The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-08-25
SEVENTEEN DEAD,
EIGHT MISSING
Houston Still Under Martial
Law Today, But AL Negro
Rioters Rounded
Up.
COMPANY IN DISGRACE
Thirty-four In Jail Under Indictment
on Charges Of Murder as
Result Of Out
break.
COMPANY IN DISGRACE

L united lSCdSSu WIZ Y 49,
HOUSTON, Texas. Aug. 25.-Hous-
ton was still under martial law to-
day-the result of Thursday nights
rioting by $50 negro soldiers-but
practically all the participants had
been rounded up and order restored.
The casualty list today included
fourteen white persons and three
negro soldiers dead and TWENTY-FIVE
persons wounded. All but eight OF
the rioters had been arrested. and the
police believed these eight may be
dead. their bodies hidden in the ne
gro quarter.
Thirty-four OF the negro soldiers
were under indictment by civil
authorities on charge OF murder,
while the entire six hundred members
of the twenty-fourth United States
infantry stationed here were disarm-
ed and in disgrace.
Captain X. s. Snow of the Twen-
ty-fourth announced today that pre-
liminary steps toward court martial
ing the rioters was well under way.
He said the men could be charged
with mutiny and murder-the PEN
atty for which is death.
A clash Is expected between civil
and military authorities over the Gus
tody and trial of the rioters. The
thirtyfour negroes indicted are IN
the county Jail and the authorities
were outspoken in their determine
ton to conduct the trials themselves.
Word from southern department
headquarters at San Antonio today
that the negro soldiers would be de-
ported to Columbus, N. M. was ef-
fective in relieving the tension which
the white population had been under
since the rioting and no further out
break was looked for.
Leroy Pinkett, private Of Company
u, Twenty-fourth infantry, made the
following affidavit on how the riot
started:
Yesterday (Thursday) afternoon,
about 8 o'clock, we heard that Cor
poral Baltimore had been shot by
Special police officers. All the boys
said let's go get the men that got
Baltimore It was getting late then
and we stood at retreat at 6 o'clock
and then our men began talking and
/ heard Sergeant Henry say, well,
don't stand around like that. If you
are going to do anything. go ahead
and do it.
Il was in the crowd. had my
gun and ammunition. We did some
shooting as we left camp. l shot
about five times.
"Then we got on the dirt road and
started by the grave yard at San
Felipe street and right at the grave
yard they started shooting. Serg-
cant Henry was in front and he hol-
Tered at every one to lay down. They
all lay down but me and two other
fellows and we ran down the side of
the street.
"As we ran I heard shooting that
sounded as if all of them were shoot
ing together l tried to get back in
to camp, but was afraid and stayed
in the woods all night until l was ar
rested"
Judge Advocate Leaves.
CHICAGO, Aug. 25.-Major B. M.
Chiperfield, Provost Marshal General
Crowders representative in Chicago
for several weeks, today was on his
way to Houston, where he will prob
ably sit at the court martial of the ne
groes of the Twenty fourth infantry
who rioted Thursday night.
Major Chiperfield was recently ap-
pointed to the judge advocates depart
ment and assigned to Camp Logan,
Houston
Two are in Dallas.
DALLAS, Texas, Aug. 25.-At least
two of the negro soldiers who par
ticipated in the Houston rioting
Thursday night are in Dallas, the
police declared today. The negroes
have thrown away their army rifles
and cartridge belts and are wearing
Jumpers" in place of their uniforms,
it was alleged.
Attempts to capture them have
failed.
Moved to New Mexico.
HOUSTON, Texas, Aug. 25.-
Negro soldiers of the Twenty-fourth
infantry, including members of the
two companies who participated in
Thursdays all night riotlng, result
ing in the death of seventeen per-
sons and the wounding of twenty