The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-04
D. k 7st f- 1et Pittsburg Has Trouble With Negroes. WHITE PEOPLE AROUSED; SERIOUS TROUBLE EXPECTED
 S- Declare That Assaults on Women
 Must Stop.
 --s Blacks Have Armed Themselves and secena R.ia ca Thsir Distrset = May Bring Bsttie
 witk Police. 

PlttsburR. Pa. Feb. 3.--fn spite Of many threats of armed resistance up- on the part of negroes if the police continue their wholesale arrests of members of their race without enl- ployment in the Heron HiiI distrfef of the city. no outbreak of any kind has occurred up to late tonight.
 Following the arrest last night of l26 negroes, and the release today of all but forty-one, the police force in the district has been doubled tonight, and every patrolman has orders<to ar- rost every suspicious negro.
 During thls afternoon three were ta- ken to police stations. and 1t Is antscs ipated that tonight many others will be arrested.
 No further attack upon women or girls has been reported since last night and should one occur. the temper of the citizens ls such that violence very probably would be meted out to the assafiant, if caught
 Men and women throughout the sec ton involved are carrying Fevolvers and the negroes are said to be well armed also. Should 6. clash come. as ig considered not at all improbable lk more arrests are made, the re suit would be serious. Local orators are indam- ing the negroes to resistance and the feeling Is high. The police. however, seem to have the situation well in hand. and probably will not make fur ther indiscriminato arrests.
 Of the negroes arrested last night. thtrty.nine were lined. most of them going to the work house. Among those held for further examination are Mack MaGee and Edward Arnstead, who wore held over for further evidence. having been partially identified as per fAatR Rng Af nH ttA @Nk girls.
 A well known negro physician in an interview said today:
 The hill Is full of bad characters and everybody knows this, the police Included. The police oficlaIs know these bad characters and they know them from the decent element among the negroes Let them arrest theae bad I meR and either send kheni to the work house or order them Co leave tie city and not so about as they are. Arrestihs avery man who Is . negro. and whc ls found in a pool room or because he In not working"
 At the central police station I9s ne- groes, who were arrested late last uival of crime against young white girls in the Heron Hill district re- centlye were given hearings before Magistrate Brady.
 Forty-three of the negroes proved to the satisfaction of the court that they have honest employment and were discharged. Forty-two were fined In amounts varying from s5 to ten days In jail to e25 or thirty days in jail or work house. and forty-one held over pending further investigation. From now on large forces of oficers will be stationed over the entire Her. ron Hili district and strenuous efforts will be made to stamp out the many assaults on young women. Indigna- tion Is high against thls character Of crime and tho authorities have decided to arrest every negro who has no visi- ble means of support or who Is known to be a user of drugs.
 4 radical change in the treatment of negroes by the white citizens of Her ron Hill district is already manifested. Some of the women now go armed. Others, who are afraid of a revolver, carry police whistles, and q majority of the men have armed themselves and positively threaten to kill the first ne- gro caught molesting a white woman. The police are of the opinion the terrible criminal acts of the negroea ! are the acts of a few degenerate CO., | caine hends.
 Several hundred negro friends of the l t26 negroes under arrest gathered to- | day in the public safety building ana in an alley adjoining the building. | Some of the negroes were amazed at the wholesale arrests others consider ed 1t joke. while some were sorely | indignant k During the past month over dozen girls have been assaulted in the Her | ron Hill district.
 owing to the excited condition of l the negroes the authorities feared the effect of a political meeting held in the Heron Hill district tonight in connec- ton with the pending municipal elec- ton and sent a cordon of fifty police men to enforce order. Two arrests were made. both parties being negroes. Otherwise there were no new devet- opments in the situation up to the hour of midnight.