The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1903-08-22
NO. AZ.

Armed with sticks and clubs, they
again started on their march, head
ing for Canal street. AtLopez's con-
between Baronne and Dry
AIDES streets, two of the negroes rush
ed into the place and began to beat
the clerks. The police came up and
took the two blacks in charge. But
this did not stop the triumphal pro-
1t continued ON its way, in
sulting white people and doing many
1awleSs acts, until a late hour.
Other acts, more revolving, took
place during the two days which fol-
lowed. The blacks, so inflamed by
DOstie and his disciples, went about
the city claiming white wives, on the
ground dat dere amt no difference
tween us now; we's all desame since
de wah." One incident Of this kind
IL worth citing. A young lady and
her aunt were out Tor a walk in one
Of the public squares of the city when
q negro named Yancey came up.
Cursing the elderly lady, the brute
grabbed the young woman by the
hand, telling her she must come with
him and be his wife, and that he could
90 to st. Louis and get q white wife.
Screams brought assistance, and the
rude black was captured and jailed.
Other acts equally as shocking a.
Monday, July 80. 1867. dawned
bright and early. The duy was in
tOlerably hot, and during the excite
ment which followed there were n
number Of cases of exhaustion. The
Convention at Mechanics Institute
was surely going to take place. The
meeting had already been called to
order. About thirty white men. sur
rounded by three or four hundred ne
grOes, were In the railing. The blacks
swarmed ON the banQuette. They
had been brought there even from the
Out-Of-town places to carry the Con-
vention. Armed with cudgels, and
some with con .ealed weapons, they
walked around, fiinging out their
insults.
The riot really began ON Phillippa
(now Dyrades) and Canal streets. A
negro parading along showed u white
man on the banQuette. Being called
to account for 1t, the black became
infuriated and started to fight. just
then the discharge Of gun or q pis-
tOl was heard In the direction Of the
Institute. Whether this was done by
accidentor design possibly win never
be known.
The report rang out loud and clear,
Feeling everywhere was SO intense
that It IL not to be wondered at that
such a thing should cause o panic. A
general stampede from Mechanics'
Institute was the result. Wild,
whooping. yelling, onee1alling over
another, and many getting hurt, they
plunged out Of the place. This was
the signal for the battle to begin.
The police, who had been held in
readiness, came up, and this at once
brought on u heated battle.
Police, negroes. citizens, were hand
to hand. In less time than it takes
| to tell It, bullets began to fiv as thick
and as fast as on a battle field.
Backward and forward men rushed,
seemingly mad. A dense smoke hung
over the street, while the reports
from the firearms seemed merged into
one sharp discharge. For more than
| an hour the terrible encounter con-
tinued. Negroes fell at every shot,
and their bodies, wounded or dead,
soon lined the street. The unbcar-
able heat and the excitement were
enough to cause death.
A white flag was seen waving from
one of the windows Of the Institute.
This was taken by the police as q
signof truce, but behind 1t was treach-
cry. Instead Of the meeting house
being surrendered, volley OF shots
came frOmit. The Chief Of Police had
been picked out, but the bullet went
Wild of its mark. The battle was
again In full blast and lasted until
the infiamed blacks fed or fell. THREE
or four hundred Of them had been
killed or wounded. D0stie and some
Of his followers were shot and drug
ged from the building. Twenty-Five
policemen went down, killed or
wounded. while many by ISLANDERS
or passers-by were shot.
i The merchants Of Canal street had
IclOsed, and the whole city was In a
panic. Wagons and ambulances
were kept busy picking up and car.
| ing for the dead, dying and wounced.
The prisons and hospitals were full
to OVERLOOKING.
i The riot was over, but the terror
Of the time had not gone. The scenea
which followed cannot be described.
The city was at once put under mar
tial law. and the military thrOnged
| CO2 0CF6StDs u 10 OIAck8 HUI Ucct
! nearly frightened to death. They
could not be found with q telescope
They stayed indoors all the time. and
hid under beds when they heard the
least noise.
Il Those were the days which tried
.. mems souls, the days which came af
. ter. The four years war. with al
it's bloody horrors, had hardly ended
and here was strife come again In TIT
, midst Of a people who had returned
, comparatively destitute, to rebuilt
their ruined homes. 1t was sad an(
bitter, but there was compensation
attached to It. for the good people o
the State had killed the unjust con
vention. Many months passed befor
. peace and quiet again reigned.
II Since then the Mechanics INSTITUTE
has seen many changes. From tn
!. State It passed to Tulane University
! When the University moved uptown
: lit became a hall devoted to publ
Z uses. The last Constitutional Con
ventiOn, which virtually eliminates
the negro from politics, was he'll
there. 1t has been the scene of man.
; conventions, all of them important
; 1t has been the brilliant ballroom
2 where society has often gathered
!. With all these changes the dignity t
which IL assembled after the battl
3 with the hlacka has never bQQu lOa1