The Columbus dispatch. (Columbus, Miss.) 19??-1922, 1919-07-23
RACE RIOTS
AT WASHINGTON
TEN CASUALTIES REPORT
ED-TWO DEAD AND
MANY WOUNDED
NEGROES HOSTILE
Negroes Fire From Ambush
Detective Killed by Negro
WOman-0thers Killed.

WASHINGTON, July 2l.-At
midnight tonight the known casual
ty list in Washington race war to-
tailed 10, including two deaths, and
two men probably dying, while un-
confirmed but police reports placed
the number at much greater figure,
OF the dead one was city detective,
shot through the breast by negro
woman, who was firing indiscriminate-
ly from the upper story of her house.
The hegress, girl of about II
years, also was shot but not fatally.
In another part of the city black,
firing from a garage door, kept a
provost guard Of soldiers, sailors and
marines at bay for several minutes,
but finally was shot down.
The fighting at midnight had re-
solved largely to fighting between
small groups and in one of these en-
counters a marine was reported to
have been killed. Although service
men had taken part in the early
clashes, the most serious were those
in which the mobs were made up of
civilians.
Many clashes occurred between
whites and blacks on street cars. One
negro attacked on the back end of a
car, fired into a crowd, following the
car, and wounded four persons, but
finally was stopped by a city detec-
tive, who was reported to have sent
seven bullets into the negro's body.
The white men were only slightly
wounded.
A crowd of more than 800 persons
congregated at Peace Monument, at
the foot Of the capital, shortly after
the House adjourned and members
were leaving for their homes. A ne
gro had started an argument with a
white soldier, and bystanders rushed
to take part. Street cars were halt
ed and traffic was blocked for sew.
eral hundred yards in each direction.
Before anything serious developed,
however, four automobiles filed with
police reserves made through the
crowd ana halted the disturbance.
Later in the evening Patrolman
Bum, crack shot of the Washington
police force, was struck by bullet
fired by negro in the northwest sec
tion of the city, the most exclusive
residential district. The bullet struck
the patrolman's arm and he was un-
able to return the fire. The negro es-
capped, outrunning a crowd of civil
ians.
Two negroes were seriously injured
late in the afternoon near the House
Office building. One had been accused
by several soldiers of having tried to
steal a bicycle, and when he at
tempted to escape he was Overtaken
and beaten. The other negro, believed
to be a chauffeur for representa-
tive, intervened and was beaten into
Inconsistencies. The soldiers got
away before the arrival of the po-
lice.
AS the night wore on the crowds on
the downtown streets seemed to grow
larger, Notwithstanding that all
Washington citizens had been warned
by the district authorities to remain
off the streets tonight.
The first real clash occurred about
IL o'clock, in the southeast section,
when a mob stopped negro. Reports
to the police said the negro there
upon opened fire and two white men
in the crowd were slightly wounded.
Police arriving on the siene, accord.
ing to reports to headquarters, fired
at the negro, one of the bullets hit
ing him in the shoulder. The black
was arrested and taken to the central
station.
Police stations late tonight were
swamped with reports Of clashes be-
tween mobs Of whites, largely made
UP of soldiers, sailors and marines,
and negroes in many different sec
tions of the city. The negro killed
was struck over the head by a marine
during one of the numerous fights on
street cars.
Reports TO police headquarters said
street cars had been stoned in various
parts Of the city, the assailants be-
ing both whites and negroes. One
negro was shot. but not fatally, after
3 mob had boarded a street car, and
in the ensuing fight two city detec-