The Washington herald., 1919-07-30
81 DEAD, 500 HURT;
TORCH APPLIED AS
RACE RIOTS SPREAD
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ONE

riot district whenever police called
for help All available police reserves
were posted in the black belt"
The riots, suppressed in the
black belt" flared up in other
sections of the city. In the bust
ness district. two negroes were
beaten to death. There were sew
eraI shootIngs and stabbings, most
ly by small gangs well out from
the district so heavily patrolled by
officers.
Racial antipathy spread to the
county Jail. where negroes and
whites fought in the bull pen"
OfHcers with difficulty broke up the
battle.
Fighting widely Scattered.
Trouble Of the police were in
creased by rumors that a mob was
forming to march on the county
Jail to demand Thomas Fitzge erald.
charged with the murder of 6-year-
old Janet Wilkinson. Details were
drawn from the reserves in re-
sponse to that rumor.
Today's clashes were sporadic
affairs, taxing the vigilance of the
police to the utmost.
Whites entering the negro district
were compelled by police to explain
their business. Sales of firearms and
munitions by pawnshOps were pro-
hibited.
The livestock exchange sent warn
ings today to shippers to hold their
stock for a few days, at least. Be
cause Of the shortage of labor prac-
tically no business was done in the
yards today, and the United States
Bureau Of Markets did not post quo
tations.
-Four white men were beaten bys a
mob of over 5000 negroes near the
stock yards. Three were seriously in
jured. At the same time a mob OF
whites raided the home of Mrs. Law
renoe Williams, negress. driving her
to a clothes closet for protection of
herself and two children. Police res
cued them
Portions Of the mob were detached
from the initial storm center. One
band Of negroes encountering Police
49, = oOks of the traffic squad open
-- Brooks forced his horse down
ne pavement and stretched out on
E-Dhalt, fought Indian fashion
lp arrived.
.r. were many insulated attacks
whites and blacks. In their
trict groups OF colored men
IS stopped autoists, wrecked
---.- - chimes, tore the clothing from
r. relers and let them go with
.Ise Elevated station.
- .ockyards district with thou
{ negro residents, was con-
rT-r storm center. Negroes took
o0-s r- m Of elevated railway cross
--a -l fired into the street or at
0tH. trains.
'o.lr len were taken from all beats,
...- u the black belt. and held in
...-' Pa They were armed with re-
a. clubs, and rifles tipped with
--vn5 ;. Pursuit cars. motorcycles
'ai t,-oes were used in chasing down
E= - --lers, black and white.
Er'or led mob, which paraded the
q vas stopped at the Federal Build
N ere 100 colored workers were
Employed. Watchmen and policemen
we're assigned to every entrance, and
Tor further protection the negro work.
.rs were confined on the fourteenth
loo-.
There was no large riot in the dis
Tict inhabited by negroes. II was a
Ieries OF small affairs, starting often
With a gfoe from a black or white.
followed by a shot
The shacks, tumble-down nats and
garishly-painted business houses Of the
district were closed today. Negro resi-
Tents sought safety in police stations
pr covered at home behind drawn cur
aims No children were in the streets.
One negro, seeking to escape from
The loop" in a taxi, was sighted by
L crowd OF white men. The cab
vas rushed and overturned The
occupant was beaten, stripped Of his
outer clothing and released
Twelve negro soldiers recently re-
turned from overseas and sti1 in
Uniform. led mob Of 500 negro men
and women. The negro soldiers
we're armed and fred into groups Of
whites. They fired at a policeman,
he bullet striking his star and in
iicting only a superficial wound.