Phoenix tribune., 1918-08-31

lums roam the streets to do more dam
age
: I'VE severely condemn mob rule,
and we condemn negroes who disre
gard the law. and we feel lawbreak-
ers of all races should be treated
alike.
In every community where there
a. e negroes the presence of police
men tends to put down race friction.
We feel quite certain that if an equal
number of white and colored police
men had been in the mob district the
disturbance would have subsided in
few minutes
But for your policy of putting po-
lice for political prestige in these
districts there would not have been
any such disgracefuI disturbances.
On Monday afternoon about 2
O'Clock colored man, bleeding and
beaten, was chased through South
Stillman street by mob of white
roughs, John Robinson of 1922 South
Stillman street, went to his door and
when he saw the mob went in and
closed and locked the door. The
mob, diverted by this. stopped chas-
ing the fleeing man and broke down
the door of Robinson's house, went in,
shot Robinson in the leg, and pro-
ceeded to break up and destroy all
the furniture. Before leaving they
took diamond horseshoe pin valued
at $75. watch and chain valued at
$50. two suits of clothes, two dresses,
two pairs of shoes and three silk
shirts, besides $25 in money. Other
/ houses on the same street were brok-
en- into by the mob and furniture de-
stroyed and stolen; in one case a vic
/ trola was taken.
Tuesday morning at 11:15 o'clock,
by appointment. Andrew F. Stevens
and G. Grant Williams called on, the
director of public safety Acting SUI
perintendentt of Police Mr.. Mills was
present.
Mr.. Stevens said in part: We are
here to protest in plain language
against the discriminating tactics of
ghe police in the rioting now going
on in the vicinity of Twenty-ninth and
Ellsworth streets. There were sew
eral meetings held last night by rep
1 resentative colored citizens who were
unanimous in their opinion that your
police were in sympathy with the
white rioters. Several instances were
cited where the white policemen
would enter homes of colored citizens,
disarm them and then leave them at
the mercy of the mob.
ut was also stated that your office
fhad issued orders to hardware dealers
and other places not to sell firearms
OF any kind to colored men. The col
ored citizens consider this unfair and
feel that it is an injustice for you to
allow white men to bear arms TO as
tsault them and for your police to dis
arm them and leave them at the
mercy of these unlawful lawbreakers.
81 have a client who desired to pur-
chase piece of property, and the
agent refused to sell it to him be-
cause he was colored. l went to the
owner, who thought l was white
i man, and purchased that property,
and then transferred it to my client.
Now the neighbors have informed him
that he must not move into the house
under a penalty of being mobbed.
When my client moves in | shall go
there with him and take two auto
matte revolvers, and if they attempt
any assault on my client or his home.
shall use those guns to the best
OF my ability. So, am warning you,
Mr.. Wilson, so that you may assist
in keeping me ont of trouble. | feel
as do other members of my race, that
respectable, lawabiding colored citi-
zens have perfect right to purchase
property an6 live in any section of
the city that they wish. Then, too,
there were several ministers of color
who have always been law-abiding
citizens-they. like many others of
the respectable class, have decided
that they must protect themselves.
hence they have purchased guns and
ammunition