Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1919-07-29
5-HOUR BATTLE
fContinuod from paoa Onel

progress, women, blacks ana white
battled away in front yards witt
brooms and missiles. In one, Of thes
nights a white woman was knocke,
unconscious and taken to a hospital
In one fracas on Thitry.Fourth stree
negroes knocked two policemen un
conscious and were drawing pistols
when (. group of discharged negr,
| soldiers came to the rescue Of tn,
whites. In another battle soon after
three policemen were shot. One ma,
die.
In an effort to prevent quick dis,
patch Of rihe-bearing policemen from
one section to another the negroe.
began cutting telephone and tele
graph wires.
The blacks began firing on street
car conductors and motormen wter
they refused to allow negroes tc
board their cars because Of threats
made by whites. One conductor was
reported shot in the leg.
Ambulances and patrol wagons
threaded their way through the black
belt throughout the early hours 81
the night.
A number Of wounded negroes crept
into alleys and other dark corners.
When they were found they were
hurried to the Provident hospital for
colored which for several hours re-
ceived a virtual procession Of woun-
ded.
For more than two blocks along
one street negro shippers fired from
house tops and windows. Not sin
gle death occurred from thic method
of warfare, however.
After threats had been made by
whites to clean up" the stock yards
district, a small army of negroes
formed ready to meet the challenge
An automobile load of negroes start.
ed over the district to estimate the
number of whites present. They were
stoned. Then they drew revolvers
and racing at top-speed. fired a
whites along the road. A white mar
was shot in the shoulder and bullet
grazed the head of a white woman
The negroes were overtaken and res.
cued from the mob by policemen. II
the meantime squads Of mounted pc.
lice had arrived in the district in an.
ticipation of trouble and what wa:
expected to be the most serious out
break Of the night was curbed.
Police wires were busy all niyh
with pleadings from frightened wo
men for protection. Many of the:
feared to leave the zone Of actor
and they were terrified by the dra
hot hni hay -,
would be wrecked before morning.
Street lights along some street:
were smashed and the streets wer.
darkened. Then the bright fas!,e
from pistols would signify a new bat
tie and in almost no time the immedi
ate vicinity would be surging mas
Of whites and blacks. When they
came together in large crowds, fists
knives and clubs were used.
While the black belt was seethine
with strife, negro educators anG
churchmen sent out appeals that the
negroes go to their homes and keeE
their peace. They charged that il
most outbreaks the negroes had beer
heckled by the whites and pointed
to the first fights yesterday when col.
ored bathers along the South Lake.
shore were stoned by whites and ont
negro boy vas drowned.
The attacks on street cars became
so numerous that service was sus.
pended late tonight on two lines. Or
the other lines policemen formed {
part of the crews.
The disorders did not extend NORTH
to the Loop district, except for minor
outbreaks. Whites hooted negroe:
and tripped and cuffed them. A ne.
gro woman struck a white man with
bottle and cut deep cash =, hi:
head. He was hurried away b.
friends and the woman was not de.
tanned.
When the first dissension appear.
ed in the Loop, the police ordered 81
picked men from the detect.se bu.
reau to arm with rifles and form q
line about the city hall and count.
buildings.
After a motorman had been drag.
ged from his car and killed by {
group of maddened blacks shortly be.
fore midnight and a dozen stree
cars were wrecked, the street cal
company ordered that no more car.
be taken into the troubled district
The elevated trains also quit running
in dangerous territory.
Troops continued to move to a
centralized point on the south sid,
throughout the night. but up to mid
night they had not been ordered t.
begin patrolling the streets nor hat
they helped in quelfing outbreaks
This was explained by the statemen
that the outbreaks had slackened tt
such extent that the police could at
ford protection.
Wherever negroes congregated af..,
err II p. NJ. they were dubbed by Do
lice and scattered.
Hundreds Of stenographers anc
clerks and other downtown employee.
who must pass the black belt t.
reach their homes remained in the
business district hotels and at NORTH
Side lodging places.
Pool rooms, moving picture house.