New-York tribune., 1902-05-18
RfOTING IN ATLANTA.
-FOUR WHITE MEN AND THREE NEGROES
KILLED - OUTCOME OF LAW
LESS ACTS MILITIA
CALLED OUT

wounded and an entire block Of small buildings
burned are the results Of q conflict which began
here early to-day between the police and black
men. ''Will" Richardson, who is believed TO
have been half Indian and half negro. the owner
of a store in McDanei-st., in the suburb called
Pittsburg and four other negroes brought on
the trouble by resisting arrest and defying the
officers Of Fulton County and Atlanta. The
dead
BATTLE Edward a baiIin Fulton County.
CRABTREE. Edward. city policeman.
GRANT, THOMAS a city policeman.
oZBURN. H. c.. policeman Of Fulton County.
RICHARDSON. ''wn." the negro desperado. who killed
RosBY. Milton. & negro who attempted escape from
unknown negro. killed a nearby yard.
The wounded include S. A. Kerlin. beaten by
the negroes; w. A. Wright county police
man. wounded in the left shoulder; w. T. Jack
son, a streetcar man, wounded in hip; Owen
Heard. county policeman. wounded in the
thigh; Call Officer Spratelin. wounded in the
arm; unknown negro hackman, shot through
the hand.
The fight between the officers and the negroes
occurred in Pi-tsburg. negro settlement direct
ly south Of the city limits in McDaniel-st. The
officers attempted to arrest five negroes sus-
pected Of having beaten former policeman,
s. A. Kerlin. nearly to death yesterday after
noon. The negroes resisted arrest by intrench-
ing themselves in house, and the fight result
ed. The vicinity is thickly settled with small
negro cabins. There outbuildings and barns
and shrubbery over the entire neighborhood,
which provides such shelter that it posi-
bic to escape from house to house and dodge
between fences without being detected AS
soon as information of the fight between the
negroes and the police reached the city, wagon
loads of policemen heavily armed were hurried
TO the scene of action and Governor Gambler
ordered out a detachment Of the State militia.
The shooting was followed by speech from
Sheriff Nelms, Of Fulton County, advising calm
ness on the part of the crowd, and the efforts
OF the officers thereafter directed toward
controlling the, temper of the white men who
. were walking the streets Of the suburbs with
drawn weapons.
ORIGIN OF DIFFICULTY.
While returning to his home, in the McPher
son road. yesterday afternoon, Kerlin was way
laid by FIVE negroes with whom he had had
trouble while a member Of the force. But for
the timely arrival Of a trolley car, which fright
ened his assailants away. Kerlin would have
been killed. sergeant stationed at Fort Nc
Pherson, who heard his cries for help. ran TO
the place and found Kerlin unconscious.
At midnight a county policeman named Col
den heard that Kerlin's five assailants were in
house in McDaniel-st, and he hastened to the
city and secured warrant for their arrest from
Justice Orr.
Golden Joined by two police officers Fun
bar and Cheshire. and, accompanied by a num-
Der Of Kerlins neighbors, including owen Heard |
the party started for the hiding place Of the five
negroes, arriving at 1:30 o'clock this morning.
The house was dark. but as the officers ap-
preached the inmates opened fire, and Heard
fell 10 the ground. He was borne out Of range
by his companions. The house was at once sur
ndedb bxr4h he da1y yioht cd
before making another advance. the officers,
however having determined to make the arrests
unaided. The house In which the negro Rich
ardson was belonged to Annie Wilburn, also
colored. Richardson owned the store adjoining
the house Here he kept ammunition and guns
and was therefore well prepared for a fight.
At O'Clock this morning the group of Off
GERS. who had been watching the house all
night, approached the place and called upon
those within to surrender. The answer was a
voey of shots, and baf named Battle
dropped dead The attacking party retreated
some distance, and from behind trees and tele-
graph and trolley poles began firing into the
store In a few minutes the door Of the house
was thrown open, and VIII" King, A negro, ran
out and gave himself UP to the officers Inside
the house Richardson had an unobstTucted view
IN three directions. One DOCK away polce-
man. Thomas Grant, stepped from his shelter
to fire into the house A shot from the be-
sieged house killed him before he could fire.
The attacking party sent word to police head
quarters, and Chief Of Police Ball dispatched the
reserves TO the scene in several patrol wagons
The officers to whom King had given himself
up determined to make Of the negro, and at
the point of rifle they forced him to walk up to
the rear Of the house and fire it, AS the
flames started the officers eager to get the in
mates of the house. stepped out of their shell
ter in every direction. Again there a shot
from the house, and this time Edward Crabtree
met death.
An instant later there was another shot, and
II. G. OZburn fell dead.
The shooting had by this time attracted hun
dreds of persons. and nearly every man who
came TO the scene carried a rife. The shooting
into the house became general citizens and Off
GERS firing together.
CALLING FOR MILITIA.
Governor Gambler was advised by telephone Of
the rioting and ordered out the militia, Captain
w w Barker Of the 9TH Regiment, was ordered
20 proceed with fifty men and a gun to
the scene Of the shooting and cooperate with
the city authorities and the Sheriff of Fulton
County. Chief of Police Ball hurried to the
scene on horseback and was Joined few min
utes later by Sheriff J. W. Nelms.
The desperate, Richardson had been lost sight
of. The house burned rapidly, and number of
inmates were TO run to the store, TO A
woodshed and TO barn in the next lot. Orders
were quickly given TO fire these buildings and
IN few minutes several Of the buildings were
burning.
w T. Jackson, a streetcar conductor in uni
form. was one of those attracted to the scene
by the shooting. AS he was nearing the house
he was shot in the right hip. presumably by
Richardson.
negro cabnan. driving a spectator TO the
vicinity Of the rioting, was struck in the hand
by bullet
A cali officer named spratelin speeding to the
scene on his bicycle, received wound in the
arm.
the city utilized by two of the negroes a
possible means Of escape but to no avail The