Grand Forks herald. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1916-1955, 1920-06-21
Burning OF American Flag
By "Abyssianian Princes"
Who Urged Negroes To
Return To America Start
ed Riots; Sailors Resented
Insult; One Murdered.

Chicago. Jan. 21.-Federal author
tiles today began investigating riot
ing last night between whites and
negroes which resulted in the mur-
DER OF two white men and the wound
ing or a score or more persons, in
Guiding negro policeman.
The rioting started, according to
all accounts, when a parade headed
by fantastically garbed "Abyssinian
princes here to urge negroes to re-
turn to Africa, stopped to burn two
American flags.
to arrest the ringleaders was shot
down by one of the princes" ac-
cording to bystanders The shooting
was the signal for the paraders to
draw rifles from beneath their
clothes and open a general fusilade.
A white sailor from Great Lakes
naval station. who went to the de-
fense of the flag. and the clerk Of a
nearby cigar store, were killed.
Edward j. Brennon. chief of the
department of Justice, questioned nine
of the alleged rioters, including one
of the Abyssinians. today to determine
whether prosecution under the es-
pionage or anarchist laws is possible.
Police are continuing to, hunt for
two of the Abyssinians who escaped
last night and for DIR. r. D. Jonas,
a white man of Washington. D. c..
who Is said to have accompanied the
Sailors who gathered in Chicago
after the shooting and threatened to
avenge the killing of their mate. had
all been rounded up by provost
guard and police today, and returned
to Great Lakes. Naval authorities are
consid ering barring, sailors from the
city until the trouble dies down.
r. D. Jonas, the supposed white
leader of the Abyssinians, was arrest
ed at noon today and taken to the
police station. He denied responsibil-
ity for last nights affair, and said that
he had been elected from a lneetns
day.
Chicago. June 21.-Police today
were searching for r. d. Jonas. al
legged radical agitator, and three
negroes in connection with rioting In
Ghlcaso's BLACK belt last night, dur
ing which two white men were killed
and two negroes were seriously in
jured. The fighting followed dispersal
OF parade of negro members of the
:sStar Order OF Ethiopia" an organi-
"a tie ssaia 4 tfSas --xpG ase4 Te,tnrn Of the
negrc<'to Abgsts:sia, and Immediately
i asaRr one leadsr OF the parade had
set fire to an American nag
ssPolice today emphasized that the
feeling but mr.e probably the result
of radical ! OF. They pointed out
that negroes ID whites had cooper.
ated in an 1 ort to resent the insult
to the flag. However. several Incl
dents. including the maltreatment OF
three negroe ministers many blocks
from the scene of the rioting, occur
race rioting.
'Abyssinian Movement"
The negroes sought as leaders ir
the plot to burn the flag are Joseph
Fernon. who is said to call himself
tho great Abyssianian." his son, and
Grover c. Redding. who. it is said
claims to be a native of Abyssnian
The three negroes led the pa.'ade
yesterday mounted on horses anc
! wearing a fantastic raiment.
Jonas, who police declared wal
back of the movement for the return
Of the negroes to Abyssinia yesterday
ing which had for its object the
launching of a boom for Mayor VIII.
liam Hale Thompson as third par
ty" candidate for president wh<
would rally the "solid Irish and negro
vote"
White Men Killed.
The killing of the white men, whc
included Robert l.. Rose. a sailor sta
toned at Great Lakes. aroused hun
dreds of sailors on leave in Chicago
and caused issuance of an order fol
the arrest and Immediately dispatcf
to Great Lakes Of all sailors round
on the streets. An order barring al
gailors from Chicago as q result o
tho trouble was being considered by
Rear Admiral Bassett. commandant
at the training station today. but thu,
far no action along this line has beer
taken.
The other white man killed wa
Joseph Hoyt. SO years old. a clerk IL
q, cigar store near the scene Of thl
shooting. He was shot with what II
believed to have been a dunn dun
bullet. His head was split as though
with an axe. The negroes who were
wounded included Joseph P. Owens, {
policeman.
Flag Burned.
One of the leaders Of the pruces
sion. believed to have been the elde'
Fernon, took a flag from parce
which he was carrying and set fire t.
it, it was said. Spectators asserted
that the flag was saturated with OF
and that it burned readily. >,
Policeman Owens was notified o
the act. rushed to the scene and to
ward one of the men, his club raiset
as though to strike, witnesses said
One of the men on horseback, It II
declared, fired at him with shor
ri1e, wounding him with the frs
shot.
Sailor Killed.
Rose. the sailor. who had bee,
touring the south side with two com
panions. sprang from an AUTOMOBILE
when he saw the parade and waa al
most at the policeman's side wher
the latter was shot. according t
spectators. He turned and ran int
nearby cigar store:
Several men with rides. some o
which 1t is declared werc obtained
from an automobile nearby. then raj
to the door of the cigar store. ant
fired a volley. according to person'
near the scene. Rose and Hoy. tn
cigar store clerk. dropped dead.
During the shooting second mai
| was. thrown upon the flames but wa
rescued before 1t was burned.
Shortly after the arrival Of police