Minneapolis spokesman., 1963-11-14

Before the trouble was quel
were injured by rocks, bricks ;
car windows and windshields were
busted and seven participants in
the disorder, two adults and five
juveniles were arrested.
Credit for averting worse Wol-
ence is being given by adult spec
ltators 10 Timothy Howard, civic
leader and business man and VICE
president of the NAACP and Sam
uel Robinson, athletic director at
Ober Boys Club and a volunteer
assistant at Oxford Playground.
1t was their suggestion to the
police sergeant when the dis
orderly members Of the crowd
began to try to rescue" arrested
individuals from the police squad
cars, that the law enforcement
officers leave the vicinity Of Vic
tOria and Iglehart, where the
center Of the violence seemed to
be.
When the eight squad cara
moved away Howard and Robinson
moved from group to group In the
crowd and urged the young men
and women to dispense. In about
is minutes after their pleas the
largest portion OF the crowd had
moved away.
So great was the crowd, the
Noise the cursing and rock throw
ing that women residents Of the
neaghborhood were terrified. Some
Of them standing on porches
and in their yards openly shed
tears at the disorder. One resident
said the disorder was the most dis.
graceful thing she had ever seen In
81. Paul.
It all apparently started wheE
. lerpwd Of approximately 1bi
young people, mostly Juveniles
white and Negro crashed a birth
day party which Mrs. Willian
Oliver. 965 Marshall Av., was Civ
ing for her teenage daughter.
Mrs. Oliver became alarmed be.
cause only Is guests had been In
vited. She called police who an
swered her cali and asked those
who had not been invited to leave
the premises.
Some OF the men who had obvi.
ously been drinking began demon.
strating when police ordered them
off the lawn Of the Oliver home
and nearby residences.
More squads were called ant
, strong resistance began with po'
lice arresting the ringleaders
Young men and adults tried t
take those arrested from the offic
ers but were not successful.
The officers were the object o.
extreme verbal abuse, were callet
names and some Of the youth!
tussled with the officers. In tn,
crowd were a number of youth!
wearing modern type head rags Of
bandannas around their heads.
Howard who is a member Of
the Governors State Crime
Study Commission was called to
the scene by an anonymous
telephone call.
When he arrived he looked over
the situation and asked Mr.. Rob-
inson if he would assist him in
quieting the crowd and attempting
to disperse it. Both Howard and
Robinson said the IA officers
showed great restraint as the mob
like crowd surrounded the officers
and the squad cars.
At the request of the two citi-
zens the sergeant in charge of
the detail ordered the cars to
move from the area to Marshall
Av., which had been virtually
cleared Of the ugly rioters.
Before Howard and Robinson
went into action the police were
considering calling on the fire de-
partment to bring water hoses to
bring back order but when Howard
appeared on the scene the strategy
was changed.
Stephen L. Maxwell, 8S2 Carroll
Av., Ramsey county assistant at
torney driving through the area
enroute TO his residence stopped
and tried to talk the crowd into
leaving the area but was unsuc-
ceSsful.
Some Of the youngsters in the
crowd contacted later by reporters
claimed the chief trouble makers
had consumed copious quantities
Of a wine called "Thunderbird."
Police are making an effort to
locate the source Of the wine and
who sold 1t to the Juveniles.
People in the neighborhood, most
Of them homeowners praised the
police for their restraint in taking
the abuse even while some Of them
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