The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1920-06-21
NEW RIOTS IN
CHICAGO; TOLL
z WHITE men
Burning of Flag at Negro
Meeting Starts Inciipieni
Race Riot Kill Sailor
When He Interferes.
BACK OF THOMPSON
(Bv Associated Press)

IN connection with rioting in Chicago's
BLACK Belt last night. during which
two white men were killed and two
negroes were seriously injured
Federal authorities today began in
vesugating the rioting.
Edwa rd J. Brennon, chief of the de.
partment of justice, questioned nine
OF the alleged rioters. including one
OF the AbysSinians, today TO deter
mine whether prosecution under the
espionage or anarchist law is possible
The fighting followed dispersal of a
parade of negro member of the Star
| Order of Ethiopia" an organization
said to advocate return of the negro
| to Abyssinia, and Immediately after
! one of the leaders of the parade had
set fire to an American flag.
Police emphasized that the rioting
was not the result of racial feeling. but
more probably the result OF a 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 mal-treatment of three ne
Groes many blocks from the scene of
the rioting, occurring late in the night
savored of race rioting. The negroes
sought as leaders in the plot to burn
the flag, are Joseph Farnon, who is
said to call himself The Great Abys-
sinian," his son, and Grover c. Rad
ding, who il is said, claims to be a
native of Abyssinia. The three ne
groes led the parade yesterday, mount
ed on horses and wearing fantastic ap-
parel.
Jonas, who police declared was
back of the movement launched for
, the return of the negroes 10 Abyssinia.
yesterday was the principal speaker
at a meeting which had for the OBJ
: ject the launching of a boom for Will
!, liam Hale Thompson, as a third
, party candidate for president. who
would rally the solid Irish and negro
vote"
The killing OF the white men. who
included Robert l.. Ross, a sailor sta
= toned at Great Lakes, aroused hun
Greds of sailors on leave in Chicago
and caused issuance of an order for
, the arrest and immediate dispatch to
, Great Lakes of all sailors found on
, the streets.
An order barring all sailors from
Chicago as a result of the trouble was
Bassett, COmmandant at the training
station. today. but thus far no action
. along this line has been taken.
Head Split With Dun-Dun.
The other white man killed was Jo-
seph Hoyt, 90 years old. clerk in a
cigar store near the scene of the
shooting. He was shot with what is
believed to have been a dum-dum bull
let. His head was split as though
With an axe. The negroes who were
wounded included Joseph P. Owens, a
policeman.
For several hours after the rioting
started crowds formed in and around
the outskirts of the black belt" but
700 police, rushed 10 the district, sue
ceeded with little trouble in dispensing
! them
Besides the beating administered to
} the three negro preachers by a crowd
r of white men. a negro buying a ticket
r at he Polk Street Station. downtown,
/ was seized by crowd of 25 men and
severely beaten. Four negroes in a
| taxi near the same station were set
upon by crowd but escaped
According 10 Witnesses of the burn
, ing of the flag and subsequent shoot
ing. the parade led by the Fernons and
Redding dispersed in front of a cafe
iat Thirty-fifth street and Indiana
Avenue The parade was TO have been
, followed by q meeting in a hall over
the cafe.
Burn Flag Soaked in Oil.
4 One Of the leaders of the procession.
believed 10 have been the elder Fer
:. non took a flag from a parcel which
= I've was carrying and set fire to it.
I Spectators asserted that he flag was
saturated with oil and that it burned
r readily.
} Policeman Owens was notified of
the act. rushed to the scene and to-
ward one OF the men, his club raised
s though to strike, witnesses state.
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 tour.
6 ing the south side with two compan,
e ions. sprang from an automobile when
V he saw the parade and was almost al
l. the policeman's side when the latter
t was shot. according to spectators. He
} turned and ran into nearby cigar
store.
Several men with rifles, some oil
: Whlcn IL Is declared were ooLaneo
from an automobile nearby. ran to the
door of the cigar store and fired a vol
ley. according to persons near the
scene Rose and Hoyt, the cigar clerk
: dropped dead.
! During the shooting a second flas
- was thrown upon the flames, but was
rescued before it was burned
Shortly after the arrival OF police
and dispersal of the crowds word was
D sent out for the arrest of Jonas. Be
fore the order for his arrest was is
l. sued he was seen by a newspapermar
+ and declared that he had nothing tc
;. do with the parade. He denounced
e Redoring as a radical and an agi
t tator." but when police made an effort
I to locate him he had disappeared
they said.