The Waterbury Democrat., 1943-06-22
Street Fights End
AS Army Moves In
Continued from Page y

windows smashed and shops looted.
The pavements along the two-mile
square north of city hall and east
of Woodward Ave. we're blood
stained.
Biggest fight of the riot saw 200
state and local police dislodge Ne
groes who had been sniping at them
with shotguns and revolvers from
upper windows of downtown
apartment building. Police returned
! tear gas bombs through the win
the gunfire and tossed dozens OF
dows. The battle ragged for two and
half hours before the Negroes
surrendered. When the smoke and
tear gas fumes had cleared two Ne
groes were found dead and one po-
liceman was injured seriously.
The rioting, the worst since a
reign of terror brought death to
80 persons in East st. Louis, ILL.,
on July 2, 1917, filled hospitals and
prisons with battered and bruised
Negroes and whites. Authorities es-
timated that beside the TOO injured
there were almost as many jammed
into the city's prisons and police
stations.
The outbreak, although it came
so quickly that it overwhelmed civil
authorities, was not entirely unex-
pected. Conditions in Detroit have
been pointing steadily toward an
outbreak since the heavy influx of
Negroes from the rural areas in the
south and midwest seeking the high
wages paid in the worlds greatest
production center.
In the last census, of the total
population of 1923 ,452, Negroes ac-
counted for 149,119. But the figures
have grown proportionately with the
boom of war prosperity and the
population of the metropolitan area
now is estimated at 2,50O,00O
Civil authorities tried all means
to break the riots, calling in all
available city and state police and
Civilian Defense workers, before ap-
pealing for federal aid.
Governor Kelly, who flew here
from the governors conference at
Columbus, O., to take charge of the
situation, even appealed to De-
troit's citizens by radio. But his
efforts were in vain.
AS if in disregard to his appeal,
the gun battle between police and
Negro Shippers began in the apart
ment house
Kelly at first declared state of
martial law but later it was changed
to state of emergency, in order to
keep civil authorities in control.
Troops Welcomed
The federal troops generally were
welcomed. There was "only one case"
involving the soldiers, according to
Guthner, but the incident was not
explained.
1t was believed the first time in
II years that federal troops had
been used to quell a civil disturb
ance, other than strike trouble. The
last time was in 1882 when Presi-
dent Herbert Hoover, at the request
of District of Columbia commits
sioners, ordered U. S. soldiers to
disperse between 5000 and 5000
members of the bonus army after it
reached Washington.
Before the federal troops moved
in, efforts to reason with the ram
paging mobs were futile.
Whenever police rescued a Negro
from the mobs, the latter jeered the
officers.
Campers "HOt"
Fort Custer, Michigan, June %.
- CUP - Members of Negro
quartermaster's battalion tried to
obtain arms and trucks at the Army
post here to go to Detroit ito assist
their families in the race rioting
there but were promptly arrested
an official announcement by the
commanding officer disclosed today.
Colonel Ralph Wiltamuth, COM
mander of the Fort Custer Army
post, reported to Colonel August M.
Krech, commanding Internal Secur-
ity District No. l at Detroit, that
five of the men were confined to
the Post Stockage.
Wiltamuth's statement:
Members of a colored quarter
masters battalion attempted to Sc
cure arms and trucks at Fort Custer
today but were promptly arrested.
give of the men were confined
in the Post Stockade awaiting inves-
tigation. The men became restless
over race disturbances in Detroit
and wanted to go to Detroit to assist
their families"
Prompt action by military au-
thorities quickly restored order"
Neither Wiltamuth nor Krech
would amplify the statement.