Albuquerque morning journal. [volume] (Albuquerque, N.M.) 1903-1926, 1917-09-12
CoIored Troops at Houston in
Ugly Mood From Time of
Arrival and Camp Discipline
Most DepIorabIe.
CLASH WITH POLICE
MERELY INCIDENTAL
Riots Would Have Occurred
Had No Assault Been CON-
mitted on Sergeant BaItj-
more, Is Opinion.

Houston, Tex Sept. 11.-Complet-
ing an inquiry into the causes of the
recent negro soldiers riot which cost
the lives of fifteen citizens of Hous-
ton, the citizens board filed its report
with the city council late today.
The report covers virtually every
phase of the recent trouble and deals
with the police situation in Houston.
the riot undoubtedly was precipitated
by two arrests of negroes made by
Officer Sparks, although sufficient ev-
idence was presented at the hearing
to reveal the fact that a serious dis
turbance was intended by some of the
negro soldiers before leaving Houston
and thesa-ltG2s ssfegred e ssi,1li Il
brought 1t to a nead sooner and per-
haps intensified the crimes which
followed.
Went Forth to Slay.
Continuing, the committee says that
the undisputcd and convincing testi-
mony of witnesses proves that the ne
gro soldiers went forth to sIay the
white population indiscriminately,
that not one negro was hurt or mo-
Tested by them, not one negro home
was fired into anu that the negroes
were warned before and during the
riot to stay off the streets.
The testimony of the captain in
charge of the fire station Camp
Logan" the report says "and one of
his assistants, Is that when the shoot
ing began in the negro camp one of
the negro guards stationed at the fire
station remarked that the troops we're
going to shoot up Houston. that they
had planned to do so on the preced-
ing Tuesday night but could not ge.
quite ready. This testimony and the
evidence of numerous other cireum-
stances in the record convince us (and
our opinion is shared by Inspector
General John l.. Chamberlain of the
United States army, who so expressed
himself to us), that the prior conflicts
with the police were mere incidents
of the riot; that the riot was unques-'
tionably contemplated prior to that
date; that it probably would have oc-
CURED, although possibly not so
severe, had the alteration between
Officer Sparks and the negro Sergeant
Baltimore not taken place.
In Ugly Mood at Beginning.
The report calls attention to the
fact that shortly after the arrival of
the negro troops in Houston there
was manifested Sby at least some of
them a feeling of hostility and de-
fiance of the state law requiring the
separation of white and negro races
in the street cars; that when on leave
of absence from the camp the soldiers
usually frequented those sections OF
Houston and those Establishments
where the lewd and lawless elements
of the negro population are to be
found; that the negro soldiert while
on guard duty at Camp Logan were
arrogant and insulting toward white
laborers, sezing the most trivial cir
cumstances as an excuse to curse and
abuse them; that the discipline exist
ing at the camp was grossly lax in
moral conditions; lewd negro women,
some mere children 13 years Of age,
being permitted freely to visit the
camp and remain there over night and
that such women were permitted to
inspection by the sentries. keeping the
inspection by the sentries, keeping the
and other intoxicants.