The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-07-22
ASK WILSON FOR
MARTIAL LAW IN
CAPITAL OF U. S.
Congress To Act'TO Stop Bitter
Race War There.
At Least Five Persons Killed
Last Night in Washington.
HUGE MOBS MILLED IN STREETS
Negro Rioters Better Armed
Than Whites.
Troop Reinforcements Ordered
From Camp Meade.
Congress To Act To Stop Bitter
Race War There.
HUGE MOBS MILLED IN STREETS
BULLETIN.

IIOM O0AAP MCdOCs
BULLETIN.
Washington, July 22.-Heavy rein
fOrcementS have been ordered from
Camp Meade to assist the police and
military provost guard I'm Washington
to prevent a repetition of the race riots
OF the past three nights.
While refusing to give the number
of troops ordered here, Secretary
Baker said the number was ''substan-
tial."
Washington, July ga resolution
asking President Wilson to proclaim
martial law in the District of Column
| bfa because of continued rioting be-
tween whites and negroes was intro
duced today in the house by Repre-
sentative Emerson, Ohio.
Senator Harrison, Mississippi. intro
duced bill to require the District of
Columbia traction companies to oper-
ate separate cars for whites and ne
groes.
Representative Clark, Florida, asked
that a special house committee be
named to investigate the race riots.
His resolution asked what police were
doing to stop the disorders, which
have gripped the national capital for
three nights, resulting in four deaths
| and scores of injured. He said it
was the solemn duty of the federal
government to take immediate action
to restore order.
Try to Stop Firearms Sale.
Coincident with congressional de-
mands for action, Washington police
We're trying to prevent sale of fire
arms and ammunition in Maryland
and Virginia as we'll as in the District
of Columbia.
Requests to prevent such sales, eth
er to whites or negroes, went out to
Baltimore, Alexandria. Va, Hyatts-
vile. Nd, and other nearby commun-
tiles
Alexandria police reported shortly
after receiving the request that bott
whites and negroes were already there
4 in large numbers attempting to make
purchases.
Representative Lavelle, Colorado
| also introduced a resolution calling or
the president to declare martial law tC
preserve the dignity of the govern
ment of the United States"
AT Least Five Dead.
Rioting last night resulted in the
killing of five persons and injury of a
| least SO others. Several days of disor.
ders following a wave of attacks or
white women. robberies and assaults by
! negroes eliminated in series of race
battles during the night hours with
which the police were unable to cope
| successfully despite the aid of mill
| tary provost guards. Several of tn.
injured were reported fatally hurt thu,
| morning and at least 200 rioters were
| under arrest. The dead include De
| tective Sergeant Harry Wilson, sho'
! thru the heart by a negro girl wheT
he entered a house from which sht
was firing indiscriminately into tn,
| street
| Detective Bernard w. Thompson
was seriously wounded by a negres,
in the same section of the city. Foul
/ negro men are dead and several other'
are believed to have been fatali!
| wounded. Three patrolmen were IN
| cluded in the list of badly wounded.
! Four hundred soldiers and marines
| reinforcing the 70N police of the ma
tional capital, were unable TO pu
| down thu mobs. While they wer,
fighting rioters at one place, anothe
| outbreak would be reported from E;
quarter of the city blocks distant.
Negroes Better Armed.
The negroes, better armed than tn,
4 whites, appeared to have the best o
several encounters. Early this morn
ing, autos, crowded with yellinl
blacks, many of them armed, wer'
dashing about streets in the residen
tial parts of town, defyfng the white
to come on.
The coming of daylight and a ter
rifle thunderstorm which deluged tn
city, put an end to the fighting. Polio
heads fear it will be resumed tonight
Among the dead reported thi
morning were Kenneth Grail, Randall
Neal and Thomas Armstrong. Tn
two latter are negroes. Private Al
bert Luck OF the marines was be
lieved in a dying condition. OF tn
other casualties. five were policemen
Two hundred persons were unde
arrest today, according to Iolice esti
mates.
1000 Blacks in Mob.
The worst outbreak occurred in tn
! early evening at Seventh and
streets. in the negro quarter. mo
of 1000 negros started to march to
ward the residences of the whites
Police and soldiers confronted then
They refused to disDerse and tn
troops charged, backed by the polic'
] Many of the rioters started shootin
with reyolvers. The fight lasted hal
an hour. during which negro wome
hurled bottles and other missiles froI
1.-THE windows and roofs Of houses.
, Several large mobs of whites forme
in the downtown district and tried I
: invade the black belt. but cordo
of cavalry was thrown around ths
t section after midnight
y Early today about 1000 white me
marched out Pennsylvania avenu
( past the White House and headed fC
a negro quarter in that direction
r Police reserves turned them back aft,
a short struggle.
a Continuous Guerrilla War.
Aside from the main clash betwee
4 armed mobs or between troops. pollS
4 and crowds of whites and negroe
a there was almost continuous guerril
!. warfare.
g Negroes in an automobile serious