding Owen Heard, the party start
ing for the hiding place of the negroes
arriving at 80 o'clock this morning.
AS the officers approached the house
the inmates opened fire. Heard fell to
the ground and was borne out of range
by his companions. The house was at
once surrounded by the posse and day
light awaited for another attack.
The house in which one of the ne
groes named Richardson was located,
belonged to Annie Wilburn, also col
ored. Richardson owned the store ad-
joining the house. Here was kept am
munition and guns, and therefore they
were well prepared to fight.
At o'clock this morning the little
group of officers approached the place
and called to those within to surren-
der. In reply they received a volley
of shots, one of which killed County
Officer Batele. The attacking party
retreated some distance, and from be-
hind trees, telegraph and trolley poles
commenced firing into the store. In a
few minutes the door of the house
opened. and Will King, a negro, ran
out and surrendered. Inside the house
Richardson had an unobstructed view
in three directions. One block away
: Policeman Tom Grant, who was among
those summoned to the scene, stepped
from behind shelter to fire into the
house. A shot rang out from the be
sieged house and Grant fell dead. The
attacking party hastily sent word tC
police headquarters and Chief of Po
lice Ball dispatched the reserves to the
scene.
The officers determined to make use
of King, the negro who surrendered
and at the point of a Winchester they
forced him to walk up to the rear o.
the house and fire it. AS soon as the
flames were discovered, the officers
eager to get the inmates of the house
stepped out from their shelter in every
direction. Again there was a shot from
the house and this time officer Edward
Crabtree met death. An instant late
there was a third shot and Count!
Policeman Robert Osborne fell dead
The shooting had by this time attract
ed hundreds of people and nearl!
every man who came to the scene car
ried a rife Shooting into the hous'
became general, citizens and Officers
firing together.
Governor Gambler was advised b.
telephone of the riCtlng and hastily OF
dered out the militia. Captain Barker
of the Fifth regiment, was ordered Il
proceed with fifty men and gun Il
the scene of shooting and cooperate
with the city authorities and sherii
OF Fulton county. Chief of Police Bal
and Sheriff Nelms also hurried to tn
scene. w. T. Jackson, street car cor