The Washington times., 1919-07-22
EYEWITNESS
ACCOUNT Of
BATTLES NEAR
THPREC|NCT
By PAUL .O'NEILL.

sticks. Don't turn your pack on
anyone. Shoot to kill if necessary.
And fire to the right or left Of
the flash"
This succinct warning was voiced
by Capt. Robert E. Doyle, of the
Eighth precinct station, 900 block
U street northwest, speaking to the
patrolmen under his command
shortly before eight o'clock last
night
There are approximately $4,000
negroes living in the Second pre-
cinct. Captain Doyle prophesied
trouble. He prophesied lots Of
trouble before the wee sma'
hours, when a lull in the rioting
might be expected.
Proved Good Prophet.
Captain Doyle was right The devil
was abroad. And hand-in-hand with
death, he welded the scythe for eight
solid hours in the night through the
Eighth precinct To the wee sma'
|
prophet
! l arrived at the Eighth precinct sta
| ton shortly after o'clock. 1t was
still broad daylight. But the crowds
were collecting. The crowds were
| composed entirely OF negroes. The
few white men about walked straight
down the street They attended
strictly to business.
On the corner OF Sixth and U
streets a negro sailor was harranguing
| his fellows in a high, sing-song voice.
| Sometimes his tones would sink al
most to a whisper. Then they would
rise to a fanatical shout. He at
tracted a crowd OF about 500 persons.
Men and women. There was no loud
talking. The crowd muttered Then
grew silent.
TITS going to be a bad night to-
night" a policeman told me. later
ascertained that IL was Patrolman
George c. Bum, crack shot of the
| Eighth precinct station. 1t turned
out to be bad night for Patrolnan
Bum. Shot through the leg. he lay
sprawled out on the pavement-bUt
am getting ahead OF my story.
silence Ii bad.
There is something uncanny about
that silence" another white man told
me. ugh. it reminds me OF voodoo-
| ism
There was tension in the air. Much
| like the lull preceding a storm.
Everything very quiet. The trolley
cars and an occasional automobile
sounded unusually ominous in the 81
lence.
I started for the Eighth precinct
station. Before was within a block
of the place a wild roar came from
the crowd at Sixth and U streets. I.
was the only white man in sight /
turned around and saw that the
crowd had started my way.
Here's where I go to the Emer-
gency Hospital" l said to a. tree.
Ran Past Him.
But the mob paid nc attention to
me, with. the exception Of an ugly
glance or two. AS the negroes ran by
me 1 noticed many bullying hip peck
cts And remembered that the sale
Of firearms had been unusually heavy
in the city during the afternoon
1t was lucky for me. as well as
other unarmed white men on the
street. that the crowd had not yet
worked itself, through mob psychol-
oEy, into a state of frenzy.
| A
sight Of the Eighth precinct station.
| The mob had by this time scattered
| into doorways and down side streets.
They were not prepared to attack
yet.
In front Of the precinct station
saw several men Of the 63rd Infantry.
standing on guard. They carried
heavy army rifles with bayonets fix
| ed. Regulation army revolvers were
| slung at their hips. The flaps of the
! revolver cases were opened. Each in
| fantryman wore a red brassard about
his sleeve. On the brassard were the
letters "P. e." in white. Provost
guard.
The soldiers were backed up by
| several burly policemen. The blue
coats were unbuttoned. And revolver
| butts peered out between brass but
tons. Each policeman carried a riot
| stick.
joined the crowd OF soldiers. They
welcomed me with a grin.
Hot time tonight" remarked one
| OF the soldiers, asking me to hold his
rifle while he lit a cigarette.
The negroes drew a close ring
around US. They glanced at the rifles
and bayonets and revolvers. And
laughed. They seemed TO be getting
q BOOu Oedl OF out OF SOUltllliHE.
CLEAR THE WAY. QUICK"
came a yell from the station. The
negroes sobered quickly, and the
crowd about the station melted away
The provost guards shouldered their
rifles and marched to a small riot two
blocks away on u street. IT was the
first of the evening. The first of
many for the Eighth precinct station
in the black belt.
Car Held Up.
street car had been held up by a
mob of negroes. Bricks had been
hurled through the windows OF the
car The crowd scattered before we
got there. The motorman was pick |
ing. up the pieces of broken glass. |
He was swearing.
We fingered about that corner for |
several minutes, the cynosure OF Gu
rious eyes which peered from door
ways and side streets, upstair win
dows and alleys.
Then we marched back to the pre-
cinct station.
Crowd collecting on Sixth street"
came a Gall from the desk sergeant.
. So we started for Sixth street