Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1920-06-21
Two White Men Killed Dur
ing Riots Last Night
in Chicago ''Black
Belt
NEGROES PARADING
Rioting Probably Result of
Plot, not Radical Feel
ing.

Chicago, ILL.,, June 21.-Federal
authorities today began investigating
the rioting last night between whites
and negroes which resulted in the muir
ing of score or more of persons, in
Guiding negro .>oliccman.
Edward J. Brcnnon, chief of the de-
partment Of Justice, questioned nine of
the alleged rioters, including one Of
the Abyssinians, today to determine
whether prosecution under the espion-
age or anarchist laws is possible.
II. d. Jones, the supposed white
leader of the Abyssynians, was arrest
ed at noon today and taken to the
police station He denied responsible
ity for last nights affair and said that
he had been elected at meeting of
Abyssinians the preceding Sunday.
Followed Parade.
Chicago, June 21.-The police today
are searching for Il. d. Jones. an al
legged radical agitatOr, and three
negroes for melting riots in Chicago's
black belt" during which two white
men were killed and several negroes in-
jured last night. The firing followed
display and parade of the Order Of
Ethopians,' an organization advOcat-
ing sending the negroes back to Abys-
|sinia.
Fear Plot.
Immediately after the parade, lead
ers set fire to an American flag. It
is thought, however, that the riOting
was not the result of radical feeling.
but of radical plot. 1t is pointed out
that both whites and blacks coOperated
in the insult to the flag. Later in the
night several negro ministers living
some distance from the scene Of the
rioting were malteated.
The leader of the negroes calls him
self THE Great Abyssinian." He and
his son and Grover c. Redding led
the parade mounted Oh horses and
dressed in fantastic raiment. ReddinG
and several others were arrested today
Conflicting Reports.
Investigations conducted by the
police brought forth evidence which
they said pointed to an organized at
tempt on the part of the negro organi-
zation known as the back to Abyssinia
movement to precipitate trouble.
while other reports were that the
trouble was started Ivy group OF
sailors who jeered and hooted at a
parade of negroes
1t was said that as the parade dis
banded, several of the negroes gather
ed about the flag set fire to 1t and then
opened fire on it with rcvolvcrs. Sew
erul sailors and negroes are said tol
have rushed from nearby pool halls
and demonstrated with the Abyssin-
ians.
Negro Policeman Shot.
Joseph L. Owens, a negro policeman,
attcmptcd to arrest one OF them ana
was shot through the back. Whether
Owens fired first is not known, but
yollcy of shots followed his attempt to
arrest the negro. II. l.. Rose. II sailor
of J company, Fifteenth regiment, VIII"
got into the trouble, was shot through
the heart and Joseph Hoyt. IA cigar
dealer. who rushed from his store
when he heard the shots, was sh"t
through the head. both dying instantly
Owens condition is critical.
This version of the affair is the one
generally accepted by the police, but
negro witnesses say that the insult TO
the flag was caused by a group OF sail
ors icering the paraders and that the
flag burning was meant as defiance to
the sailors personally and not as an III
suit to the country.
The Pound for Pound