Phoenix tribune., 1919-08-02
Race Trouble AT
Washington Started
By Service Men
Especial to the Trlbune)

hundreds injured, many seriously, and
the police stations filled with prison
ers, is he result of four days and
nights of race rioting here The exact
number casualties is not and prob
ably never will be known. The reign
of terror has been principally spread
out, in small mobs, throughout the
entire city and there has been fighting
even in front of the White House.
The trouble began Saturday night
when a crowd of soldiers, sailors and
marines started out to find a Negro
whom they claim had assaulted the
wife of one of their number. Not locat-
ing their man, they proceeded to take
revenge upon innocent Colored per-
sons. This was resented by the resi-
dents of the district and resulted in
the raiding party being badly beaten.
! On Sunday night the service men
broke out again. Negroes were dragged
from street cars and other vehicles
between the Capitol and the Treasury
building One group chased Negro
near the White House.
AT midnight soldier routed a group
of three Colored men in front of the
Treasury building. One of them was
felled by a blow from rock held in
a handkerchief by the soldier. He was
taken to the hospital. The others
escaped.
The rioters operated in the heart of
the business district and ran down
every Negro they could find
Five men had been attacked and
beaten by marines and soldiers by
1920 o'clock. One was in front of
the Raleigh hotel. An ambulance
was close by and rushed him to the
hospital A few moments later another
was found in front of the Washington
Post, building and Knocked down.
He. too, was taken to the hospital.
At the same time two marines
leaped on a street car and began beat
ing the one Negro they found. Another
group of soldiers ran man down near
the Hotel Washington and felled him
with blow. A policeman is said to
have seen the action without attempt
ing to make an arrest. A Negro was
forced to get off street car in front
of the White House soon afterward
Negroes Arm Themselves
The rioting continued on Monday
and Tuesday, but the Negroes had
armed themselves and were getting
the best of the clashes, except where
the police came on th scene, and, as
a general rule, accepted the theory
that they were the aggressors and
sided with the whites. Many Negroes
have been severely injured and two
are known to have been killed while
defending themselves. None have been
free from assaults. Employees in gov
ernment buildings and chauffeurs for
senator's, representatives and other
high government officials have been
victims of the mob. Two members of
the Home Guard were killed Tuesday
night and a dozen or more other white
men were taken to hospitals.
There have been more than 200
arrests, mostly Negroes, who are being
heavily fined and given long Jail sen
tences for carrying weapons.
The city is now under military con-
troll. Two thousand soldiers, marines
and sailors are on duty with the 700
police and large force of Home De
fense Guards 1t is not believed there
will be any further trouble.
Looks Like Propaganda
1t is not only believed by the Col
ored people, but is freely expressed
by many prominent whites that the
rioting is result of propaganda to
discredit the Negro and keep Congress
from enacting anti-lynching laws and
enforcing the Fourteenth Amendment
upon the South. This seems plausible
when it is seen that every crime of
any sort that has been committed
here during the past month is charged
up to Negroes, and every time there
seems to be lull in the onslaughts
now going on new cry arises that
another Negro has assaulted a white
woman. This keeps the desperados
inflamed and they attack every Negro
found on the street, street cars and in
automobiles. OF course, the victims
are innocent of doing any wrong, but
this matters not with the rioters.
In the thickly populated Negro dis
tricts the residents seem to be we'll
able to take care of themselves and
a great many who must go back and
forth to their employment are carry
ing weapons for their protection
Whenthey are attacked, which is
l..-- L IL.