The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-12-17
WA court SUSTAINS TRACTION WRIT
TWO KILLED IN
RACIAL WAR AT
INDEPENDENCE
Shooting Of White Man By
Kansas Negro Precip-
itates Riot.

itates Riot.
Independence. Kan. Dec. IT.
UNITED Press.)-A race war 1iar-
ing mp here last night following
murder Of r. r. Wharton, a grocer,
by a negro, yesterday had result
ed in heaviest casualties for the
white forces.
The clash was precipitated when
city omcials attempted to disarm
eight negroes who were muttering
war Oh the whites" The blacks
refused to yield their arms. Inn
mediately after the city officials
left the negroes opened fire on a
crowd of citizens. Two men were
killed and four injured, three prob
ably fatally, in the fusillade which
followed. Only one of that num-
Der was a negro
The casualties included:
Dead.
LAWRENCE KEENAN,, high
school boy.
ARTHUR HARPER, negro.
Wounded.
F. s. McHenry, baker.
A. w. Mibeck, jeweler.
Fred Kelly, barber.
Norman Dickens.
OF the wounded the first three
are in a serious condition.
Independence was quiet early to-
day with approximately $50 Amer
ican legion members from Neodesha
patrolling the streets
Hardly had Mayor J. L. Wadman
,, and Chief of Police E. H. Hall re-
tired after their failure to disarm
the mutinous blacks until they op-
ened fire on the crowd of whites
that had congregated to see the Of
ficials disperse the trouble threat
eners.
Dozen Guns Bark.
Clennan, a mere looker-on, was
deliberately shot down by the
negro Harper. Instantly dozen
! guns barked and Harper dropped to
the ground, his body riddled.
The sound of shot was the signal
for reinforcements for both sides
but after the first volleys the shoot
ing developed into actual fire.
| Call for help was broadcasted by
city officials. They called for the
home guards, the American Legion,
and called on Topeka for national
guard troops.
Counterfng this, the & wAffifia
blacks called on fellow members Of
! their race in Coffeyyille for help
But Coffeyville officials saw to IL
| that no black reinforcement left
that city.
] When local officials learned thai
I national guard troops could not
reach here until about noon today
they turned to the Neodesha veter-
ans for help. When they arrived
around midnight they were immed-
lately sworn in as special police
and soon had the situation in hand
Murder OF Wharton yesterday
morning was the torch which
caused the riots to fare up. He
was shot down by = negro with q
shotgun. The black escaped and .
manhunt was ON. Before nigh
nearly . thousand armed men had
participated IN the drive for the
murderer.
i Arrest Five Negroes.
/ During the day five negroes hai
been arrested in connection will
the Wharton killing and four o.
them released. Noble Green, negro
was held. as Ralph Mitchell, whit
had chased Wharton's murderer
thought" he was the man.
When members Of the poss,
learned that Green had been par
TALLY identified, that he had beel
found 1t home in bed with hi
clothes on, that the shotgun witt
which Wharton had been killed haa
been found and that shells Of tn,
same brand had been discovered II
1tee0s D nome, lyncnlnG scenes
almost certain.
Only . plea by Mitchell to tn
crowd that had gathered threaten
j, ing to storm the Jail that he wa
!, mot sure" Green was the man, an,
. = promise that officials would no
|, spirit the prisoner away prevents
! Judge Lynch from pronouncing sen
| tence then. Mitchell promised tha
II the mob would wait until morn
ing. when he would make q secon,
attempt to identify the prisone,
that he would help lynch him"
I he was the right man.
With that temper in the air ofic
ials refused to take any chance
and 1t hrst opportunity Green va
started on his way to the state peni
tentiary at Lansing for safekeep