The Elbert County tribune., 1906-09-27
RIOT AT ATLANTA
olxTeEN 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.

IL
In that period at least sixteen lives
have been sacrificed and the number
OF injured will be forty, several OF
whom cannot recover.
At 1:45 a. m. Monday, Atlanta is
comparatively quiet. The negro
trouble, while breaking out in several
sections during last night, is now al
most entirely abated
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 the night it ragged with varying
vigor, and when morning dawned II
found n number of negroes and one
white man dead, a 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. The
police assert that with the aid of the
military they now have the situation
under control.
This condition came as the result OF
numerous and repeated assaults or at
by negroes. The last of an even dozen
of such assaults within the limits of
Fulton county within the last nine
weeks came yesterday when four at
tempts at assault were reported.
The usual Saturday night crowds
were largely increased by men and
boys who thronged the downtown
streets. There was no leader and no
overt act until late in the evening.
About 10 O'Clock a negro man showed
white woman froom the sidewalk on
Whitehall street, in the center of town.
Almost simultaneously a negro woman
made an insulting remark to a white
man on an adjoining street and he ad-
ministered what he considered due
punishment.
From this start the excited crowd
which has become a mob, began Its
work OF destruction. Five thousand
men and boys thronged the downtown
streets looking for negroes. News that
a riot had started brought thousands
more from their homes in the suburbs
and residence districts, until fully
10000 men thronged the downtown
section. They made attacks on the in
coming street cars. Each car was
scanned for negroes. The trolleys
were pulled from the wires and in the
semi-darkness of the unlighted cars
negroes were beaten, cut and stamped
upon in an unreasoning mad frenzy.
If a negro offered resistance or remon-
strated it meant practically sure death.
One car half filled with negroes
approached from an outside run.
The mob dashed at it and resistance
was made by the negroes, who had not
been apprised of the trouble. Three
negroes lay dead on the floor OF the
car when /. was permitted to move on,
and two more were beaten into uncon-
sciousness.
When the crowd seemed to be get
ting beyond control, at about 10
o'clock Mayor Woodward mounted a
car platform in Peachtree and Mari
eta street and urged the people to dis
perse, declaring that the assaults of
the white women would be punished
promptly.
Mayor Woodward was given re-
spectful hearing, but when he finished
the work of destruction was resumed.
He made another appeal few mo
ments later, but without result.
Then he turned in a general fire
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 and
to drive it to other streets. The stu
alton became so threatening at IL
o'clock that Governor Terrell was ap-
pealed to to order out the state
troops.
1t 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 warlike, urging
resistance to the mob and themselves
fighting like Amazons.
The lawless character of the mob
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
Ihtonness broke windows and dam
aged property.
The crowd, after pulling the negro
porters from Pullmans of Western
& Atlantic train ready to start, pro-
ceeded to smash the windows in the
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-
tion.
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 score of whites and
blacks were condemned as a reflection
on the spirit OF the city. state and the
South.
The heralding Of recent assaults on
white women by negroes in the infiam
ing headlines in extra editions of local
papers was condemned in unmeasured
terms and the earnest request was