Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-30

sharp clashes. principally with clubs
and knives as weapons, as the night
wore on.
Where these outbreaks occurred the
| negroes predominated in numbers
! Several meetings at negro halls were
broken up by the police after which
crowds formed on the streets.
In the early night clashes with va
rious weapons were used including
| table knives and sling shots. Few
guns appeared.
The t-oops were confined to bar
racks. They were not ordered to pa
! troll the black belt, the police main
tanning that they were still able to
handle the situation.
Chief Clarity today suspended a
policeman who was charged with
| threw O stone which struck a negro
lad. knocking him from a raft at the
2sth street Beach Sunday afternoon.
The negro was drowned and that
incident has generally been consid-
cred the start Of the rots. The police
man said the mobs of thousands of
fighting whites and negroes were so
great that it was impossible for him
to find the white youth.
More than 1900 negroes in the en-
ploy OF the municipal government
were sent to their homes today to re-
main of duty until the rioting has
ceased.
Patrol wagons were utilized to con-
wey the negro employees to their
homes for their protection and be-
cause of the street car strike. All
street repair work was stopped to-
day because about one half of the
employees are negroes and stree:
cleaners also were laid of.
The department Of public works
closed nine public Fairgrounds IN
neighborhoods where the whites and
blacks are the patrons. The depart
ment also deputized 400 special police
men to help guard public property
and planned to use $500 additional
guards tomorrow IL necessary.
The police department received no.
tice today from the provost marshal
at the Great Lakes naval training
station that every effort was being
made to prevent sailors joining in
the race riots.
Filtering Of negroes into the Loop
from the belt" led to a number Of
fights in which several persons were
injured. One negro escaped a mob by
running into one Of the largest stores
on State street taking the elevator to
the eighth floor and climbing down
a fire escape in the alley.
Several fights took place at State
and Van Buren, streets. At least three
negroes were stabbed and beaten at
this point during the early evening.
A colored man who said he had
served three years in the Canadian
army overseas and had been both
wounded and gassed. was severely
wounded.
The menace Of Are was added to
an already serious situation when
Fire Marshal O'Connor reported that
he had been informed that negroes
were threatening to apply the torch
to homes Of whites ON the South
Side. The marshal said every avail
able fireman was being held in re-
serve to meet such an emergency.
4 repetition Of the desperate fight
ing in the county jail between white
and black prisoners during the day
was made impossible by locking the
blacks in their cells and placing a
machine gun in position to rake both
the cell doors and the main entrance
to the Jail interior. Sheriff Peters
said he was ready to meet any at
tempt to storm the Jail from the out
side.
Several Of the big department stores
sent to the police department a large
number Of delivery trucks for taking
to their homes negroes who had
sought refuge in the stations during
the day. Each wagon-load Of blacks
was heavily guarded.
The first clash on the North Side
took place when a building occupied
by Italians living in the neighbor-
hood. A dozen shots were fired and
bricks were hurled through the win
dows. Two detectives held the mob
at bay until seventy five policemen
arrived, armed with rifles. No one
was seriously hurt in this fight.
A short time later a negro leaped
from an alley and knocked white
man down. In a moment a crowd
of Italians started for the assailant,
who ran and escaped. The police
arrested four armed Italians.
Another negro was fred at re-
peatedly near his home on Larrabee
street. also on the North Side.
Italians also were participants in
rioting on the west side, according
to the police.
An unusual incident occurred at the
manufacturing plant Of Geo. C. Cook
& Sons. Shortly before o'clock in the
evening the head of the firm went into
the alley at the rear Of his plant and,
according to witnesses. fred a shower
Of shots at random. Two of the bullets
wounded Jesse vinaci, II, and U. Bar
teldo, - years old. Each was hit in
the leg. A crowd Of excited whites
gathered about the factory, which en-
ploys IS negroes. When the police ar
rived rapid exchange of bullets was
taking place. Cook and his son were
taken to police station pending an
investigation. Two or three negroes
who fed from the building were caught
and beaten up.
Fierce fighting took place in Engle-
wood, on the south side. Beger Cd
man, q years old. white, was shot
through the abdomen and probably IA
tally wounded. In other combats sever
al white men and negroes were injured.
Two thousand men. 1t is estimated. were
fighting at various points in this part
Of the city.