Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-06-03
ALMOST A RACE RIOT
Exciting Pursuit and Capturs-Ar-
rival of the Police-Alleged.
Use Of Knife.

Jones. twenty-eight years of age, by white
civilian almost precipitated race riot near
the Northern Liberty market, 9Th ana K
streets. yesterday afternoon about $50
o'clock. Jones. whose home is at 4 Shep-
herds alley, 1t is charged, had assaulted
Joseph Davidson. sixty years of age, who
conducts a grocery store at 81 L street,
and George e. Webster, colored. a resident
of Shepherds alley. Webster lives two
doors from the home Of Jones. When the
civilian, who placed Jones under arrest. re-
leased him in order to prevent a probable
riot the latter made another effort to get
where the police could not find him. but
Policemen Garrison and Livingston over
took him and placed him under arrest. He
was conducted to the second precinct sta
ton and placed behind the bars to answer
two charges OF assault.
Mr. Davidson was seated upon a chair In
the alley at the side entrance to his home
and store reading newspaper yesterday
afternoon when Jones and two other col
ored men passed along. Jones, 1t Is charg-
ed, made an effort to slap the paper from
the hand of Mr.. Davidson, and when the
latter asked him not to trouble him he
struck him a blow on the top Of his head
with his fist. A second blow landed Just
over the right eye of the grocer and knock
ed him from the chair. Miss Minnie DAVID
son, daughter of the merchant, heard her
father scream and went to his assistance.
Threat to XIII.
'If you call again for policeman" Jones
is alleged to have said. ''Fn kill YOU"
She did call again and it is asserted the
colored man made an effort to strike her.
After several unsuccessful efforts he turned
and ran. Mr. Davidson started In pursuit,
and several pedestrians joined the party be-
fore Jones had reached the market. Several
wheelmen also participated In the pursuit,
and one Of them rode rapidly to the second
precinct station and told the police there OF
what was going on only short distance
away. While this was being done one Oh
the men in the pursuing party, man nucn
smaller than Jones, placed the coloreo man
under arrest with the 30 n tha oiice o. hoe
Let that man CO." colored man VINO
anproached Jones and his capsor shouted,
but the latter held to the prisoner ana
only released him when he was surrounoeo
threatening violence. When the captor
realized that the further detention OF the
colored man might mean race riot ne
released the prisoner, but did not give up
the pursuit
Mrs Davidson wife of the grocer, was
in the market making some purchases, ana
she left there just in time to see the ex-
cited crowd and her husband. When sne
noticed the severe WUuIiu Oh ilci nuSp oao
face she concluded that her daughter had
been murdered and thought her husband
had visited the market to look for her.
She became excited and was only quoted
when she was assured that no harm had
befallen her daughter. The patrol wagon
with one Of the wheelmen in it reached the
market shortly after Jones had been re-
leased and the driver made an enort TO toi-
low the fugitive. The crowd OF persons
who had followed Jones made 1t easy for
the policemen to tell which way the latter
had gone and he was oyertaken near 4th
and streets and placed under arrest
Taken to Second Precinct.
Jones was fully identified by Mr.. Davidson
as his alleged assailant, and he was then
taken to the second precinct station. Jones
is accused Of having cut Webster with
knife. but the latter was not seriously
wounded. The police were told that he
went to a hospital and had the wound
dressed.
Zones struck me such hard blow" Mr..
Davidson said, that / was almost uncon-
scious and hardly knew what I was doing
for few minutes. / thought the men were
going to rush in the store and rob 1t, and
then l thought they might injure my daugh
ter. When he turned and ran away l fol-
lowed him four squares and he struck
white man while he was running away"
Mr.. Davidson added that he thought Jones
threw a knife into a sewer while he was
running. While Mr.. Davidson's eye is swol
len and discolored. he did not go to a hos
pital. The colored people about the neigh
borhood of Mr.. Davidson'S store were loud
in their denunciation OF Jones conduct.
He viii have an opportunity tomorrow to
tell his version of the affair in the Police
Court. The police state that Jones was I'M
der the influence of liquor when he was
placed under arrest.