Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1917-07-03
POLICE LOOK FOR
FRESH OUTBREAK
Continued From First Page


were packed with disheveled refuse.
Crowd Is Brutal
Bits of clothing taken from dead
negroes were shown to-day by SOU
venir hunters. One brutal incident
of the night was related to-day. In
Fourth street, near Broadway, three
men saw a negro, apparently dead,
lying in gutter. One flashed a
pocket light in his face and saw that
he still breathed.
well, what do you know about
that?" he exclaimed, mot dead yeti"
He and one of his companions
then drew their pistols and fired
bullets into the negroS head.
Stop Photographers
Policemen to-day tried to prevent
the taking of photographs of fire
ruins and dead bodies still lying in
the streets.
IT'S the chiefs ORDERS" said one
bluecoat. East st. Louis doesn't
want that kind of advertising"
The causes deeply underlying the
disturbances are said to be of in
terest to many other Northern COM
munities where negro labor has been
brought in to replace men enlisted
in the armed forces of the United
States or who have been tempted to
other sections by high wages paid in
munitions factories.
Unrest SmouIdcrcd
In East st. Louis, with q popula-
ton of about $4,000, there was al
ready large negro colony, and the
war influx increased the proportion
to an extent which caused much
comment. Unrest among the whites
smouldered and even famed up last
May, when in a small riot three ne
Sroes were shot and wounded and q
number beaten.
An incident OF the night indicat-
ed the temper of the mobs. One
crowd went about the streets shout
ing against the mayor. Lets get
Mollman," they shouted. He's the
man that brought 'em in" The cry
was raised because of false rumor
that Mayor Mollman went South and
advertised that negro labor would
be well paid in East st. Louis. AS
matter of fact the mayor visited
New Orleans and conferred with
railroad heads and others to dis
courage the negroes from coming.
Attack Helpless Woman
Another of the innumerable bru-
tai incidents of the night was the
attack on a young negress. White
men and women were among the as
sailants.
the cry among the men, and white
women began tearing the garments
from their victim. The negre3s' cry,
please, please, ! amt done nothin"
wHs stopped by a blow in the mouth
with a club which a woman swung
ike Il baseball bat. Another white
woman seized the victims hands
and the blow was repeated.
Fingers tore at her hair and her
waist was stripped from her.
Now, let's see how fast she can
rum" suggested a bystander, as the
negress broke loose. The women
were loathe to leave her alone, but
after following her with blows for a
short distance, they stopped and she
ran crying down the street
Strike Aged Woman
The women next tried to get an
aged negress who was guarded by
three militiamen. One of them wrest-
led with the soldier for his rifle and
others succeeded in getting in few
blows.
Three hundred and ten dwellings,
mostly negro shacks, valued at
100000 were destroyed by fire in
the rioting last night, according to
a statement made by Fire Chief NJ.
J. Tobin.
Further Shooting
Further shooting was reported by
the police to-day, but without details,
as the day wore on. Ambulances
scurried hither and thither. Chief
of Police Ransom Payne, hearing
that crowd of men from the Mis-
souri, side of the river were coming
over each to get a nigger," ap-
pealed to Chief of Police Young, OF
st. Louis, Mo-. to close the bridges.
They were closed last night but were
reopened again this morning. A
few fires burst forth anew in wreck
ed buildings, keeping the tiremen
busy.
Negroes by the score were seen
to-day, walking out of town in the
fear of repetition of the horrors
of the race rioting.
New Attack Made
One group was attacked by whites
in switchboard. Militiamen firing
their rifles in the air, dispersed the
whites. No attempt was made to
keep the blacks from leaving the
city.
Shops opened as usual but there
was practically no business.
The fire area covered sixteen and
one-half blocks. 1t was in the ruins
that it was expected that the death
list would be swelled. Wild rumors
of disturbances were circulated but
usually proved untrue.
Three cases of smallpox developed
| over night among negroes quartered
on the third floor of the city hall, it
was reported.
Started Early
The rioting last night was the
elimination of a series of disturb
ances which began with the killing
| of a police officer and the Mounding