Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-10-20
sent out shows that he had any.

ana killing him instantly. Then pas
sion held sway. The fact that a color
cd man had dcried the authorities
caused discretion to be thrown to
tho winds and as result, 1t was de-
termined to capture Clark dead or
alive The building was set OH fire
ana some reports say that dynamite
was used. Why the building should
have been destroyed and the man
hemmed i'll as the reports say, result
ing i'll further loss of life, no one
mas been able to explain. Fully ten
thousand people are said to have been
III The ncighborhood to witness the
llght against one colorcd man, who IA
alleged to have not been worth his
room in the world.
what was the result? Walter Clark
knew, crazed as he must have been
by contraband liquor or insane emo
lions that his life had to be SACRIFICED
and he proceeded to sell it as dearly
as possible. He had killed Officer
William II. McCray, one of the best
on the police force, but who seemed
10 nave lacked judgment and wounded
Deputy Sergeant William Writ Bois.
seau, Police Sergeant J III. Martin
Policeman E. A. Parkinson, Police
man }. c. Lewis. John Wells. It is
thought that MIR. Boisseau will die
The property damage has not been
estimated. The mob got the body Of
clark after beating all undertaken
who was there to look after his ond
of the business.
The mob leaders thought that he
was in sympathy with Clark, and as a
matter of fact, he was deeply inter
ested III his business. The colored
peoplc OF Danville regretted
Inc artair as much as the white PEG
pie and even moro so, for 1t IS usual
that they get the worst of these kind
OIL happenings. Moreover, tho police
man went there to arrest the man,
Clark on account Of his treatment
or a colorcd woman. Certainly raca
feeling could not enter into the af
fair. All the officers needed to have
done' was to have turned Walter
Clark over to the colored folks.
They would have captured him with
little injury to themselves or to any
one else
AS the matter now stands. botb
white and colored people are disgust
cd with the whole affair, regr.ttng
That so many people should have
been injured as result of this in
sane action Of the man who has paid
the penalty with his life Mayor Wood
ing and his associates seem to have ex
ercised rare Judgment in the matter
and evidently did much to saye
further loss Of Ito
or the contest seems to be TINT as
against the loss Of q man, whose
greatest value may be placed ut ten
dollars, tho community has lost one
good officer and has six other per-
sons under the care Of the medical
fraternity while tho property damages
will mount up to hundreds Of dollars.
AS Clark was undoubtedly lynchcd
and an honorable, self respecting col
ored citizen in tho undertaking bust
ness beaten and narrowly escaped
the same fate, the reputation Of the
community has been injured through
out the civilized world. All Of this
could have been prevented by the
exercise OF little good Judgment. AS
for Clark he must have been crazy,
there was much method in his mad
ness and he went out of the world
battling in a manner that would have
reflected credit upon any colored citi
zen or white one either battling for
night and not contcnding for wrong
as he seemed to have been doing.
We certainly regret the affair aud
it behoovcs every colored family to
redoub.e their effo-:s to bring :aeir
children up right. Teach them good
manners, keep them out OF The streets
after dark and tell them to avoid evil
companionship. When a man shoots
his own wife or any other mans wife
for that matter, he sewers himself
from fraternal associations and can
merit no sympathy. May God help tho
hnrno U,a1 family % No
his life and help those, who were even
slightly injured. Race feeling has
not predominated in tho matter. It
could not for the causes and affect
show that. everybody there except
Clark and the lynchers were in favor
Of upholding the majesty Of the law