The New York herald. [volume] (New York, N.Y.) 1920-1924, 1921-06-02


can be heard the sound OF shots
nom the negro district, as Guards
man fires at a vandal or lone black
or white sniper shoots at an enemy.
Reports came to headquarters late
tonight that new fighting had
broken out in the North Greenwood
avenue section, the principal negro
business district, and Guardsmen
and policemen were at once sent
there In automobiles. This report
was brought to the police by a fire.
man, who said negroes had fired
upon trucks of the Fire Department
and upon State troops.
Thousands of negroes are home
less because when the firemen an
swered the alarms late last night
and early this morning the crowds
OF white men besieging the blacks
would not let them lay lines OF hose
to extinguish the flames. Several
times the firemen tried to break
through the mob with hose, but each
time they were driven back, and
once or twice they were fired upon.
Finally, they had to confine their
work to guarding the warehouses
and the white residence districts ad-
joining the negro section.
Exodus of Negroes.
The negroes who were driven from
home by the fire and by their own
fear streamed through the streets OF
Tulsa all morning, some Of them
headed for other cities, hoping to get
to the city limits without being killed,
and others trying to reach white peo-
pie to whom they were known. The
city authorities began herding them
together soon after daybreak and con-
fined them in the Convention Hall, In
the baseball park and in the. police
station. It Is estimated that there are
about 5000 negroes now under guard
at these places. many of them pris-
oners who were caught by troopers
and detectives with arms In their
hands. Other negro prisoners are
locked UP in the county and city 1ails.
The negroes assembled as refugees
from the fighting zones are being
cared for by civic organizations. Many
Of them ran from their homes without
their clothing, saving only what they
lAtr Ia
are old men and women and young
boys and girls. not concerned In the
fighting or in the cause Of 1t, but
sufferers from the conflict between the
mobs Of whites and blacks. All day
these people have been struggling into
the Convention Hall and into the base
ball park, panic stricken through their
experiences of the night They tell
terrible stories Of whole negro families
being burned to death when their
homes were fired and they could not
escape for fear of being shot. The po-
lice have investigated enough of these
stories to indicate that possibly fifty
negroes were burned to death.
A military commission TO pass upon
the status Of the negroes neld IN the
prison camps has been organized by
Mayor T. D. Evans and Chief of Police
Gustafson with the approval of Adju-
tnat-Gen. C. T. Barrett. in command of
the Oklahoma National Guard. This
commission IS composed OF seven city Of
Sicials, and the city authorities an
nounced tonight that 1t will make every
effort to provide housing and food for
the negroes and to weed out from the
thousands the men who had q part in
the rioting.
Civic ORGANIZATIONS to Aid.
All the civic organizations of Tulsa,
many OF them newly formed because OK
the city's phenomenal growth in popu-
lation of from less than 5000 in 1910 TO
more than $4,000 In 1920. have eX-
pressed their intention of doing what
ever they can to alleviate the misfor-
tunes of the barefooted and homeless
thousands who are lying, frightened ana
discoura ged, in the open air at the ball
park and herded like sheep In Conven-
ton Hall.
Tit State troops now In Tulsa ana
patrolling the city are the Oklahoma
the Second Oklahoma Infantry with
the machine company OF that reSi-
ment. The soldiers are aided by the
police force OF Sapulpa and five hun
dred civilians who have been armed
with rifles and sworn In as deputy
xheriffa All of these soldiers and Of
ficers have orders to disarm every man
they see carrying a rifle or a revolver,
and reports Of the situation are made
hourly to Gen. Barrett. who has estab-
lishsd his headquarters at City Han
Col. B. f. Markham Of Oklahoma City
A In command Of the field operations
of the troops. For time the troops
operated under the direction OF the city
authorities, but after the Governor in
voked martial law Gen. Barrett took
command of. the city and military law
became established
The Governor followed his declaration
of martial law In Tulsa, later extending
II to cover the entire county, with this
telegram to Gen. Barrett:
II have declared martial law through
out Tulsa county and am holding you
responsible for maintenance or order,
safety of lives and the protection OF
property. You will do all things neces-
sary to attain these objects"
Firing nearly Continuous.
The first shot In the trouble that re-
suited I'm the most disastrous race riot
In the history OF the United States and