Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1919-09-04
RACE R|OT|NG IN
KNOXVILLE, Tenn.
Seven Persons Killed Including
Two National Guardsmen In
Disorders Following Mob's At
tack on Jail
PROPERTY DAMAGED
Affair Grows Out Of Efforts OF Crowd
to Get Negro Accused Of Killing
a White Womnn-TroOps Have Stun
ton In Hand

Knoxville, Tenn, Aug. 31.-One
white man and two negroes were
wounded to-day in rioting between
whites and blacks growing out of
last nights disorders which resulted
in the killing of seven persons, in
Guiding two national guardsmen and
the woundng of more than score.
Last nights riots which followed at
tacks on the county jail by a mob
of more than a thousand persons bent
on obtaining Maurice Mayes, negro.
accused of killing white woman.
were auelled early to-day, but as the
day wore on incipent rioting broke
out afresh despite N1e presence In
the city of 1900 national guardsmen.
One of the negroes wounded to-day
was shot by guardsman while resist
ing search. Many negroes during the
night broke into hardware stores and
pawn shops to obtain guns and am
munition. To prevent the bringing in
of more firearms, police and soldiers
to-day searched ali negroes arriving
in Knoxville by train
The attack on the Jail was made by
mob of more than a thousand whites who
believed that Mayes was held there. The
negro, however. had been taken to Chat
tanooga for safe keeping during the day.
| Of Jail officers. shot out the windows and
| battered down the doors. In gaining en-
trance to the JAIL the mob permitted 10
prisoners. several OF them convicted muir
derers, to escape.
Fooled in their attempt to obtain lis
intended victim and driven from the vi
cinity of the Jail by guardemer hurriooly
brought into the city, the mob spread to
outlying parts of the city. Sporadic rioting
began at once and increased in violence
after midnight.
Troops meeting a band of armed ne
groes who refused to give way, turned
machine guns on the blacks. In the re-
sulting exchange If shots, Lieut.. James
w. Payne of Providence. Ky, regular
army instructor and a private by the
name of Henderson were killed.
In it's attack on the Jail, the mob CINE
upon a large quantity of confiscated
whiskey. and casks were smashed open,
the liquor vanishing quickly.
! For fear of further trouble. following
the first pitched battle just before sat
urday at midnight, the militia threw
guard around the section of the city
where most OF the disorder occurred and
! patrolled the place all night and through
| out Sunday. Early Sunday morning
few negroes stepped from their hiding
places and found their way back to their
homes.
There is not n frearm of any descrip-
| ton to be found in a store in Knoxville
as a result Of the raids made upon them
during the rioting
Plate glass windows were crashed in.
knocked from their hinges. in an effort
to secure weapons Of any kind with which
/ the rioters could give battle
/ Damage done to the stores and stocks
/ in the city is estimated to be about
$1,000 Hardware stores and pawn shops
/ suffered the heaviest losses during the
| raids but several furniture stores also
! were broken into and looted of their
stocks Of kitchen knives. cleavers. etc.
/ State troops tonight were standing
guard in front OF each Of the looted
stores with fixed bayonets and under
orders to keep the passing throngs from
| even stopping TO peer in at the damaged
stocks.
The mob which broke it's way into the
| iail. and the residence of Sheriff Cate
adjoining, was not satisfied with damaging
property but everything of value, includ-
! ing money, guns. whiskey. clothing and
books was taken. Part of the Jail records
were destroyed
| The mob first made its appearance in
the afternoon, small groups of men
gathering about the Jail, but not in
sufficient number to be alarming. Shortly
before nghtfall the numbers began in
! creasing until the building was entirely
surrounded by shouting men. Despite the
reports of its committees the mob re-
/ fused to believe that Mayes had been re-
moved to Chattanooga
! For a little while, the mob contented
itself with shouting and shooting into
, the air. Soon they began pounding on
the heavy iron bars of one of the front
windows and eventually it gave way.
Men began swarming into the Jail, the
jailer and deputies Were overpowered.
Heavy timbers were brought up through
the mob, passed from hand to hand over
the heads of the men, Using these as
a battering ram. they attempted to force
the doors to the white cells.
Failing with the battering rams, guns
were brought into play, and in this way
the locks were broken. Even then, the
mob was forced to break through another
door to get to the prisoners. But they
turned their attention to this, forced the
door and released all white men confined
on the upper floors.