Perth Amboy evening news., 1920-06-21
RADICAL PLOT
IN RACE RIOT
Two White Men Are Dead, 2
Negroes. Wounded During
Wild Disorder in Chicago
BATTLE FOLLOWS PARADE
Flag Burned, is Claim - Po-
lice Seeking Alleged Radi-
cal Agitator.

CHICAGO. June 2i-Police to-
day were searching for K. I.
Jonas. alleged radical agitator.
and three negroes, an connection
with rioting in Chicago's black
belt" last night during which two
white men were killed and two ne
groes We're seriously injured
The lighting followed dispersal
of a parade of negro members of
the "Star order of Ethiopia, an or
ganization said to advocate return
of the negro to Abyssinia and inn
mediately after one of the leaders
of the parade had set fire to an
American fig. Police today empha-
sized that the rioting was not the
result of racial feeling. but more
probably the result of radical plot.
They pointed out that negroes and
whites had co-operated in an effort
to resent the insult to the flag.
However. several incidents includ-
ing the maltreatment OF three ne
gro ministers many blocks from the
scene of the riot favored of race
rioting. The negroes sought as
leaders in the plot to burn the flag
are Joseph Fcrnon, VINO is said
TO call himself THE Great Abyssin-
ian," his son. and Grover &. Red
ding, who it is said, claims to be "A
native of Abyssinia. The three ne
groes led the parade yesterday
mounted on horses and wearing
fantastic raiment.
Jonas, who police declare was
back of the movement for the re-
turn of the negroes to Abyssinia
yesterday was the principal speaker
at a meeting which had for its OBJ
ject the launching of a boom for
Mayor Haze Thompson as third
party" candidate for president who
would rally the solid Irish and
negro vote" The killing of the
white men who included Robert l..
Rose, sailor stationed at Great
Lakes aroused hundreds of sailors
on leave in Chicago and caused issu-
ance of an order for the arrest and
immediate dispatch to Great Lakes
of all sailors found in the streets.
An order barring all sailors from
Chicago as result of the trouble
was there considered by Rear Ad
miral Bassett, commandant of the
training station. but thus far no ac-
tion along that line has been taken.
The other white man killed was
Joseph Hoyt, fifty-nine years old, n
clerk in a cigar store near the scene
of the shooting. He was SHOT with
what is believed to be dum-dum
bullet. His head was split as though
with an axe.
For several hours after the riot
ing started crowds formed in and
around the outskirts of the BLACK
belt but 700 police rushed to the dis
trict succeeded with little trouble in
disbursing them.
Besides the beating administered
to the three negro preachers by a
ftfF nd af 70 M IN in
q ticket at the Polk street station
downtown was seized by a crowd of
twenty-five men and severely beat
en-. Four negroes in a taxi near the
same station also were set upon by
the crowd but escaped.
According to witnesses of the
burning of the flag and subsequent
shooting. the parade led by the Fer
mons and Redding dispersed at 35th
street and Indiana avenue. The
parade was to have been followed
by meeting in hall over cafe.
one of the leaders of the process
sion believed to have been the elder
Fernon took a flag from parcel
which he was carrying and set fire to
it, Spectators, stated that the flag
was saturated with oil and that it
burned readily. Policeman Owens
was notified of the act, rushed to the
scene and charged one of the men.
One of the men on horseback 1t was
declared fired at him with a short
rifle wounding him with the first
shot.
Rose, the sailor. who had been
touring the south side with two
companions. sprung from an auto
mobile when he saw the parade and
was almost at the policeman's side
when the latter was shot. He ran
into nearby cigar store. Some of
the men with rifles ran to the door
of the cigar store and fired
a Volley. according to persons near
the scene. Rose and Hoyt, the
cigar clerks dropped dead.
During the shooting "A second flag
was thrown upon the flames. but
was rescued before it was burned.
Shortly after the arrival of police
and the dispersal of the crowd word
was sent out for the arrest of Jonas
When police made an effort to To-
cate him, he had disappeared.