Arizona republican., 1910-07-05
FIRE CRACKER STARTS
 SMALL RACE BATTLE
Negroes and Whites Mix Up While
 Reading Fight Bulletins.

What looked like small sized race war started yesterday afternoon while a mob of people were reading prize fight bulletins at Adams ana First avenue. The fight started innocently enough between d colored man and d white man, but before it was over everyone within striking distance was involved and it required the efforts of three policemen to separate the com batants.
 For a little while the street fight took precedence over the big fight go- ing on at Reno. The crowd, while reading about the big fight. seemed obsessed with the desire to take part in a scrap. The power of suggestion seemed to have something to do with the rapidity with which everybody fell to the instant the first blow was struck.
 Paul Flax, negro. was standing with his hands in his pockets reading with intense interest the details of the fight. The fifth round had been reached and there was still no suspi- cion that Johnson would be the win ner. While Flax was studying the latest bulletin somebody crept up be- hind him and deposited giant crack CT close to his heels. Those behind him saw it, but those in front were as oblivious as Flax. The crowd drew away as the fire cracker sputtered. When it exploded Flax jumped SD high his brokn derby hat rolled off his head to the ground. He was very rVad culluG gentleman. He turned on the crowd at once and threatened them.
 Who done it," he cried; "who done it. An can lick the man that done it," he shouted while the crowd just laughed. They began to poke fun at him in good humored way while Flax got madder and madder. He searched his brains for strange and unusual epithets to apply to the man who done it.
 The time came when his challenge to anybody and all was accepted. A young telephone lineman named Shill- ing stepped into the circle that had opened to give the colored man plenty of room. He did not stop to talk at all He seemed to be perfectly sure just what should be done under the
 
 He walked up to.Flax and "smeared" him-if pugilistic slang is permissible at this time
 Flax had a friend named Mike Rob inson who decided to take part in the battle royal. The negroes swung on Shilling and then the crowd in sheer sport surged in and began to ''muss" the negroes. Everyone who was near enough took a crack at their woody heads while they fought as the cham pion of their race was fighting at the same tibe up in Reno.
 When Officer Ludlum arrived Shiil- ing and Flax were hugging each oth- CT. Ludlum grabbed them, but stepped off the curb into the gutter and lost his grip. Marshal Moore then ap- peared and waded into the fight Blows were raining fast and the marshal got an upper cut on his left ear but could not find who gave it to him. It was probably meant for somebody else, but the marshal was in the way of it. Of- ficer Troutman arrived and the three members of the pIice force had an they could do to keep the crowd away long enough to get at the negro, who was down in the dust by this time with several on top of him. Trout man pulled off his assailant and just as the negro got to his feet someone landed on the point of his chin and