The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03
Clash Between Whites and
Negroes Bitter
BOTH FACTIONS ARMED
Three Trainmen and Number
Blacks Shot Down; Situation
Serious

lASSOCldlGu TT6SS
Oklahoma City, Okla, June t.
Seventy-five persons, whites and
negroes, have been killed in the
race outbreak in Tulsa, according
to telephone message to Gov
ernor Robertson here today from
the chief Of police at Tulsa.
Tulsa, Okla, June Continuous
gun fire broke out shortly after day
light near the negro quarter of Tulsa,
the scene of all night race disturb
ances in which hundreds of armed
white men and negroes took part and
which resulted in the death and in
jury of an unknown number Of persons
and the calling out of Oklahoma
national guard units to put down the
disorder.
The firing came from spot where.
throughout the early morning hours,
five hundred white men and a thous-
and negroes faced each other across
the railroad tracks. First reports to
police headquarters said that the
bodies OF from six to ten negroes
could be seen lying in space des-
cribed as mo mans land" The police
also had report that three st. Louis
and San Francisco railway switch
men and brakemen had been shot to
death.
The trainmen were killed, it was
reported, because they refused to let
them ride on switch engine passing
the lines. The engineer was reported
to have escaped
Officials had hoped that with the
coming Of dawn the trouble, which {
began over the arrest of negro late
yesterday for an alleged attack upon
a white girl would die out On the
contrary, however, the early morning
fire was taken as an indication that
the riots had been renewed.
Negro Section Surrounded.
As the dawn broke sixty or seven
ty motor cars filled with armed white
men formed a circle completely
en- aeroplanes circled overhead
There was much shouting and shoot
ing. A row of houses along the rail
road tracks was fired but lack OF
wind prevented the flames from spread
ing. party of white rifiemen was
reported to be shooting at all negroes
they saw and firing into houses. The
negroes were said to be returning
the fire desperately. Late reports
placed the number of dead in the
neighborhood of fifteen.
Governor Orders Out National Guards
With approximately 500 armed
white men and 1000 negroes facing
each other across railroad tracks in
the night quarters of Tulsa race dis
turbances which broke out here late
last night and resulted in the killing
of four persons and The wounding of
many more, threatened to continue
today on a more serious scale.
National guardsmen ordered out
at the direction of Governor ]. B. A.
Robertson, were patrolling the down T
town streets and every effort was
being made to induce the crowds to
go home. No attempt, however, had
been made to dispense the fifteen
hundred or more men Of the two
races strung out along the railroad
tracks and it was there that officials
feared the situation might become
grave at any moment.
parts of the city early in the night
the shooting became desultory toward
daybreak. The fourth death came
shortly after four q. m, when q
negro was shot dead near the tracks.
Two white men and another negro
were killed last evening. The trouble
is said to have its inception over the
arrest late yesterday OF negro for
an alleged attack upon white girl.
house and later to the county jail
which Is on the upper floor Of the
building. Early In the night motor
cars armed with negroes appeared
on the streets and headed for the
court house. A crowd of 200 negroes
surrounded the building. Armed white
men soon began gathering.
Negro Shot Dead.
The first known shot Was fired soon
after dark when a police officer at
tempted to disarm negro. Accord
ing to the officer, the negro resisted
and was shot dead. His body lay in
the street more than three hours. A
white man was killed shortly after.
ward at the court house. Meantime
the crowds had reached such pro-
portion that the authorities realized
the situation was beyond their con
troll and a call was sent to Gov. 7
Robertson for troops. The governor
directed Adjutant General F. Bar
rett to take any steps necessary to
handle the trouble. The adjutant
general ordered out three companies
Of guardsmen here and sent instruc-
tions TO commanding officers in a
number of nearby towns to be pre-
pared to rush men here on immediate
notice. The local guardsmen were
thrown about the court house and
prevented the crowds from break Z
ing through.
Crowds Armed Themselves.
The streets were filed with shout
ing, gesticulating men. Suddenly
there was q rush for sporting goods
houses and hardware stores where
the crowds broke in and armed
s. {. ~