-■=■ i The monitor
A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS, Editor
$2.00 a Year 5c a Copy \ OMAHA, NEBRASKA, THURSDAY, JUKE it, 1ML Vo1 VI- >»• :»4'’ Whole So. SI*
THE i “RACE WAR” IN TULSA AND WHAT CAUSED IT
TRIFLINh 'NCIDENT
INCITES \1 CARNAGE
Colored Youth Accidently Step> on White Girl’s Foot in Ele
vator. Precipitating a Race War in Which Several Are
Killed, Hundreds Wounded, Square Mile of City is Reduced to
Ashes and 8,000 Rendered Homeless. Threats of Lynching
lad Starts Trouble.
RACE MEN DETERMINE TO PREVENT LYNCHING
White Mob Numbering 150 Surround Jail Threatening to Lynch
Richard Rowland: Colored Men Arm and Are Led by Returned
Overseas Soldier, Determine to Protect Him. Crowds Clash.
Charged Whites Fired First. Segregated Business and Resi
dence District Set on Fire.
(Special to The Monitor by Fred C.
William-, Staff Correspondent.)
Tul.-a Okla, June 9.—It was a trif
ling incident that caused the terrible
outbreak in this city last week. The
toll in known deaths is reported at
40. I say this advisedly, for there
Is always means of suppressing farts
when certain people in authority do
not want them known. The known
wounded run way up into the hun
dreds, It is conservatively placed at
600, but this in my judgment is below
the actual figures. Property losses
are placed at about $2,000,000. It is
absolutely impossible to conceive of
the horrors of the scene or of the hell
that broke loose here, but the horror j
and terror was not all on one side;
Negroes were not the cowed, terror-!
stricken, broken-spirited crowd that!
press dispatches would have the pub
lic believe. Odds were against them, j
it is true, but determination to protect
I themselves was not wanting. The j
losses of our people are heavy and'
destitution great. The unfortunate |
feature to my mind is the bitterness’
of spirit engendered and the waning
faith in the minds of our people in the |
disposition of the white people to deal
justly with our group. This to my r
mind is ominously tragic for both ra-j
cial groups.
The incident which was apaiently
the inciting cause was only the super
ficial one. There had been preparation j
for this outbreak It had long been
foie . rn and long planned, just as the
riots in East St. I.ouis, Washington
and Omaha were skillfully planned, j
The causes leading up to this tragic |
affair, for which the alleged “assault
by a Negro upon a white orphan girl”
furnished the excuse were deeper than
appear on the surface.
Here are my conclusions covering
the cause- that in all probability led
to the final outbreak which has proved i
i so disastrous. First, It was a well de
fined plan that has been mapped out
by the leading political and civic or
ganizations of Tulsa for the purpose
of getting po I -ion of the territory
which had been organized by Negroes
and known as “Little Africa." anil
according to the policy of Tulsa was
pointed out us a succesfullv segre
gated district where the Negro was
ever under the eyes of the city fathers
and could lie easily controlled or sub
dued as the occasion might demand.
And true to custom of (he South, this
section was divided from the white
sections by the ever present railroad
tracks and then skirted, as the rail
road facilities increased, by other
road As Tulsa grew in wealth, busi
ness and industry, so did the Negro
population grow' In numbers and
spread over ami beyond the new and
last railroad tracks. The Negroes
grew in wealth, developed big and
well-paying businesses; also fine and
well appointed, as well as richly fur
nished homes.
As the city's busine-s and industries
grew, so did the business of the rail
roads, and Tulsa became a big dis
tributing point, demanding increased
warehouse and wholesale housing fa
cilitie-; and the real estate board of
tbe Cham iter of Commerce, which had
charge of the planning of the city,
realized that the area now set aside
and known as "Little Africa” was thy
one spot, anti only practical location
for this new wholesale district. They
had sounded the Negrops about sell
ing their holdings and found them un
willing, posititvely refusing to con
sider the plan. So they bided their
time, and having decided, by hook or
erook, to bring about a change of
thought among the Negroes, they
made a complete plan (which their
action- on Wednesday morning
proved) and waited for the psycholog
ical moment to put it into operation,
which came on Tuesday night, May 31.
A young Colored boy entered an ele
vator operated by a white girl, upon
whose foot he treail accidently and
awkwardly stumbled against her. The
girl remonstrated loudly and angrily,
which exclamations attracted the at
tention of a loafer, said to he a Greek,
loitering in the lobby, who rushed to
the elevator threatening the now
thoroughly frightened Colored boy,
who dodged and ran away. The facts
are gathered by a curb reporter on an
afternoon sheet known as The Trib
une, who plays it up in the most in
flammatory manner, which has an in
stant efeet upon the large “rough
neck” population of Tulsa, composed
of the workers of the oil fields who
bear a reputation as men of the rough
and ready type even in peaceful times
—something on the order of the min
ers of the old western gold fields.
Dick Rowland, the Colored boy, was
arrested and placed in prison by a
Colored officer, Henry Pack. The
streets were by this time packed with
the loafers, hoodlums, the rough men
from the oil fields and crow'ds of curi
ous on-lookers, for the word had gone
arund that there would lie a lynching.
Sheriff .McCullough, who has always
Seen friendly to the Negroes ami
seemingly fair, prepared to meet the
ituation by appointing twenty Col
ored men as deputies in addition to
| the two he already possessed. As the
i mob fury increased after each exhor
1 tation to disperse by the sheriff,
mayor, and prominent citizens, both
Colored ami white, the Negro quarter
having received its warnings of the
happenings around the jail, decided to
strengthen thp position of the sheriff
by offering further assistance, which
he refused, declaring that the eleva
tors had been drawn to the top floor
where the jail was situated and the [
stairs heavily charged with electric-'
ity and that he and his deputies [
would die In defense of their prisoner. |
Hut some of the Colored citizens re
membered Omaha ami decided (o take
up a position near the Jail house iii;
the event that the mob attacked, j
There were wo automobile loads.
They were soon sighted by the mob|
(told they were on forbidden ground,
they were in the white man’s terri
tory to the south of the well defined
[dead line, Ihe Frisco tracks, and on
investigation, finding these men arm
ed they became incensed and rushed
tlie ears. There was a sound of firing
ami afer the first discharge it was
discovered that several white men
were down and two of the Negroes
dead. Then came the retreat of the
I Negroes hack to the segregated dis
trict where they were met by others
and the battle was on. This was
10:45 I*. M. Tuesday night. The
[crowd immediately broke Into all
[hardware nd gun stores, as well as
the armory, arming themselves with
every conceivable weapon. There was
firing between small groups all dur
ing the night. While the preparations
for tlie carrying out of that long- de
layed well defined plan to gain the
territory now possesed by the Negroes
to teaeli the now impudent Negro a
tasting lesson by destroying his spirit
of independence through the de
struction of his property, his business,
and even ills life; and this was the
I way it waB done:
First a cordon of armed men in
automobiles was drawn around tlie
northern and eastern sections of
“Little Africa", then all of ttie avail
able airplanes, to the number of
eight, were called into service. They
did Hcout duty. Then men, perstun
ubly members of the American
Legion and local militia, armed with
bayonets and rifles, accompanied by
a large body of special policemen,
I advanced from the south and west,
demanding the surrender at each
home of the inmates, taking the men
prisoners or shooting them down if
showing the least resistance or hesi
tation, and allowing the women to
escape to the south, taking the men
Monitor Starts Relief Fund for Tulsa Riot Victims
MONITOR RELIEF FUND FOR TULSA RIOT VICTIMS
That The Monitor’s action in starting a relief fund for the vic
tims of the Tulsa riot is approved has been shown by verbal and
telephone messages from several persons with the assurance that
they would contribute to the fund. The contributions up to the
present however have been slow. The first to be received was
$1.00 from Mrs. Alonzo Jackson. The Waiters of the Blackstone
Hotel have sent in $12.50. This makes the total amount in hand
$23.50. We hope to have this substantially increased by our next
issue. Don’t delay. Send in something, however small. We want
the children to send in their pennies too. Due acknowledgement
will be made and exact accounting for the Fund. Let everybody
help.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS.
The Monitor Publishing Company. $10.00
Mrs. Alonzo Jackson. 100
Waiters, Blackstone Hotel 12.50
Total . $23.50
westward under guard to quickly
provided stockades. This vanguard,
following these tactics with the air
planes hovering above, soon reached
Greenwood avenue, the heart of the
Negro business section. A mob which
had followed in their wake had loot
ed and set fire to the homes which
they had forced the Negroes to va
cate.
Now the airplanes got in their
deadly work and a machine gun
which had come down Archer Avp
nue sent a shower of deadly missies
through the buildings on both sides
of Greenwood. The airplanes dropp
ed inflammable bombs upon the roofs
of the buildings setting the buildings
on fire, forcing the inmates into the
streets where those who were not
killed were captured or forced to
surrender.
At 11:30 the destruction of the
district was complete and 3000 homes
two blocks of fine and prosperous
business representing a loss of $2
000,000, (5,000 men, women and child
ren were prisoners, and the well loid
plans for putting the fear of white
men into the heart of the Negro had
been carried out. Immediately the
Brigadier General of the State Na
tional Guard appeared upon the
scene and with only 100 men had
completely subjcted the crowd to
military Uicipline, martial law
was invoked, and the now gleeful
mob went hack joyfully across the
Frisco tracks leaving a desolate and
ruined district that was once pros
perous homes of the Negroes, each
one of the mob carrying home with
him some loot from tbs terror strick
en district.
EYES OK |{ YCE ON NATIONAL
REIM BLICA N COMMITTEE
Washington, D. C., June !).—The
I National Republican Committee is in
-ession here and -ome of the members
among them R. Beecher Howell of Ne
braska, are in favor of reducing the
number of delegates from the South
ern states to the national republican
convention. This means unconditional
surrender to the Lily Whites, Prom
inent leaders here are making it plain
to the committee that elimination of
the Southern Negro from tire repub
lican party will meet resentment in
the North and West. Mr. Howell has
received telegrams from prominent
Colored men of Nebraska making
their iwsition very plain and urging
him to vote against the proposition.
Important Notice
The lady who was hurt by an auto
mobile, April 11, on Sixteenth and
Howard streets would like to have
the lady who paid her gas bill call
her at Webster 1171.
TULSA’S PASTORS
DISCUSS OUTBREAK
Mob Violence Subject of Pulpit
Talks: Various Causes Ascribed to
It biting.
Tulsa, Okla., June 6.—The visit of
Dr. Dubois, editor of a Negro mag
azine, not many weeks ago had a
bearing on the race trouble bear last
week. Bishop E. D. Mouzon intimated
in a sermon yesterday. Practically all
!Tulsa ministers devoted at least a!
(part of their sermons to the race riot,
its causes and results
j “Negroes on the night^of the riot!
found their guns and amunition in
jibe office of the Star, Negro paper,” |
said the bishop. “I believe that Du
Ihois’ visit had much to to with this!
• fact. He is one of the mqst dangerous
I Negroes in the country, i
Pleads for Dirarmament,
‘ The mob and the mob spirit are
always wrong. It is ruinous to civil
ization. Agitators can accomplish
! nothing but harm. Tulsa has been j
(disgraced in the eyes of the world. |
Civilization broke down here. Every
one of us is partly responsible be
cause we took no more interest in J
'the government and law inforce-;
ment.”
Rev. Rolfe Pomeroy C "'m, of Trin
ity Episcopal church used the riot to
illustrate Itow possesion of arms
leads to warfare. He used the lllus
jtration to advocate disarmament for
the nation and world.
Hill Stop Bragging.
“The events of the jiast week will
stop Tulsa’s bragging and set her to
doing and thinking,” said the Rev C.
W. Kerr of the First Presbyterian. A|
prevailing spirit of lawlessness com
bined with bod Negroes started the!
trouble, lie opined.
Causes of the riot were variously
Cited as failure to enforce the law,
invasion of the business district, by
(Negroes, lack of Interest in city and
county government by decent citizen
jship and indiscriminate possession of
weapons by people.
IIA KIM Mi DIH’I.OKKN
TI 'I.S A It AI' K ItlOTS
Lincoln I'niversity, l’a., .lime (>.— |
In an address before 400 Negro stu-i
dents at Lincoln university today,
President Harding deplored the re-*
cent race riot at Tulsa, Okla., and all
similar outbreaks of race rioting.
‘‘God grant,’’ he said , in referring to
the riot, ’that we may never have an
other spectacle like it.”
The president was shown the gran
ite arch erected in memory of Negro
soldiers who died in the World War
and in his talk said the colored sol
diers earned this honor. The presi
dent. also spoke of the great benefits
of education in furthering the wel
fare of the Negroes, and contrasted
the fine scene presented at the uni
ven-ity with those enacted in race
distil rbances.
i
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*.
:• The Monitor reaches the Colored
:j people of Omaha and Nebraska and j;
:j has a wide circulation in every state ■:
:■ in the union. ■:
J |
;i It has taken Six Years to build up j;
j: this circulation and we are still grow- j
!j ing. j
5 £
:• Merchants who desire to reach the i:
ji best buyers in the community use j:
I The Monitor. :•
1. J
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PITIFUL TALES OF MISERY
ARE TOLD BY BLACKS
Onlj Handful of Salvage From Burned
REAL ESTATE MEN BEGIN TO
FIX LOSS.
Tulsa, June 3.—The plight of many
Negroes today still remained pitiful.
The Y. M. C. A. building where the
Red Cross has established its identi
fication bureau, was the scene of
mingled emotions as hope for lost
ones remained unfulfilled or disbanded
families were reunited.
While there remains no trace of race
hatred many Negroes still come to
the city hall with fear and trembling
for the little white badge inscribed
‘police protection,” which, once don
ned, immediately restores the Negro's
faith and subdues their fear.
Wept Injury a Secret.
Many pitiful tales of the misery and
suffering of the Negro refugees are
told. Some venture into the burned
dftsrict to come away with small ban
dana handkerchief bundles filled with
| their entire salvage from once excel
lent homes.
In a prominent hotel yesterday the
day porter along in the afternoon
being passed by the manager, sum
moned the courage to say “Boss I’se
: gettin’ kinda weak.” It was found he
I had been shot through the side at the
| small of the back and for 24 hours
| had feared to reveal his injury lest he
be taken for one of the rioters and
summarily executed.
Two committees from the real es
tate exchange today were busy in the
devasted district fixting the amounts
of losses. It was decided for the pres
ent that an imaginary fire line would!
be drawn about the burned district,
and that no flimsy structures would be
erected thereon.
Plan $500,000 Fund.
Intent on restoring the homes of Ne- j
groes the committee of seven has not [
yet definitely decided on just what
form that restoration shall take. Itj
has several proposals before It. ami it |
is known that while tlie segregation
plan here was regaivtihl as one of the;
most effective in the country, it is in-1
tended to build a Negro district which
will he regarded as peerless is to be j
in great part an atonement for the
harm done, as well as an example for
other cities.
The Real Estate Exchange has pro
posed that the burned districts rough
ly a mile square, be converted into an j
Industrial and wholesale district and a
new residence and business district for
Negroes be built adjacent to it, on
the north and east, and, at present
this plan is discussed chiefly by the
committee of seven.
The committee expects no difficulty
in obtaining the $500,000 it has decid
ed as the amount necessary to re
build homes which were owned by Ne
groes.
Taking Care of Negroes. (
Hundreds ol Negroes, wearing
badges inscribed “Police protection,” j
were on the streets and downtown
Tulsa took on a normal appearance.
Negroes were at work in hotels and
stores and other business places. Em
ployes fed them and provided shelter
last night in garages, shops and base
ments of residences.
More than 1,000 Negroes, those who
have not been released from guard,
slept last night at the fair grounds.
The Red Cross fully organized for
the emergency at a dozen churches.
An identification bureau operated by
the Red Cross was sifting the names
of the refugees and bringing families
hack together.
Contributions from a number of out
side cities were received today by the
Red Cross for relief work.
Tulsa, Okla, June 3.—Definite plans
for building homes for the thousands
f Negroes rendered destitute by the
burning of the Negro quarter here in
tlie race war of Tuesday night und
Wednesday were being worked out to
day by a civilian committee of relief.
Business men of the city were
pledged to erect as many houses as
needed in the shortest time possible
and only the details remained to l>e
worked out. One plan was to clear
away the debris from the section lev
elled by fire and erect permanent
dwellings costing from $500 to $1,000
each. Another scheme under consid
eration was to form -a corporation to
buy up land in the northern section of
the city and build a new Negro col
ony.—Muskogee Times-Democrat.
NOTICE
Adverse working conditions ac
counts for The Monitor being one day
late this week for the first time in
our history. We have hope to be out
on time next week.
DIOCESE OF GEORGIA
AGAINST LYNCHING
Bishop Reese of Georgia In His Convention Address Vigorously
Condemns Mob Violence And Opposes The Ku Klux Klan As
An Unlawful and Dangerous Organization. Declares Decent
People Are Horrified at Unspeakable Crime Against Colored
People in the South.
CONVENTION ENDORSES PRELATES POSITION
Unanimously Passes Resolution Approving Bishop Reese’s State
ment And Recommending That The Specific Portion of His
Address Dealing With Law Enforcement And Suppression of
Mob Violence Be Read In Every Episcopal Church in the
Diocese.
Savannah, Ga., June 9.—The Epis
copal Church in the Diocese of Geor
gia took unusual action in its recent
annual convention held in this city
when not only the Rt. Rev. Frederick
F. Reese, D. D., counted one of the
most conservative of southern bishop
devoted a large portion of his address
and charge to the convention in dras
tic denunciation of the lawlessness and
crime of this great state against Ne
groes, but the convention also heart
ily endorsed the prelate's position and
by resolution ordered that the address
should be read by every clergyman of
the Episcopal church in Georgia to
his congregation. The Bishop spoke1
strongly against the Ku Klux lvlan.
maintaining that there is no ustitica
tion for the existence of such an or
ganization at this time and that it is
an unwarranted and dangerous folly
which wdll be used for unlawful and
dangerous purposes.
Speaking on the question of law and
order and against mob violence, Bish-1
op Reese said in part:
“I am concerned more about thej
danger and injury done by mob and
other forms of violence. These work j
grave injustice frequently to innocent!
people and always do grave injury to
the dignity and security of our state, j
I speak of this more immediately in!
connection with such acts against our'
Colored people. All decent people are
horrified at the charges of unspeak
able crime against some of these peo-;
pie wTiich are now the subject of le
gal investigation. As a Southerner
and a white man I know the diffi
culties of our situation and the irri
tations that the situation is calculated
to excite in us. But no irritations or
criminal outrages can justify mob vio
lence or other similar injustices. Many
of these people are industrious, re
spectable and law-abiding. They are
entitled to justice. All of them are
our brethren in Christ. They are en
titled to every opportunity possible to
live in peace and security and to work
out without unnecessary restriction
their individual and racial destiny as
Ihey are capable of doing so.
“The race question is too compli
cated and too serious to be disposed
of by any offhand judgment of ig
norance and prejudice. It is not only
the future of the Negro which is at
stake, but the future of our own peace
and security. For the violence and
the domination of force of one race
over another cannot produce anything
but loss and disaster to both races.
It is a question of how we shall main
Of the loss of that I have no fears.
Itt is a question of how we shall main
tain it—whether we do so by force or
by just administration of law and by
the inevitable working out of natural
law-. Every exhibition of threat breeds
violence after its kind and the end is
destruction and a scarcely concealed
anarchy.
“I hereby protest most solemnly and
earnestly against such methods. I
protest against the misguided, if not
criminal folly, of those who have dis
turbed the situation and created dis
trust and apprehension among the bet
ter Negroes by organizing a secret so
ciety under a name which can only
recall the lawless violence of those
who perverted the purpose of the
original society so named a generation
ago. No patriotic or sensible man
could for one moment consider it any
thing but folly to organize a Ku Klux
Klan at this day. The name condemns
it. It is not necessary. It can only
be at the least a serious error. It
cannot fail to be perverted, even if
in its origin, not unlawful, to unlaw
ful and dangerous purposes.
“I think Christian people and good
citizens should utter their minds and
express their convictions about mat
ters. It should condemn evil and evil
customs. It should stand for law and
order against secret or open violence.
It should take its stand to protect the
weak. And I believe that at this time
of serious issues it should proclaim
its moral judgment against wrong and
injustice. I therefore ask this con
vention to adopt and to publish its
condemnation of all mob violence, of
all acts of injustice against the Negro
and to declare its opinion that the or
ganization of this secret society is
more thin a mistake. It is an unwar
ranted and dangerous folly.’
SOME SELF-EXPLANA
TORY TELEGRAMS
Colored Americans Matching Intently
Movements at National Capital and
Demanding that Their Loyalty to
the Republican Party be not Requit
ed by Betrayal of Brethren in South
to the Lily Whites. Robert Church
Fearless Champion of His People,
and Other Leaders Right on the Job.
Vigilant watch is being kept at the
National capital concerning legisla
tion and proposals which affect our
particular group of Americans.
Strong, sane and fearless leaders are
there right on the job. The National
Republican Committee is meeting
there now. Forecasting their attitude
on certain vital questions telegraphic
information is given whenever con-:
certed action is imperative.
The following telegrams are self-ex
planatory :
Washington, D. C,, June 7, 1921.
Rev. John Albert Williams,
Editor Monitor. Omaha, Neb.
Have positive information that Mr.
Howell is making determined effort
to reduce delegated representation of
the Southern states in Republican Na
tional Convention and wants to turn
the organization of South Carolina
and other Southern states over to the
Lily Whites. Suggest that you
and other leaders there send him
strong telegrams urging that he op
pose the reduction. Address him care
Republican National Committee, Mun
sey Building. This is vitally import
ant so please act quick. Advise me
collect, Whltelaw Hotel.
R. R. CHURCH.
Tlie editor of The Monitor imme
diately communicated with several of
our active citizens here who tele
graphed their view's to R. Beecher
Howell, whose attitude on this ques
tion is wrong. Mr. Howell, who has
announced his candidacy for United
States senator from Nebraska, is go
mg at affairs decidedly in the wrong
way if he expects the support of the
Colored voters of Nebraska.
THIRTIETH AN NIPER.SARY
OE ACTIVE MINISTRY
Saturday June 11, St. Barnabas’
Day is the thirtieth anniversary or
dination of the Kev. John Albert Wil
liams to the ministry and Sunday of
his taking charge of the Church of
| St. Philip the Deacon. He was ordain
,ed deacon in St. Barnabas' Church,
lomaha, Thursday, June 11, 1891 by
the Kt. Kev. George Worthington,
D. D. Bishop of Nebraska The ordi
| nation sermon was preached by the
Kev. John Williams, then rector of
St. Barnabas Church and priest-in
charge of St. Philip's for several
years. The candidate was presented
for ordination by the Very Rev.
Charles H. Gardner, dean of Trinity
Cathedral, Omaha. He was im
mediately appoints! deacon-in-charge
of St. Philip’s, under Rev. John Wil
liams, until his advancement to the
priest hood which took place in St.
Matthias’ Church, Omaha four
months later, when he entered upon
tils full priestly duties. St. Barnabas’
Holy Comunion will be celebrated at
7 a. m., and Sunday services will be
. held at the usual hours
SLOGAN: “The Monitor In Every Home And I’ll Help Put It There”
