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Sunday June 4, 1905
From the Chicago Broad Ax: Race Rioting Erupts During Teamsters Strike
RACE RIOTING IN CHICAGO
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The Police Without the Slightest Interference on Their Part
Permitted White Citizens to Erect a "Dead Line"
at 27th Street and Wentworth Avenue
For the Afro-Americans.
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Last Saturday evening near 27th street and Princeton avenue, race riots broke out in dead earnest and they continued in and near that vicinity all that night, all day Sunday and Sunday night.
It appears that shortly after 6 o'clock on Saturday evening, while John Williams, his brother George Williams, and several other colored men employed by the Peabody Coal Company, were passing 26th street and Princeton avenue, a crowd of real white gentlemen attacked them, and after they had knocked them down, beat and kicked them in the face, and otherwise mistreated them, John Williams drew his revolver and fired into the rioters, and the result was that Bernard Engstrani, one of the ring leaders of the mob was so severely wounded that he was taken to Wesley hospital where he passed on into the next world with all his imperfections resting on his head.
The remainder of Saturday evening crowds of half drunken white men experienced much pleasure in mobbing defenseless colored men, and in several instances the police throughout what is called the "Black District" made no effort to protect the colored people from the onslaughts of those composing the superior race.
On Sunday morning, a number of white citizens erected a "Dead Line" across 27th street and Wentworth avenue, for all Afro-Americans. They had signs painted in large black letters, which were fastened on either side of the rope: "Negroes not allowed to cross this Dead Line," while that scene was being enacted, four or five stall-fed Policemen stood around and without the slightest interference on their part, they permitted the strike sympathizers and the race rioters to erect the "Dead Line" and by their silence and inactivity they encouraged crime and lawlessness.
Throughout the South Side and even on the West Side, on Sunday, innocent and law abiding colored people were assaulted, spat upon, dragged from street cars and beat into insensibility by the striking teamsters, and their followers. A regular pitched battle took place between the two races in and in front of Ludwig Lewi's Saloon, 29th and Armour avenue, and before the riot ended Harry Bernstein, a bartender for Lewi, without any provocation whatever, according to many of the eye witnesses to the affray, shot and instantly killed a colored man by the name of James Gray.
In the meantime Robert Tinsley, a colored Policeman, reached the scene and began shooting at Bernstein one bullet struck him in the back, another hit him in the arm, breaking it and another wended its way into his groin. Officer Tinsley's bravery prevented a crowd of furious colored men from tearing Bernstein into a thousand pieces, who at the same time completely wrecked the saloon, and as its owner, Ludwig Lewi, and his friend, Newton Johnson, were escaping from the rear of his saloon, they were sat upon and beat and stoned by the colored men.
Inspector P. J. Lavin, who is fair and liberal minded, justified the actions of officer Tinsley in shooting Bernstein, and Inspector Lavin has stated "that Tinsley's life was in danger, and he only did his duty in attempting to quell the disturbance, and he cannot be blamed for the part he took in the fight." Inspector Lavin deserves to be highly commended for standing by his brave colored officers.
At Root and State streets a mob of white gentlemen ran into Charles Sneed, a colored man who was employed by Mrs. C. Northrup, 4231 Prairie avenue. They knocked him down and beat and cut him in the face very badly, and a crowd of ruffin Sunday school boys played football with his blood stained hat. No arrests were made by the police.
Black Jack Taylor, a colored driver for the Peabody Coal Company, ran into three white gentlemen at 24th and Wentworth avenue. They ordered him to fall down on his knees but instead of doing so he pretended as though he would shoot them with his revolver. The three white gentlemen started on a dead run, and they ran into the outstretched arms of Policeman Kelly, who did not attempt to arrest them, but he lit out after Taylor, who did not have a gun when he was arrested by this supposed peace officer.
Thursday, Frank Flint, 2302 Dearborn street, a colored stationary fireman, was walking on Princeton avenue between 27th and 28th streets, minding his own business, and without the slightest warning a crowd of white gentlemen rushed upon him. They broke his nose, and several ribs, kicked him in the face, and on the head with their heavy boots, and fractured his skull. Mr. Flint, who was not a strike breaker, but a peaceable hard-working citizen, was conveyed to Provident Hospital, and no arrests were made by the Police.
The majority of the policemen in what is called the "Black District," for some cause or other, think they have no higher mission to perform than to arrest all colored men with fire-arms and to permit white men to go heavily armed, so that they can beat up and shoot the colored people down like Jack Rabbits, and if this state of affairs continues to exist there will be serious trouble between the two races, and much blood-shed before the teamsters' strike ends.
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