The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1919-07-26
WASHINGTON
RIOT CONTINUES
Military Patrol Prevented Gen
eral Outbreak But There
Were Local Clashes
TWO HOME DEFENSE
GUARDS KILLED
Congress Takes Cognizance of
The Situation-Proposed to
Separate Races on Street Cars.
Sale of Firearms Forbidden.

Sale of Firearms Forbidden.
Washington, July 22-Race hatred
in the national capital engendered py
attacks on white women by negroes
and famed by three successive nights
of rioting, found expression agaln to-
night in clashes between white men
and negroes. a home defense guard
was shot and killed, a second guard
fatally wounded and another white
man slashed severely by razor
welded by negro. All Of the negro
assailants escaped.
The outbreaks, however, were Spor-
adic and confined to a single vicinity
near Eighth and III. Streets, the center
&C the black district of the Northwest
section. This was due in the OPINION
Of the authorities TO the eXtraordl-
nary precaution taken to prevent Tor
nation Of mobs and to rain when
began early in the evening
Approximately 1900 troops-cav-
airy. infantry, marines and sailors
t patrolIed the streets and waited IN re-
serve for possible outbreaks supple.
r,cnting regular and volunteer ponce.
I.ctachments of marines from quar-
+ico. Va, and regulars under com
nand Of Mai Gen. William G. Ham
from Camp Meade arrived early IN the
evening and took up stations IN the
outskirts.
The nights casualties brausht the
number resulting from the rlotnG
which began Saturday night to seven
persons dead, II believed TO be Ia
tally wounded and scores injured,
more or less ceriously.
The only fatal outbreak tonight up
to midnight resulted from the stop
ping Of negro by Isaac Halbfinger'
home defense guard. Halbfinger at
tempted to search the negro, who
drew gun from his pocket and shot
the guard through tie heart. Another
home guard, like Halbfnger. armed
only With q riot stick, ran to his COM
panion'; assistance and was shot he
died later. The negro escaped.
Negroes in several parts of the city
were reported to have fired on pass
ing white men but in no other instance
was any one killed or injured. Scores
of negroes were arrested tonlgn'
charged with carrying fire arms, with
which they have been stocking up for
several days.
I A statement issued by the govern
ment authorities denied the situation
had been out of hand at any time
last night when riot calls were sound
ing from half a dozen places at
time. The authorities also decided not
to ask that martial law be declared,
although resolutions introduced in the
house during the day urged that the
|president be asked to take action.
President Wilson took cognizance Of
the situation. today when he called
I Secretary Baker to the Whitq House
for a conference on steps to cooper
ate with the civil authorities to pre-
vent recurrence of the outbreaks. The
president was understood to be greatly
concerned
After the conferences Secretary
| Baker announced that the troops or
dered from Camp Meade constituted
q very large number and that Maj.
Gen. William G. Ham would be il
command Secretary Daniels said a
substantial force of marines had been
ordered in for night patrol duty.
Cavalry again played part il the
police work holding lines about the
congestcd negro sections to prevent
mob attacks by either negroes or
whites Police and soldiers again
struggled to keep the down town
| thoroughfares clear Of crowds.
! .r, t4o,ol ,,.+,,,,o ,f .l,a r., cl,e.
through the three nights of growing
disorder Washington has experienced,
made the situation difficult While
rioting was at its worst, down town.
panic stricken negroes fired indis-
criminately from :he barricaded doors
or windows OF their homes. Others
whirled through more outlying streets
in automobiles, firing wildly at any
White person they saw.
The resolutions introduced today
ranged from that by Representative
Clark, Democrat, Florida. charging
that the District government had ut
terly failed to put a stop 70 the
crime wave that has sw Dt the city
for a month and calling for congress
s;oIal investigation. to those Of Rep
rescntative Emerson, Republican.
Ohio aud Vail, Republican. Colorado,
demanding that martial law be de- !
cared Representative Emerson'5
resolution declared the situation was i
q national scandal ard called for
protection Of citizens ''jrrespectiEe Of
color" while Representative Vail de-
clared the dignity and honor of the
United States required q martial law
enforcement Of order.
Senator Harrison. Democrat Mis-
sissippi, introduced b;l! to separate ;
the races on street cars.
Representative Hill. Republican. |
New York. introduced bill to reg
ulate the sale of fire arms in the dis
trict in the absence OF any such law
tho district commissioners induced
hardware dealers aud others to stop
the sefe of weapons. At least 800 re-
volvcrs We're said to have been sold
in single day during the disturb