Rocky Ford enterprise., 1906-09-28
RIOT At ATLANTA
SIXTEEN KILLED AND A LARGE
NUMBER INJURED.
NEGROES OBJECT OF ATTACK
Assaults on White Women the Cause
Of the outbreaks-MiiItia cSiIed
Out and Prompt Measures Taken
by Authoities.

Atlanta. Ga.-Twen,y.four hours
have passed since u race war OF no
mean proportion began In Atlanta.
In that period at least sixteen lives
have been sacrificed and the number
OF injured vii! be forty. several OF
whom cannot recover.
AT l:i5 u. N. Monday. Atlanta is
comparatively quiet. The negro
trouble. while breaking out In several
sections during last night. Ii now al
most entirely abatcd.
by order Of the mayor. saloons have
been closed until further notice. and
many business places. such restau-
rants. all night drug stores. ETC.. were
closed.
\ race war of alarming proportions
began here Saturday night. Through.
out tho night II ragged with varying
vi.or. and when morning dawned u
found number Of negroes and one
white man dead. score OF both races
wounded and down town streets In
possession Of eight companies Of the
Fifth Infantry with battery OF light
artillery In reserve. Through the day
little OF importance occurred. Tho
police assert that with the aid Of tho
military they now have the situation
under control.
This condition came M the result OF
numerous and repeated assaults or nt-
tempted assaults upon white women
by negroes. Tho last Of nm even dozen
of such assaults within the limits OF
Fulton county within the last ninc
weeks came yesterday when four at.
tcmpts at assault were reported.
The usual Saturday night crowds
were largely Increased by men and
boys who throngcd the downtown
streets. There was no leader and no
overt act until late In tho evening.
About 10 o'clock negro man showed
n white woman froom the sidewalk on
Whitehall street, In the center OF town.
Almost simultaneously negro woman
mado IN Insulting remark TO a white
man on nn adjoining street aud he nd
min!s,crcd what he considered duo
punishment.
From this start the excited crowd
which has become n mob. began i's
work OF destruction. Five thousand
men and boys ihrongcd the downtown
streets looking for negroes. News that
n riot had started brought thousands
more from their homes In the suburbs
and residence districts. until fuliy
10000 men thronscd tho downtown
coming street cars. Each cnr was
scanned for negroes. The troiicys
were pulled from tho wires and In the
semi darkness Of the uniighicd cars
negroes were beaten. cut anc s,a1npcu
upon In m unrcasoning mad frenzy.
II n negro offered resistance or rcmoh'
strntcd Il meant practically sure dca'h.
One car half filled with negroes
uppronchcd from ln outside run.
The mob dashed at II and resistance
was made by the negroes. who hnl not
been npprised of the trouble. Thrce
negroes lay dead on the floor OF the
car when I. was permitted TO move on.
and two more were beaten into uncoh'
sciousncss.
When tho crowd seemed TO be get
ting beyond control. at about ~
o'clock Mayor Woodward mounted q
car platform In Pcachtrcc and MARI
ctta street and urged the people to dis.
pcrse, declaring that the ASSAULTS o!
the white women would be punished
promptly.
Mayor Woodward was given n re.
spectful hearing. but when he finished
the work Of destruction was resumed.
He made another appeal few mo
mcpta later, but without result.
Then he turned In general hre
alarm, calling the entire fire depart
ment to the scene.
To Chief Joyner he gave the laconic
order: "Clear the streets
The result was to stop the MOB IN
its work in that immediate section ana
to drive It to other streets. The stu
alton became 30 threatening at IL
O'Clock that Governor Terrell was ap-
pcaIed to to order out the state
troops.
It was almost o'clock this morn
ing before the first squad appeared on
the streets and at O'Clock six COM
panies were under arms.
In the lighting last night negro
women were the most wnrhke. urging
resistance to the mob and themselves
fighting like Amazons.
The lawless character OF the mop
last night was fully demonstrated dur
ing the latter part Of the evening.
When negroes had vanished from the
streets the aimless mob from pure
wantonncss broke windows and dam
aged property.
The crowd, nftcr pulling the negro
porters from Pullmans OF western
& Atlantic train ready to start. pro-
ceeded to smash the windows In tho
day coaches and mail and baggage
cars.
The day was passed without serious
trouble following the riots OF Saturday
night and Sunday morning.
A meeting OF citizens representing
the best element of Atlanta was held
this afternoon to consider the situa-
ton.
Governor Terrell, Mayor Woodward.
Col, Robert Lowrey. Col. James Eng
lish and others to the number OF 300
were present. Speeches were made and
warmly applauded in which the killing
of a half score innocent negroes and
the injuring of a score of whites and
blacks were condemned as reflection
on the spirit Of the city, state and the
South.
The hernlding Of recent assaults on
u,bito women nv negroes in the inflam-