Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1917-09-12
.|||ilHOusTON RIOTS
PLANNED BY NEGROES
William Board OF Inquiry Reports to
W City Council That Soldiers
Schemed to Kill Whites.
zIAsBERLAIN SHARES BELIEF
E1ny Officer Thinks Wholesale
EBloodshed Was Contemplated. but
That Troopers Did Not Get Ready.
Angry at State Laws.
rRy Associated Press. ]

t$ HOUSTON. TEN September IL
ksegro soldiers OF the Twenty-fourth
M. S. Infantry had planned riot or
4 floodshed among the white residents OF
S%fouston, two days before the deadly
E$utbreak occurred. which cost the lives
ne fifteen Houston citizens. August IS.
according to the report of the civilian
e4oArd OF inquiry which reported TO
sthe City Council Tonight. The report
4aso criticises Superintendent of Police
EErock for his inability TO enforce dis
Hfpline" among the police. and declares
Chat "he Is not qualified for the po-
$ftion he holds"
.fhe riot undoubtedly was precipitated
Ey two arrests Of negroes made by the
Esoltce. although sufficient evidence
2Sns presented at the hearing to reveal
Ehe fact that n serious disturbance
&ras intended by some Of the negro
toldiers before leaving Houston. and
Ehe arrests referred 10 simply brought
liz to head sooner. and. perhaps. In
;Ssnsihed the crimes which followed"
W Cohtinuihs. tho committee says that
HE "undisputcd and convincing ;csti-
fnony of witnesses prove that the ne
Rsro soldiers went forth TO Stay the
Finite population indiscriminatcly. that
Eo negro was hurt or moleSted by
3hem not one negro house was fred
1nto ana l.-at tne negroes ~eic " ~ he
before and curing the riot to stay
I'm the streets.
3 1.-THE testimony OF the captain IN
charge OF the re station al Camp
E1oEan and one OF his assistants is that
when the shooting began III the negro
k,amp. one OF the negro guards sta
Eioned at the FIRE station remarked
Fiat the troops were 10 shoot up Hous-
Son. that they had planned to do so
s,n the preceding Tuesday night, but
ssould not get quite ready.
fSIOT CONTEMPLATED
PRIOR TO DATE IT OCCURRED
This testimony and the testimony OF
5sumerous other circumstances in the
Record convince us (and our opinion is
sfhared by lnspector-General John !.
of the United States
.Army. who so expressed himself TO us).
That the prior conflicts with the police
BSere mere incidents OF the riot; that
S!hc riot was unuucstionably contcm-
eSlated prior TO that date; that 1t prob
ably would have occurred. though pos
53ibly not SO severe, had the alterca-
Zion between police officers and the
negro Sergeant. Baltimore, not ,altcn
place"
The report declares that shortly after
sshe arrival of the negro troops in Hous
Ron there was manifested by at least
sF,ome Of them a feeling of hostility and
sideRance of the State law requiring
! s.hc separation OF white and negro races
Nm the street cars: that when OH leave
Ssof absence from the camp the soldiers
usually frequentcd those sections Of
Houston =, and those establishments
swhcre the lewd and lawless elements
ffof the negro population are to be
sltound; that the negro soldiers, while on
guard duty at Camp Logan, were ar
Erogant and insulting toward white
|iaborers. Selling the mos; trivial cir
R,umstances ms an excuse TO curse and
ESabuse them; that the discipline exist
ling at the camp was grossly lax in
gmoral conditions: lewd negro women.
ssome mere children. thirteen years OF
lage, being permitted to freely visit
1.-THE camp and remain over night. and
3that such women were permitted to
!, bring parcels into the camp without
Einspection by the sentries, keeping the
soldiers literally supplied with whisky
tand other !ntoxicants.
Concerning the superintendent Of
police the report says:
For Mr.. Brock rs an Individual we
have the highest regard. and It is no
rehection on his personal character TO
say that in our. opintan he IL not quail
med for the position ne holds, posi-
tfioR the duties and RESPONSIBILITIES OF
(Which VIII become more important and