Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1908-12-09
AIexam6riG Gazette.
Entered at the Postof5ce Of AlexAndIias VIZ
einia, as second-clsss msttsr.l
FANATICS FIGaT OFFICERS.

Mo-, city ball riot, 10 whicn renglou
faratics and policemen we're participant
and during which hundred shots wer
fired, yester a7 afternoon resulted In ID
death of Patrolman A. o. Daloow an
Lola Pratt, aged 1S years, protasl
fatal injuries to three persons and Sigh
Injuries 10 two others.
Among those probably fatally ipjure
is John Sharp, known as A au God,
srset prta ;her. The trouble occurre'
while the streets were crowded wit
people. While the fight was 10 pro
gees The participants tiaVerSed the enIlr
block.
Probation Officer Holt, OF the Juve
oile Court, yesterday went to Fifth ant
Main streets to investigate a case o
alleged abduction. Near that corner ht
met John Sharp, known as adam
IGd" who wss exhoriug q crowd.
W tn sharp were A. j. Seller, a woman
and five children. Holt did not like the
| manner 10 which the woman attempted
to get money contributions from the
crowd. and he declared tia. she and her
male com1anions we're not proper per-
sons 10 have the custody OF young child
| reD.
The woman announced that she and
"a lam G d" would conduct services at
he Poor MANS NJ lssion last night where
upon she and her companions started TO-
wsrd the mission. Oficer Holt then in
auired as t. the identity of the children.
The woman Immediately assumed al
! tiiude Of resentment and replied that
the officer chad better attend to his oWn
business"
The officer persevered In his Inquiries
sDd Adam GJd," who wtars a long
white beard and hair, the ateDed the
oticer with physical violence Officer
Holt wts not armed, bot stood his
ground until adam God" struck him
a heavy blow behind the ear with
pistol, making an ugly wound. Hot toen
star ed Tor the police ststlOn for sssls-
,snce. As Holt moved away the preach
tried t. shoot him but the cfrL.dge
a.led TO explode.
Oficer Holt rushed into The police
station and announced tbs. baud of re-
igious fanatics, armed 10 the teeth, we're
a the threshold of the police station and
be warned the officers to pripare for
trouble. The police sergeant in charge
ordered Pstrolmen CHARLES DalboW and
Harry E Siege to arrest Saarp and his
followers.
81 ,ro and bis companions we're with
In so yards Of the police station when
the officers stepped into the street. Ice
Slsrpits laSs evidence of ftepzJ ano
With profsne abuse they served notice on
all that they would preach right "under
the caves of the police saiion and the
police cannot prevent us." The officers
l.d not, nomev,r, expect serious troub'
md were not prepared for the volley o
bullets which met them almost imme-
disteIy after they apps ared on the scene
Dalbow was killed Instantly and bull
let passed through Stege's arm. Other
fiji sers, hearing the firing, rushed into
The street and general fight ensued
Lieu,era1t Cla'k, who had come iuto
ne street unarmed, YVES shot in the eye,
md Parolman Mullane was shot in tht
Ia k he hurried into the police station
for reinforcements. ~
Ia tue meautime riot call br0ugh'
policemen from ali directions. Thor
iuphly aroused, the officers closed In Oh
S larp and his followers, firing SIS they
Aeut. VT en- the firing cetsed "AdsD
God" lay fatally wounded, shot through
The head and body.
The woman and the children fed to
houseboat in which they lived on th'
Missouri river. Fifty policemen follow
d them and found lba. the woman hsd
arr csded herself 10 the housebta
Standing on the boat with Shotgun,
he shouted to the officers;
"Coms Oh, you Gends." The bta'
was only few fett from the bank OF Ih'
iyer and several officers dashed towsro
a.. The woman dropped her "eaPo'
nd. se'znV tso of the chldrsn, she
sprarg into a roWboat and began to row
| iltJ tue middle of the river. The Oth-
GERS cslIed to her to stop, but sbe only
Piled the oars more vigorously. The po-
licemen fred volley at the rowboat
One shot struck Lola Pratt, tearing
akay the greater part of the child's face
she cannot live, it is said. The woman
then surrendered. At the police station
she said che wss Mrs. Pratt, wife of the
compauIou of "Adsm God" and mother
of the wounded child.
James Sap, sitting himself "Ehja'
H." at the head Of party oil religious
fanatics calling themselves "Holy
Rolers," 6rst appeared in Oklahoma
} ty in Msrch, 1905 Starp, his vile,
Dung man of the pane OF Green, and
,oy. said to lave been Shsrp's SOD, all
lude, h,a led a procession one cold ds'
o March, 1905. and attempted to parsd'
the town. They we're arrested, but al
owed to loave the city. They went 10
the county southeast of Oklahoma City
aud camped until late 10 the summer
following. Then they became so OBJ
.oxious to the farmers that they we're
gain arrested. A second time they
sere let of with a promise to leave The
territory, which they did, going to
Colorado. Gstiing into similar trouble
here, they travelled up the Pacific cOsst
4 A. To-