The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1906-09-24
KILLING OF NEGROES FORCED
BY CARNIVAL OF CRIME, HE SAYS
Peril Of Their Women Caused White Citizens Of Atlanta to
Riot, Declares John Temple Graves.

E Z ,'.'
By John Temple Graves %s,. editor Of the Atlanta
Atlanta, Ga, Sept. 24.-The Atlanta
race riot is due to the cumulative prov
ocation of series Of assaults by ne
groes upon white women which in num-
Der, in atrocity and in unspeakable au-
aacity are, without parallel in the. his
tory Of crime among southern negroes
There have been eleven assaults or
attempted assaults within the past sew
en- weeks. Of these fends, only four,
have been apprehended and seven have
and are now at large in the
= II
Eight of these assaults have been in
broad daylight and in most instances
in the open air, within a stone 8 throw |
of other residences. One assault was
attempted at o'clock in the evening |
in the brilliantly-lighted >parlors of a
city residence. Three have been at:
tempted almost within twenty feet Of
the man of the house, the criminals
could reach them. The entire eleven
efforts. FIVE successful and. six unsuc-
cessful, have been made right in the
city and suburbs of Atlanta, the CAPT.
tai Of the new south, center of trade,
tradition and politics.. the heart of our
civilization, with a white population
nearly twice as large. as that Of the
negro. =: ,..-,.'-.r. ~ ~. -
-. Want of Explanation. XIV
It is utterly Impossible to reach an
explanation of this tidal wave of crime.
Whether it be- due to the lust begotten
by the sultry and torrid weather,
whether it be due to the remarkable in
crease of the cocaine habit among the
negroes, whether it has been stirred by
the revolutionary harangues Of local
the frequenting of low liquor dives on
Decatur street, in which are exposed
the pictures of nude white women, or as
is more likely, from all of these causes
combined, it is certain that Atlanta
nor any other southern city has ever
passed thru such horrid carnival of
the intolerable crime as during the clos
ing weeks of the present summer.
The city has been at high tension
have been addressed by the most con-
system has been quadrupled 25O deputy
sheriffs have been put on duty and most
of the Decatur street liquor dens have
been closed.
Threats Fail to Curb Crime.
A fortni ght since I led a movement
to compel the negro editors. preachers
and teachers, under threat IF practi-
cal boycott, to cease spending all their
breath and energies in the denunciation
Of lynch law and to preach with all
their ransomed powers, hell and ian;na
ton to the rapist. They responded 10y
ally, and for the first time since we
have had race problem, the white
man had tho full and hnarty oo.
operation Of the respectable negroes in
the suppression of the rapist, and yet
in spite of this extraordinary improve
ment in conditions, the rape of white
women has multiplied in appalling fash
ion.
It has been a reign Of terror for our
Georgia women. There is not a white
woman in the region Of Atlanta who has
had tra To day night within Eahi this this
trembling prisoners in their homes, and
their husbands, sons and brothers have
been held in the necessity of guarding
them INCREASINGLY. There are few Men
who dare to leave their homes after
nightfall, either to attend public meet
ings, to pay a social call or to worship
in the churches Of their choice. The
whole section has been in a state of
siege and apprehension, which has been
growing more ana more 1nCOleraDle.
Every thoughtful citizen has realized
that Atlanta has been sleeping upon 9
volcano for weeks.
Assaults Start Eruption.
An afternoon extra appeared an
nouncing that there had been four rapeE
attempted in swift succession within
the hour, two of which had been sue
cessful. Another paper issued an extra
and in one short hour the populace Of
Atlanta was in a frenzy of excitement
By O'Clock the first crude and i'm
promptu organization was formed. Anl
from o'clock until an hour after mid
night Atlanta passed thru the throe
of riot which has had no approxima
! ton in southern history. The lid o:
! the volcano was off. Monstrous things
were done in the name of retaliation
Old and young negroes, negroes goot
! and bad, innocent and guilty, were Gu
l and slashed and killed. To every pie:
for mercy was shouted back the ferc,
/ response:. "You had no mercy on ou
women and we will have none on you.'
Seventeen negroes were killed and more
than thirty injured.
To the tranquil reader Of your paper
looking on at a great safe distance, i
seems an awful outrage against civil
ization and no thoughtful citizen fail
to deplore and condemn it. But if on,
of you who read had lived for one weel