Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-28
CLASH AGAIN AND AGAIN.
Only the Presence of Squads of Of
nccrs Prevented GreatRiot

1ccrs Prevented Great Riot
Two men shot and two others injured
is the result of trouble between whites and
negroes at the Clay-street car sheds.
Twenty ninth and P streets. early yester-
day afternoon, and the double crimes of
lynching and race riot We're only avert
ed by the timely arrival and prompt &C
ton of squads of policemen from the
three districts of the city. Motorman T.
II. Baber was shot by negro named
Edward Watkins: an unknown negro
man was shot; Sergeant Werner was in
jured on the hand by a baseball bat,
and one Of the negro rioters had the
lnuckles Of his hand broken. That many
lives were not lost in the fight is a mira
Gle, and can only be accounted for by
the bad aim Of the negroes.
The scene Of the shooting of Motorman
Baber was the Office of the company,
at the corner of Twenty-ninth and P
streets. and the fight between the two
races occurred in the street outside.
The trouble began on the car making the
run in. Watkins and another negro
boarded the car and commenced cursing
and swearing. The motorman told them
to stop or get off the car. Then an al
tercation arose between the two which
resulted in the negros being put Off He
ran and caught up with the car, which
he again boarded, and was again put,
off.
The negro then made his way to the
offices to make complaint. The car had
in the meantime arrived at the sheds, and
the motorman. with the conductor, had
gone into the office to report the matter.
and there the two met again.
Shooting of Baber.
Assistant Superintendent J. T. Vaughan.
after hearing the account of the matter,
ordered that a warrant be sworn out and
the negro arrested for being disorderly on
the car The words were hardly out of
his mouth when Watkins, the negro,
made for the door. He was intercepted
by Mr.. Vaughan and c. NJ. Selph. where
upon the negro pulled a thirty-two cal
ibre, blue-steel Iver & Johnson revolver,
and said: Let loose of me or I will shoot
YOU"
Motorman Baber. who was in the room,
went 10 the assistance of the two Off
Gals. He grabbed the hand in which the
negro was holding the pistol. and SHOW
ed it toward the floor AS he did SO
Watkins pulled the trigger. and the ball
entered the left thigh OF the car man.
Motorman Baber had presence of mind
enough to hold the negro's hand be-
tween his legs until w. J. Griggs, who
had forced his way into the room, threw
himself upon the man, and knocking him
down. took the revolver away.
1t so happened that the shooting oc-
cured at what is known as the relief
hour, and there We're about one hundred
men-employees of the company-in the
sheds. Seeing the negro shoot at close
range, one of their number, they became
infatuated. and made a rush for the man.
while cries of lynch him." lynch him!"
swept along the line OF men who were
crowded both inside and outside of the
Office.
Rope Brought Out.
They did get hold of Watkins. and ham
died him roughly, while a convenient
piece of rope was produced. and, it was
afterwards asserted, slipped around his
neck "A few moments more and a lynch
ing would have occurred. but for the in
reference of Officer Goodwin, who rushed
in, and with Mr. Vaughan, succeeded in
getting. the negro into a rear office. Mr.
Vaughan then returned to the crowd OF
angry street-car men, and did all he could
to pacify them.
During this time a crowd Of negroes had
congregated. The white men became e.-
y, $e>%f -