The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1921-06-02
TULSAN BLACKS
Continued from Page one.l

ly converted into first aid stations.
In their search to determine the
number of lives lost, guardsmen to-
day will inspect closely the debris in
groes were burned to death, Major
Kirkpatrick said last night.
| Dick Rowland, the negro whose all
legged attempted rape of Sarah Paige,
led to rumors of an attempted lynch
ing, was smuggled from the city soon
latter the fighting started. The negroes
made a drive on the Jail to release
Rowland when the reports of whites
gathered to lynch him spread thru the
black belt.
Sarah could not be found Neigh
bors, however, who said they saw her
shortly after the rape was attempted.
said they saw the bruises on her arms
and other parts of her body.
| Release All Prisoners.
Preparations were made to complete
| the release of the thousands of me-
groes from the cramped quarters in
the Western league baseball park and
| the Dawson mines, outside the city.
| There was no rush about that process,
officers taking time to question every
person to learn if he had been con-
riots. There was a fear also that the
sudden loosing of large numbers of
! negroes would start further trouble.
The few negroes who appeared in
! the streets were nervous despite
their conspicuous police protection"
building to another with frequent
| backward looks or chung closely to the
khaki figure of a militia man.
The blackened ruins of niger
| town" were almost deserted. Guards
| men patrolled the, border of the dis
| trict.
They were ordered to shoot at the
first sign of looting. White persons
were excluded from the area. A few
| negroes were admitted to search out
| the ruins of the shacks and to see if
| any of their pitiful belongings could
be found.
Undertakers Kept Busy.
Preparations for the burial of the
victims were not completed today. Not
all of the bodies had been identified.
In the case of negro victims, many
of their relatives were under guard, to
help in Identification.
Undertakes were busy most of the
night carrying the bodies to their
establishments. The victims were
piled like cordwood at the foot of
Stand Pipe Hill Only the guardsmen
were free to enter the riot district and
they could waste little time in cere-
mony. ms
AS the ruins in the burned AREA
cooled today, official searching parties
were sent in to see if other bodies
were to be found~in the debris
Undertakers' morgues were filled to
capacity and officials were confronted
with the problem of properly caring
for the bodies until their Identity had
been revealed. Negroes on trains we're
nervous as they passed thru Tulsa
The railway marked the deadline be-
tween the white and black sections at
the height of the rioting several trains
were fired upon and passengers rolled
from their berths to~the floor to es-
cape bullets.
Citizens Start Relief Work.
City officials and civic committee,
with police aid and benefit of the Red
Cross, will be able to cope withafhe
situation. was the statement of Ley
Avery of the civic committee, and
Mayor T. D. Evans.
The business of righting the wrong
done is a problem for the city to
handle in ITSELF" said General Bar
rett. I'VE will keep $50 guards in
town under command of Col. Ewell
Head. These will patrol the city and
maintain order. The citizens will be
lief"
TuIsans Bitterly Scored.
Tulsa's citizenry organized for
action to relieve suffering negroes
and end possibility of recurring law
lessness after a bitter arrafgnment of
lax officialdom by Adjt. Gen. c. E.
Barrett at noon today.
Such diatribe against county and
city lack of law enforcement "as Tulsa
leaders never listened to before was
cut loose by Barrett.
you have simply laid down" said
the general at a called meeting of
Chamber of Commerce and civic clubs
at city hall.
"One hysterical woman and an i'm
pudent negro girl, and your. city yell
low journals, turned loose their sham
bles.
when the guard entered this city
at a. m. Wednesday, found $4,000
armed men roaming the streets. The
spectacle of negro women and children
herded in trucks. with white men
| armed with shotguns marching them,
greeted our eyes.
Il will make this report officially
to the governor. 1t was the short
work of~100 guardsmen without a sin
gle shot, to disarm this entire COM
| munity.
| "Your sheriff could have done it
| Tuesday night, or your police. They
| didn't.
"You.now know what real law en-
| forcement with good intent means.
eff you can't back your officials,
put them out and get new ones"
'rHigh Commission" Named.
Following the generals talk, a COM
mittee of seven to have plenary power
| in all relief and law enforcement
The "high commission" in Tulsa
now is: L. J. Martin, former mayor.
chairman; H. L. Standeven. banker;
Cy S. Avery. oil man; Harry Tyrre1l,
| oil man and Red Cross director: Grant
Mccullough, banker; Maj. C. F. Hop
kins. banker; S. G. Kennedy, property
| owner.
Maj Alva J. Niles, Chamber of
Commerce president, was indicated as
the leader of police surveillance in
command of American Legion mem
| bers.
Find Shelter for Negroes.
| The committee began functioning
| Immediately, and ordered groceries
sent into ruined Little Africa to feed
the negro families VINO have found
shelter in the few remaining homes.
I The deplorable condition of the ne
groes was accumulated today by tor
| 10