The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-07-01
CLUBBEDBYOFF|CER
Will Allen, Negro, Insult
ed Young Girl.
AN EXCITING CHASE
The Negro Was Caught at Corner Of
Person and Jones and While Held
by Crowd Was Struck on Head
by Policeman.

VIII Allen, a negro about twenty
seven years of age was chased by an
excited crowd for more than five
squares yesterday for insulting the
thirtecn-year-o daughter of Police
man T. w. Rogers, and was finally
caught at the corner of Person and
Jones streets.
The chase was started by the faith
er of the girl who. arriving on the
scene shortly after the capture of the
negro. rushed up and dubbed him
yiciously while he was held by by
ISLANDERS.
The negro was Jailed and the ac-
ton of the officer is to be investi-
rated.
The charge against the prisoner
will, it is said be attempted assault
and the hearing will be had before
the mayor this morning.
Chased by an angry father, who
happened also to be an officer or the
law. Will Allen fled yesterday for very
life over five city blocks Whlle an
ever growing crowd of citizens folloW-
cd at his hees. on foot. in wagons
buggies and conveyances of every de-
scription. AS the negro fled at top
speed through the streets the cry OF
angry people rang in his ears, logged
his living feet and added the fear of
death to the speed of an already ter
rified man. The excitement was in
tense: for awhile it seemed that a
lynching would follow capture. No
one knew what it was all ABOUT:
Citizens Joined in the pursuit from
mere excitement. from the instructive
shirt of the chase. As the crowd ran,
there snread among it the electric
words of race and sex: White girl
niggerl Stop him! Stop thief! Catch
him. Kill him!'
And ever ahead, running in leaps
and bounds. his face ashy with rear,
his ewes bullying. ran the black quarry
with the sounds of vengeful anger
ever growing in his rear, and spurred
to greater speed by a bullet from the
policeman's pistol.
Starting on Martin street, near Per-
son. the chase went up Martin to
Rlount, up Blount to Morgan, down
Morgan to Person and north along
Person to Jones. In spite of the
growing throng of pursuers Whlch
pressed him in the rear which headed
him in his flight and ran down side
streets to intercept him, it will be
seen from the above that the negro
must have run full quarters OF
a mile before he was caught. At the
corner Of Jones and Person streets,
however, he Was oyertaken almost
simultaneously by several men VINO
had Joined the chase with buggies and,
pantng and exhausted, was almost
Immediately surrounded by an angry
crowd of his pursuers.
1t was while standing at bay in the
midst of q ring of white men that the
dramatic, the passionate feature OF
the incident occurred.
Coming UP in a dray minute or
so after the capture. Policeman
. Rogers called out excitedly to the
group of by-standers to catch hold
of that man." Several people sprang
forward and grabbed the negro's arms
and the policeman, leaDing from the
dray rushed up, drew his billet ana
struck the negro a powerful blow on
the head, the blood gushing from the
wound.
This is the story of the capture and
tho climbing as told by q response
hle spectator, whose feelings were so
outraged at the apparent brutality
and consciousness of the policeman
conduct that he at once telephoned TO
Mayor Powell and related the clrcum-
stance in full.
II must he remembered, however.
that the officer was father as Well
as n policeman making the arrest. In
the dual role that he was called on to
play nature got the upper hand OF
discretion That is the opinion that
was general on the streets yesterday.
While few conservative people COM
pletely condoned the clubbing, there
was a general disposition to excuse the
officer under the circumstances. The
details. as told by the policeman, were
certainly of a character to make the
blood OF q parent boil.
Policeman Rogers lives at the corn
or of Martin and Person streets with
lis family. While he was at dinner
yesterday about half-past one o'clock.
lis daughter Jesse, thirteen years OF
noe came into the dining room and
toId him that she had been 1nSulted
Nv = negro man: that he had been
HANGING about tho house for more
than an hour, and that when she was
returning from a visit to the neigh
bors he had addressed her ana useo
expressions that were Doth lndecent
and directly and personally hsullins,
ITpon hearing this story olhcer
l,opers ran from his table TO the porch
and the man, still lingering near was
eointed ont to him by his daughter.
As the officer stood beside his daugn-
fer and looked, he says that ne ui ,:
tinctlv saw the negro blow Kisses II,
the direction of the house he waltz. ,s
no longer but started LOT lile
negro who at once broke into run