The Tulsa star. [volume] (Tulsa, Okla.) 1913-1921, 1920-10-16
Race Men Avert
Riot in Okmu|gee

ne Negro quarters OF Okmulgee
is an armed camp this morning, ac-
cording to Special Officer Grant
Cowan, who made tour of inSpec-
ton throughout that section of the
city. Pickers are posted at street
intersections and the Colored peo-
ple are prepared for any attack
which may be made upon them.
After the burning OF the house at
Tenth street and Morton avenue
this morning, the Colored people
feared that the mob which was
seeking the Negro might make an
assault-The mob, however had no
intention OF visiting the Negro quar-
ters.
A Marmon car with several Ne
groes in it dashed up and down
Fifth street and Muskogee avenue
early this morning and the occn-
pans fired shots into the air. A
disturbance occurred among a nun
Der of Negroes on the east side, ac-
cording to report to the police,
and one Negro was shot The vol
ley of shots which resulted from
this affray alarmed a number of
Okmulgee residents who heard il.
The Negroes have armed them
selves in self defense, Officer Cow
an stated but at o'clock this morn
ing the streets were practically de-
serted and the city was quiet. A
small portion Of the mob was still
on guard at the court house, how
ever, at that hour, although il had
been searched twice.
A call for mass meeting Of the
men of Okmulgee in the district
court this morning at 3 o'clock to
devise ways and means to make
Okmulgee safe for women, the
averting lynching by prompt ac-
ton Of Sheriff Henry S. Tucker in
removing the suspect to Muskogee
on the way to McAlester, and
mass meeting of Negroes which
adopted resolutions denouncing law
violation and especially crimes a
gainst women and pledging full CO.
operation with the white race in
the detection and capture Of crimi-
nails, were high spots yesterday in
the situation created by several as
saults on white women and brought
to a focus by the attempted assault
on Miss Helen armour Friday night
by a man of our race
The lypching was prevented last
night by Sheriff Tucker when he out
witted an angry mob In front OF
the courthouse at the corner OF 7th
avenue as they were about to rush
the county Jail in quest of Joe At
Gibson the Colored man, who had
been arrested earlier in the day as
the assailant OF Miss Helen Armour
q well known and highly esteemed
young white woman.
Only prompt work on the part
OF the sheriff's forces saved the
prisoner from the mob, which had
been steadily increasing in front
OF the courthouse since the falling
of darkness. AT about $3.50 o'clock,
which, strangely enough was the
exact time the Negro is charged
with having made his unsuccessful
attack on the girl the evening be-
fore, the mob about 500 strong,
surged over the lawn toward the
the east courthouse entrance and
demanded the prisoner. The move
ment was partly organized as ii is
said that guards had been stationed
by the mob at the back OF the court
house to, watch any attempt on the
part OF the authorities TO secretly
hurry him out of town.
Sheriff Tells Mob Suspect is Gone
AS the mob Surged up to the
doors Sheriff Tuker, who had evi.
IDENTITY been waiting for just such a
movement, stepped cut and stated
that the Negro had been removed
from the county Jail at between 4
and O'Clock in the afternoon and
taken TO Muskogee from where he
would be sent on the night flyer TO
McAlester where he would be kept
in the state penitentiary for the
time being.
The reason he did this. the sheriff
,aid, was because he fully under
stood that the people Of the city
had lost patience because OF the
number OF recent assaults on white
girls by Colored men, and that he
was not sure that Atchison was the
right man He had immeditely
srranged 20 get him out of town
SITTER his arrest, he said, for fear
chat the mob would lynch an inno-
cent man.
Rev. F. F. Walters, pastor of the
First Christian Church, also spoke
of the mob and helped quiet them.
After hearing the sheriff and the
pastor speak the mob Immediately
began dispensing and although
there was some talk later OF getting
automobiles and going TO Muskogee
after the prisoner. II is not ber
iayed the threats worn rsrriad ora