Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 21, Number 97, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 24 August 1900 — RACE WAR IN GOTHAM. [ARTICLE]

RACE WAR IN GOTHAM.

Angry Mob Seeks Vengeance on New York Negroes. In New York a mob of several hundred persons formed at 11 o’clock Wednesday night in front of the home of Policeman Robert J. Thorpe, Thirty-seventh street and Ninth avenue, to wreak vengeance upon the negroes of that neighborhood because one of their race had caused thepoliceman’s death. Thorpe was stabbed, and bruised Sunday night by several negroes while he was attempting to arrest a colored woman. The man who inflicted most of the injuries is said to be Robert Harris, a negro who came to New York several weeks ago from Washington. In a few moments the mob swelled to 1,500 people or more, and as they became violent the negroes fled in terror into any hiding place they could finß. The police reserves from four stations, numbering 400 in all, were called out. The mob of white men, which grew with great rapidity, raged through the district, and negroes, regardless of age or sex, were, indiscriminately attacked. .Scores were injured. It took the combined efforts of the reserves with as many -more policemen on regular patrol duty in the four precincts to restore order. Clubs were used until the policemen were almost exhausted. Revolverswere emptied into the air and in one or two instances fired at the upper stories of the negro tenements, from which the negroes defensively fired bricks, paving stones and other missiles. The trouble grew out of the death of Policeman Robert J. Thorpe of the West Thirty-seventh street station, as the result of a murderous assault by a negro early Sunday in Eighth avenue and For-ty-first street. Thorpe was attempting to arrest a negress when Arthur Harris and another negro attacked the policeman with razors. He died the following, day.