The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1919-08-07
100 HOMES BURNED
IN RIOT SECTION
Negroes Are Declared by Resi-
dents to Have Applied the
Torch to Buildings.
SCORES ARE MADE HOMI LESS
Reports OF Loss OF Life Spread
Throughout NeIehborhood wit
nesses Tell Of Seeing coIored
Men FIee-sesrch Ruins.

Chicago. Aug i.-More than 1000
persons-members OF 900 families
were made homeless nj least 100
houses were burned To the ground.
property loss estimated nj SB5OWo
was suffered. and II II reported sew
ernl persons lost their lives. In fire
81 wide extent. believed to have been
Of 1ncendiary origin. which swept the
famous back o. the yards" district
The conflngration apparently was nj
It's worst In Honore street, between
West i5th and West 46th streets.
although many homes were burnt In
the rest Of the Are zone. which was
bounded by West AID street on the
north, West 46th street on the south.
South Lincoln street on the west and
South Hermitage avenue on the east
At the least seventy-four buildings
have been burned Most Of them were
the fllmsy one story or story and
half frame homes Of Polish and Lithu-
anian stockyards workers.
when the flames spread ami more
fremen were summoned 10 the district
the police found II impossible to con
troll the excited throngs and called for
several companies Of militia To aid
them in keeping hack the crowds 50
the fremen could work unhampered.
investigate "Flrebuos" Rumor.
A number Of white persons who said
they saw negroes running from the
district after the fires were discov-
cred. and that an automobile load OF
negroes had coursed the section short
~ before daybreak. are being aues-
toned by the police and fire attorneys
In an effort 10 establish rumors OF
incendIarism. Chief Of Police Clarity
and Fire Marshal Thomas O'Connor.
who were on the scene early. doubt
that the FIRE was lncendlary.
Chief Garrity. his secretary. Charles
Fitzmorris. Capt. Michael thinner Of
the New City stqtIon. and Fire Attor-
ney McCabe began Immediately 10
collect evidence concerning the state
ments that negroes were seen leaving
the scene Of the fires. All persons who
had said they saw blacks fleeing from
the vicinity were taken 20 the New
City station and questioned. John
Moiitor. a driver for Battalion Chief
Grady. said he saw an automobile
containing four negroes racing along
West iIth street NJ Hermitage avenue
as he was on his way TO the fire.
After the flames had been brought
under control frantic relatives OF Miss
Anna Macjek. II years old. appealed
90 police and fremen 20 help In the
search for the girl who. they believed.
had persisted In the destruction OF
her home. Ass Honore street. An
aged woman said her brother. daugh-
ter and sister had persisted In house
nj 1853 West 45th street.
Sweeping Probe Started.
The most sweeping crime investiga-
tion in the history ~ Chicago got I'M
der full swing to-day when nearly 200
prisoners and witnesses. both colored
and white. were 10 he Intercepted by
from States Attorney Hoyne's office
and by assistants a. Attorney General
Brundage 20 determine action against
those responsible In the South side
race riots. Many prisoners were ques-
toned yesterday. The result was the
solution OF two murder cases. the per-
petrators being held.
As the riot district Gained down To
a few desultory fights without serious
results-in each case the fighters be-
ing dispersed by militia ON riot guard
duty-and n number OF arrests made
by both mIlltiamen and policemen.
some Of them important. various com
missions and reconstruction plans