The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1910-05-30
BIG POLICE RAID
TERR|F|ES CROOKS;
seventy-four Negroes Dragged
From Alleys and Locked Up
as Migrants.
WILD SCENE IN STATION
Bad and Worthless Element
Must Leave Town OF Go to
Work.

Determined to break UP negro
infested alleys, the abiding places OF
thieves. cutthroats, murderers and
gamblers. dozen police officers carly
yesterday morning corraled seventy.
tour negro men aha women Ill Gun
ninghaln Alley, on Centre street, ARR
in the Nineteenth street. Aiiey. and
locked up the whole crowd in the First
Police station on the general charge
OF dlsorderiy conduct ana vaGrancs
The squad OF o!ncers WIS LED by De-
tectipe sergeant Wiltshire. oers eants
Sowell and Lirflmer, and included ON
GERS TAFT. Atkiiison. bryant. Duke,
Werner. McGowam, Matt. toikcs ana
Gentry.
The squad moved silently from the
FIRST Station shortly after midnight.
when II was expected TO eaten the
negroes In their quarters. ana ii SUD
hams Alley. one oil the darkest. most
evil and loathsomc places in all TIVE
city. There. within a radius OF GUAR
ter OF a block, about twenty-five ne
Sroes were caught and arrested.
The officers moved from one hut to
another in the darkness, surprising
the negroes with the quiet rapidity OF
their work. At the rirst alarm. the
negroes poked out their heads from
a score OF different places and ut sishi
Of the officers scuttied back into their
hiding places. Several sought freedom
OH the roots. others crawIed beneath
their beds, got behind furniture or In
barrels. anywhere TO get away from
the searching eye OF the law.
Long Arms Caught Them.
But long arms We're stretched out
to lind them, and pocket scarchlishts
discovered and made vain their at
tempts to hide. The whole crowd was
lorruled in q sort of open court. where
only the midday sun is seen, and then
brought into a small blind alley. where
they. were held until they could be
taken away in the patrol wagon. The
women screamed. wept and prayed. the
men either laughed or cursed. All were
known TO the police as bad charac-
tcrs. and there was no parleying. Man,
tried to beg off, but their past sim
were remembered and recollection o
kold-up rolling stealing, Eamblinj
and innumerable other crimes mac
the officers stern and silent to TIL
negroes pleas Those against whor
the police had no charge We're allow
ed to so. But the others were pulle
ruthlessly from their beds and haule
away.
In small. unlighted rooms the ne
the walls. and there was practically M
furniture save q few old boxes anc
barrels made to do the duty of chair:
and tables. There We're no sign:
show that the negroes live by their
genius in stealing. robbins and pill
laying.
The same scenes We're enacted OF
Street Alley. The negroes were cor
.aled like cattle. half-dressed. som
of them drunk and others charge
Up" with eeeaine The ,e officers did no
for at the first hint that there wa
to be a raid the negroes would hay
scattered all over the city. and 1T Woui
lave been impossible to catch then
They were forced 10 open their door
and come out.
No Chance to Escape.
There was no chance to escape. 70
at the slightest hin, mat nd,,o .ners ov W.
their clubs, and the disorder was set
tied.
1t took more than two hours to make
the raid. and it took an hour more &c
get the names of the crowd down on
the police botter and to write the
charge. Until this was. done the ne
grnes were placed in theibull PEN where
they were so thick that they. could
hardly move, Immediately wall was
set up By the women. and the men al
,ernatelv begged and cursed. II was
worse than Babel. There was no dis
tinguishing of sound. The police could
hardly hear themselves breathe. but
after some time all the names and
pedigrees We're secured. and then the
men and wor.r We're separated. The
mn were left In the big pen.
Court to To- set Without doubt, this
is the worst crowd ever caught to-
Gethcr, and the police hope that fitting
punishment for their general bad char
actcr will be imposed by Justice Crutch:
field. The raid was carefully planned
and executed The prisoners arc tbs
worst of their class. and the police
say that only by such raid as TIL!
can they be cau-ht and arrested.
Created Great Excite ment.
Only one negro escaped. He wa
being led out of an alley. when, In tn
darkness. he broke away from hi
captor and ran through a crowd of po
lice and citizens
AS the police rushed from one plac
to another excitement was intense. TIL
streets soon became crowded With citi
zens. who were glad to see the 500
WORK But they had to be driven bac
hnallys and soon the streets o weI
eionally a dark figure could be see
sneakins down a street or through a
alley. but at shout from an office
ne would run for shelter The raid
expected to have a most beneficial e1
feet, as it will keen the bad elemer
In constant fear of another sudde
descent and surprise.