Evening star., 1921-06-02
TULSA DEATH TOLL
IS NOW PUT At %;
TROOPS SQUEIL RIOT
Stocktaking of Ruin and
Loss of Life Begun by
State Militia.
THOUSANDS OF NEGROES
HOMELESS THROUGH FIRE

HOMELESS THROUGH FIRE
Property Damage Well Over
81, SOC, 600 Officials Start In
quiry Into Origin of Race War.
By the ARoeiatsd PsN.
TULSA Okla, June z-OutwardIy
Tulsa resumed tts normal atmosphere
today. except for the presence, under
a martial law proclamation, Of ap-
proxfmateiy 500 Oklahoma naxional
guardsmen sent hero yesterday after
many hours Of rioting between ne
groes and white men. including a
night Of 1noendiaxism in which vir-
tually the entire negro quarter was
destroyed. With . loss Of $I.s6o.ooo.
Shortly before 10 O'Clock Adjt Gen
C. r. Barrett announced that the
number Of state troops here would
be reduced today to ESQ. with the
lifting of martial law depending Ola
the apparent ability OF city anu
county authorities to cope with con
ditions.
Nine White Men IdentiAed.
AS the situation rapidly quieteu.
down today the estimates Of killeu
and wounded dwindied- Nine Whit
men dead had been identified toda,
and fifteen negroes were accounted
for.
Basis for estimates that still
ranged as high as forty negroes dead
was the possibility of an unknown
number Of bodies having been de-
stroyed when the torch was applied
to the negro residence district
Casual search of the quarter failed
to disclose additional bodies or bones
guardsmen was planned for later IL
the day.
Business houses opened In Tulsa
as usual today, and the customary
crowds were on the street From
$50 o'clock negroes began coming
or walking to their employment,
Some wore white handkerchiefs
around their arms. others tagged
with a white ribbon badge printed
police protection" but many weni
along unmolested without any mark
ing Of disinterestedness.
some OF the thirty-five white injured
In hospitals are expected to die. Wher
the military forces search the burned
negro quarter q number Of negro
morning the bodies Of ffteen negroes
lay in the morgues -
BeAses rhrswa late Kaves.
Belief was expressed By eniciais
that the bodies Of all the NEGROES
thought that a number were burned
in their homes. Then, too, reports
were received at military hesdquar-
ters that a number Of negro bodies
had been thrown into the river and
others buried outside of the city.
Physicians treating wounded ne
groes at hospitals said score could
not recover. -
Military patrols and guards al
every principal street corner kept a
irm grip on the situation today
last night under q general order is
sued by Adjt. Gen. Barrett but stores
were permitted to open at 6 O'Clock
this morning.
Citisens were not permitted on the
and It was strictly enforced by the
guardsmen. Amy one who ventured
on the streets without a military pass
was taken to the guardhouse.
A sweeping investigation Of the
causes leading up to the rioting was
expected to get under way during
today.
Governor Takes Hand.
Gov. Robertson. who came here late
yesterday. planned to take an active
hand. A military commission had the
outbreak.
Outside the horror Of killing and
wounding in the series OF race bat
ties, the situation of thousands of
homeless negroes presented the most
serious condition. and one which will
for solution. All that was left this
morning of the hundreds of negro
homes punched in the section dred
by white rioters was q olackened
waste, a curling column of smoke
here and there and few shattered
walls.
An idea of the extent Of the destruc-
ton in the burned area is gafned from
the statement that it is more than .
mile square. Virtually no buildings
escaped. Many were. cheap frame
them were substantial brick business
houses. A negro church recently com-.
pleted at q cost OF $4,000 was con-
sumed by the names.
Loss Over Sl.soo.ooo.
The property loss, according to real
estate men, will total well over
o6icials, realizing that some hasty
measures must be taken for the re-
lief Of the thousands Of homeless
negroes, set at work today to devise q
scheme for providing them with shell
Five thousand negroes were camped
in the fair grounds under protection
OF the militia and thousands OF others
who ned out Of the city came trickling
Citizens were called upon to con-
tribute bedding and clothing for re-
lief Of the refugees. A civilian COM
mittae- and the Red Cross provided
food and other comforts.
Ono suggestion was to clear away
the debris in the old negro quarter
and erect tents there.
Since martial law was declared late
yesterday there has been no indicA-
ffon of further conflicts. and observers
expressed the belief that the nare Of
race feeling had died out
Mt various times of sporadic trouble,
but Investigation proved them un'
true.
Beu Boys Missing at Hstels.
rrains coming into Tulsa last night
h1nu1ht no negroes and the number
81 white passengers was reduced
sharpiy. On the train arriving here
from Iuskogee at 1:30 a-m.. II was
aid that three coaches generally ere
crowded and that the entire ne9so
This morning no negro passengers
siirhted and there were fewer th2A
a score of white passengers. The ne
rro porter was not permitted to make
his usual run, and q white brakeman
subetituted for him.
AZ fhe downtown hotels, where ae-
x.ro bell boys and porters, heretofors
have been employed, guests were re-
ouested to tell the substitute elevator
operators their floors and then md
their own rooms