The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1920-06-24
TWO KILLED IN RIOT
OVER FLAG BURNING
PARADE IN CHICAGO "BLACk
BELT" STARTS TROUBLE.
Many Unknown Injured.
American Flag Set On Fire and
Stamped BY Negroes.
Police Stop Fight.

Chicago, June 20.-Two white men
we're killed and several negroes in
Guiding a negro policeman, were
wounded tonight in a riot in the heart
of the South Side ''black belt" follow
ing the reported burning of an Ameri-
can flag by a band of negroes who
were said to have paraded in the in
terests of back to Africa" move
ment
The dead are:
R. L. Ross, white, a sailor.
Joseph Hoyt, white, cigar dealer.
Rose was shot through the heart,
dying instantly.
Hoyt's head was split across the
brow, leading the police at first to be-
lieve he had poen killed by blow
from an axe. Later investigation,
however, brought the conclusion that
his skull had been split by dunn dunn
bullet.
Police Rushed Out.
The trouble occurred at Thirty
fifth street and Indiana avenue, near
the scene of the last years race riot in
which more than thirty whites and
blacks were killed and hundreds in
jured.
Several hundred policemen were
rushed to the district and succeeded
in restoring order before the disturb
ance spread More than a thousand
negroes gathered, but no general riot
occurred.
Several negroes who with essed the
flag burning, ran to a pool room at
Thirty-sixth street and Indiana ave-
nue. and asked aid of persons in the
place of preventing the act.
Rose, who was in the pool room,
and number of negroes, proceeded
toward the gathering of blacks They
were joined by Jos. P. Owens, negro
policeman who attempted to arrest
one of the group.
Owens started to search the man
for weapon when other negroes in
the crowd were reported to have
drawn pistols.
Shot through Heart.
1t was not known who fired the
first shot Owens was wounded in
the back, and Rose, who had just left
Hoyt's cigar shop after enlisting the
latter's aid, was shot through the
heart.
According to the statements Of
spectators, the parading negroes dis
banded and gathered in circle
around an American flag, which they
set on fire. After it had burned a
little they stamped on it and then sew
eral drew revolvers and began firing
at it.
The sounds of the shots attracted
many negroes who were not in the pa
rade and they rushed into nearby pool
rooms, for assistance, according to
statements made to the police.
Police declared tonight that they
probably never would know the exact
number wounded. Several were car
ried off by friends, it was said, for
the parading negroes disappeared rap
idly after the first few shots. Esti-
mates ranged from one to a dozen.
Distinguished Service Veteran.
A dozen men, mostly negroes, were
arrested and questioned at the Cot
tage Grove police station.
According to the police, the negro
organization, known as 'the Abys-
sinians" had been holding meetings
in the Chicago negro quarter for
some time, to parade members OF
their race to go to Liberia. Two Am
erican flags were carried by the pa
raiders as they moved through the
black belt.
Rose was 2S years old and a mem
| Der of the Fifteenth regiment, sta
toned at Great Lakes. He won the
istinguished service medal overseas
The police learned that the Abys-
| Sinians were to sail on one of the
Black Star Steamship Company YES
sells.
I'VE will leave nothing undone tC
find the men who began this shooting
affray," Chief of Police Garrity said.
| High and Low