The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-08-31
RACE RIOT IN
HOUSTON, TEXAS
Trial Now in Progress
Officers Testify-Much
Information Being
Given.
Houston Observer.

Houston Observer.
Houston was the scene of a race
riot Thursday night when members
of the oath Infantry, U. S. A., sought
to avenge the brutal treatment ac-
corded two Negro regulars by two
mounted policemen Thursday after
noon.
After these officers had beat up the
first regular and sent him to prison.
the Negro military police accosted the
officers to ascertain the trouble and
he was shot at and chased into a near
by residence, where the officers pull
led him out and after subjecting him
to a severe drubbing, sent him to
the police station also.
Apparently, the Negro troopers be-
came hot in the collar at the treat
ment accorded one of the best-behav
ed men in the entire regiment and
secured ammunition and began to
shoot up the town.
At the hour of going to press four
teen are reported killed; 13 whites,
including one officer of the Illinois
regiment, and four city policemen.
One Negro trooper was killed.
Eighteen were wounded, includ-
ing thirteen white and five Negro in
fantrymen.
Martial law was Immediately de-
clared and all saloons, hardware
stores and other places of business
ordered closed.
Thus far no report has been made
of any Negro civilians participating
in the disturbance.
Crowds of white gathered at diff
ferent places during the evening,
but they did not attempt any action.
Friday morning. the downtown dis
trict assumed a holiday or Sunday
attitude, but everything was quiet
and orderly.
In the fourth ward citizens were
not allowed to leave their homes to
go to work Friday morning and
telephone service was badly demora-
lized.
The officials deserve great praise
for the excellent manner in which
they handled the situation.
The body of Sergeant Vida Henry,
Co. l, oath Infantry was found Fri
day morning, bringing the total dead
to Is and increasing the dead troop
ers to g 1t is alleged that Henry, a
seasoned veteran, was the ring
leader.
The Observer urges all Negroes to
keep their mouths shut and stay of
the streets, invite no trouble from
soldiers or civilians, obey the mar
tial and municipal laws and protect
your homes.
REPORT OF OFFICERS COMMAND
ING NEGROES.
Major l.. S. Snow, commanding the
battalion of Negroes, made this state
ment of two occurrences Thursday
that crystallized feeling among men OF
his command that had been increas
ing since the battalion was sent here
from Deming, N. NJ, three weeks ago
for guard duty on the site Of CAM
Logan while the camp was being con
structed:
Thursday Houston police Officer
arrested a Negro woman on or neal
San Felipe street and in doing so,
am informed, slapped her face. A sol
dier of the Twenty-fourth, who ha(
been drinking, demonstrated with tht
patrOlman for what he considered his
unnecessary violence in striking her
The officer, according to reports made
to me, used abusive language to thu
soldier, and struck him repeatedly
over the head and in the face with thu
but of his pistol.
"The mans face and head were bad
ly cut with the pistol butt. He wal
arrested by the same officer and takel
to the station where he isnow held.
Thursday afternoon, according t.
reports made to me by Corporal Balti
more of my military police force, ;
soldier Of my command was ARRESTED
by an officer. Corporal Baltimore
who was nearby, wearing his militar!
police badge, asked the policeman
purely for information, he says, VIII!
the man was arrested.
CORPORAL SAYS HE WAS HIT By
THE POLICE.
''The policeman told him it wa
none of his business. He then, Cor
pora Baltimore and the arrested sol
dier, both state, hit Baltimore owe
the head with pistol butt Corpora
Baltimore ran up the street, the pc
liceman firing at him as he fled. HI
took refuge in house under be
The policeman followed, dragged hin
put from beneath thebed, using ful
ther abusive anguage to him an
struck him twice more with the pisto
butt.
when the men in camp heard o
these occurances Thursday afternool
it excited them greatly and the
made open threats of retaliation"
A conference was held by Majo
Snow and Chief of Police Brock. !
was followed by the issuance of a
order from the chief instructing pt
licemen to call the soldiers "colore