Evening journal., 1915-10-04
Threats
STIR COATESVILLE
Hospital Guarded All Night
TO Prevent Mob from At
tacking Wounded Man
COLORED MAN
STAYS SYRIAN

COATESvILLE, Pa. Oct. A.
Coatesville fears another repetition OF
the zack Walker lynching.> The
Coatesville hospital is under heavy
guard to protect a colored man. Alex
ander Fisher, who shot a Syrian and
was then stabbed in the back by a
friend of the foreigner. The colored
element sent hurried calls to police
headquarters last night just about the
time that worshippers were on their
way to church. declaring that the Syr-
ians were mobilizing and that they
were going to visit the hospital and
take Fisher out and lynch him.
The news spread like wildfre. Bur
CESS Jones deputized a number OF
volunteer firemen and special officers
and the police patrol the fire horses
attached, made a fast run to the set.
tlement where several hundred color
ed men and Syrians had congregated.
Burgess Jones assured the colored
men that the hospital was under
guard and that Fisher would be pro-
tected. This satisfied some of them.
although many had their doubts and
rushed to the hospital in automobiles,
teams and on foot to see that their
race had fair play. Hundreds of per-
sons, mostly colored surrounded the
hospital At midnight the excite
ment had quieted down and the crowds
dispersed, but the extra guard remain
ed at the hospital all night.
The cause of the trouble was a
shooting and stabbing affray yester-
day morning in which a colored man
and two Syrians figured, and which
ended in the colored man and one
Syrian being sent to the hospital and
the other Syrian landing in the bor-
ough lookup. It started when a bull
dog belonging TO Alexander Fisher,
cOlored went into the yard of Joseph
Horgus and bit and attached his nine
mOnths-old baby. Assia George, also
a Syrian, went to the help of his
friend, and a general fight followed.
Georges right leg was shot almost
off and Fisher Is suffering with two
knife wounds in the back. inflicted
with stiietto. Chief BTanson arrest
ed Horgus.
Fisher and George are neighbors
and the formers dog bit Joseph Hor-
gus baby. George rescued the baby
and kicked the dog
Fisher went into his home. procur-
ed a shotgun and fired. the police say.
Meanwhile, Horgus, it is alleged, slip
ped up behind Fisher and thrust a
knife into his back. Fisher is in a
serious condition and George proba-
bly, will lose his leg.
The man who stabbed Fisher in the
back is a Syrian and he is in the
lookup, Third avenue and Chestnut
street, while the Jail was surrounded
by an angry mob of colored men,
anxious to learn whether the prisoner
is in captivity
The main street of the borough was
thronged with colored men. It was re-
ported early that the Syrians, two
hundred strong. were going to get
Fisher. Chief of Police Branson had
his force of men all out and if the
slightest move is made to take any
rash measures wholesale arrests will
be made.
Shortly after the shooting and stab
bling yesterday a colored man is said
to have thrown a stone through an
Assyrian's window. This is said to
have raised the ire of those people
and they soon commenced to collect
in groups.
If the trouble continues to develop
= the authorities will seek outside as.
2 slstance. The superintendent of the
!. hospital and the nurses, some of whom
e went through the Walker ordeal were
4 terribly frightened last night. Know.
t ing what happened a few years ago
b persons were not so anxious to follow
g the crowd last night to the hospital
}. Burgess Jones swore in fifty spe
s cial police. II was not long until
4 twenty or more colored men armed
n with rifles and shotguns marched
= down Main street. The posse was
o driven back. Brandywine creek, di
o yiding the town from the hospital il
l. being patrolled and all suspicion.
Y characters are prohibited from cross
a ing. -Four. members of the State Con
{ stabulary who have been in this 10
g cality also offered assistance and are
among the guards at the hospital.