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The Largest Circulated
Negro Journal in Okla-
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A Paper with a policy
and a purpose.
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FAITH
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We Stand
For the right of the voice
of men to be heard in
their own Government.
For Democracy that is
an actuality—not ritu-
alistic.
Police Drag Women Behind Motor Cycles
Barrett Says Tulsa Police Laid Down, Black Mother Gives Birth In Chaos
$2,500,000 Of Negro Property Is Destroyed
MarfvAAo A D.„ _J_ 1VT   n /^1    
Democrats May Form Coalition
With Southern Negroes |for
Political Expediency
Negroes Attempt to Protect Negro Boy Char-
ged With Crime. Whites try to Disarm Blacks
Riot Is Precipitated. Cowardly At-
tack Is Made With Torch Wednesday
/be first intimation of what was actually happening in Tulsa, came
Wednesday when Rev. R. A. Whittaker, pastor of the Mount Zion Baptist
Cnurcn, Tulsa, came into the Black Dispatch office and reported that his
daughter had just phoned him from the stricken city that bands of white
rien had burned their home and v/ere at his chureh then setting it on fire
hts church was worth $85,OQO. The Black Dispatch immediately got in touch
with the Governors office and reported the complete breaking down of law
and order A few moments later the Governor received a message from
Adjutant General Barrett, confirming the Black Dispatch report "You are
correct,' said the Governor's secretary in a latter conversation, "as usual the
authorities have failed to do their duty."
Tulsa, Okla., June 1, 1921 (Special)—Hundreds of black
men, women and children are scattered through the bottoms of
Verdi Gras River and the Arkansas, naked, barefooted, women
with children in their arms and giving birth to children, are scat-
tered everywhere as they hurry farther from their burning homes
and the nolocause of bullets of the white assassins who rushed
upon their defenseless homes in the wee hours of this morning
spreading fire and bullets everywhere.
Back in the charred, smoking ruins of what was once the
finest business district that progressive Negroes had in the Uni-
ted States, two and one-half million dollars worth of homes and
property, arson reigns supreme, punctured here and there by the
still smoking carcasses of men, women and children.
Nothing remains. The Stratford Hotel, Red iWng Hotel,
Dreamland Theatre, Dixie Theatre, Cdrley's Hotel, Tulsa Star,
Oklahoma Sun, A. M. E. Church, the new $485,000 Second Bap-
tist Church, Welcome Grocery Store, Elliott and Hookers Cloth-
ing, everything on North Greenwood, together with the whole
residental section, a mile square, all lie in ruins.
Fires were started simultaneously in at least 50 places this
morning, beginning at Boston and Archer. The whole of the
Negro district, including Boston, Eaxeter, Easton, Greenwood
and Hartford and the North Addition, was laid waste.
"The second version of the start of
the firing was -to the effect that a
number of unarmed white men, see-
ing that the officials were not willing
to disarm the blacks, took that task
to themselves. One man is reported
to have dashed into the ranks of
blacks and seized one of the guns.
Spectators who relate this as the true
story of the inception of the shooting
declare that the blacks immediately
opened fire when they were threaten-
ed with disarmament.
"Shortly after the Negroes fled
from the courthouse battlefield an
automobile load of white youths sped
past and fired into the jail windows
on the fourth floor, spectators de-
clared.
"John McQueen, a former county
officer and one of the men who at-
tempted to disperse the crowd at the „
courthouse, declared today that John- ,
ny Cody was the Negro whose shot
started the general firing here.
'"While I was on the steps Cody
and a band of Negroes stated up,"
McQueen said. '"I went to meet them
and a stranger backed me up. Cody
pushed a gun against him and fired
just as 1 pushed the gun away. The
stranger went down. Several bullets
went through my coat.'
"Immediately after this report came
to the crowd that the blacks were
mobilized for systematic assault on
the whites. The majority of the white
men were still unarmed. It became
apparent however, that the police and
sherrif's force were making no at-
tempt to prevent the return of the
blacks so the white men themselves
took charge of the situation. Small
groups systematically entered all
downtown hardware stores and pawn-
shops and took up all the arms and
ammunition that could be found. No
Nothing in the awful flight of the
Moors when they fled from Granada
or the story of St, Bartholemews
Night, No, not even the shame of Ger-
many's invasion of Belguim can equal
the cowardly and dastardly hell that
was started Wednesday morning In
this city. Women as they fled from
their burning homes were shot down
in cold blood.
The trouble started Tuesday night
when a crowd of white youths and
men congregated about tne jail and
demanded the Sheriff to turn Jack
Rowland over to them, he having ear-
lier in 4he evening been accused of at-
tempting to assault a white girl in an
elevator. Colored citizens, reported
70 have been led by J. B. Stradford,
proprietor of the Stratford Hotel, went
to the jail and offered thei rservices
to the sheriff, in the protection of the
prisoner. Barney Cleaver, veteran
Negro eace officer and deputy sheriff,
met them and reassured them as to
the safety of the prisoner. The atti-
tude of the Negroes and the attitude
«f the whites is expressed in the fol-
lowing statement clipped from the
Wednesday morning issue of the Tul-
sa World. It follows:
"Negroes Submit
"Boys, you are not doing right,"
Cleaver said. "There isn't anybody
< oing to get that boy tonight. He is
perfectly safe here. You shouldn't
have done this thing for it only stirs
race trouble. Go on home and be-
nave yourselves.'"
"iWth that the Negroes passed thru
the crowd of whites and on down the
streets toward their own section.
"Sheriff Is Hooted
"At the same time. Sheriff William.
DitCuHough was delivering a similar
talg to the crowd of white men who
were demanding that the Negro boy
be turned over to them at the south
entrance of the courthouse. He was
continually jeered and hooted, but
he dared any man to make an attempt
to storm the jail.
"it was when the crowd had con-
tinually refused to disperse that the
A
most progressive citizens from twen-j
ty-three states. The membership of
the Order is now past 80.000. Its
Home Office is in Deven, and because
°f • itSw qllality of furnishings, and
strict business management, is a cred-
it to the Race of which we can feel
proud.
BARNEY CLEAVER
Veteran Negro Peace officer of Tul-
sa, Sheriff, who the Negroes of Tul-
sa were willing to listen to and re-
tired to their homes Tuesday night,
until the whites, who would not listen
to a like admonition from Sheriff Mc-
Collough, of Tulsa county, crowded
around the jail in such large numbers
which cause dthe blacks to feel that
Rowland would be cheated out of his
chance for a fair trial in the courts.
FINDS JAKE, JOE AND
JASON
As an evidence of the benefit
to be derived out of advertis-
ing in the Black Dispatch, we
want to mention the fact that
Mr. Robert Little, who has been
a resident of Spanish Hondu-
ras, S. A., and who has quite re-
cently returned to Okiahoma,
desired to locate his relatives.
An ad-in the Black Dispatch
produced a telephone call and
a letter for Mr. Little. Jake,
Joe and Jason Little, his broth-
ers, reside in Kingfisher, Ok-
lahoma, to which point the long
lost relative has gone. Some
time ago a man in Alabama ad-
vertised in the Black Dispatch
for his relatives. They were lo-
cated at Sand Springs, Okla.
If you want to find lost rela-
tives, or put your business be-
fore the public, an ad in the
Black Dispatch will turn the
trick. The papers sent to our
many agents, together with our
large subscription list, furnish-
es the best and easiest way to
Teach the people of the great
Southwest.
COAL CHUTE PRODUCES BURG-
LARS
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Chicago, 111., June 3.—Early last
Wednesday Patrolman Harry Deas
discovered Lee Hunt, 18, of 3206 S.
State street, standing behind an open
coal hole in the sidewalk of a store
at 3230 S. State street.
"Say, office," volunteered Lee, "my
dog fell down there and I can't get
'im out.''
Just then the head of William Cald-
well, 23, of 3220 S. State street, ap-
peared thru the hole. Deas helped
thing else in any'oTthe" sTores' were tou'„ '.'Sonleb°dy left that open
*—and I fell in,' he asserted. "Fell In
touched.'
After the first clash the Negroes
retreated to a point near the Frisco
tricks and Greenwood, where they
held the whites at bay throughout the
night. A detour, however, was made
by the whites coming in from tne
high hill on the North where the cow-
ardly attack was made with the torch
and the match. Airplanes with nitro-
all by myself, officer. You'd ought to
pinch these careless folks." The pa
trolman waited. In a minute out pop-
ped Oscar Johnson, 23, 69 E. 36th
- •nine® m on/ inrougnout tne street. He came out so rapidly he
A detour, however, was made didn t have any explanation. The
  trio—all Colored—were booked for
burglary.
- . -- -r — ~   "laicn. Mirpianes with n tro-
•4«cks reinforced in number made glycerine bombs are reported to have
their soiree on the business district.; been dropped down into the midst of
which precipated the race riots that the black district, which added to the
resulted in bloodshed and arson." confusion and distress. The military
4 Real trouble started when on the authorities seemed slow in their ef-
return to the courthouse the Negroes fort to establish order for the reason
were met by unauthorized whites who that all of the burning took place af-
Attempted to disarm them. Wednes- ter they were in Charge.
AMERICAN WOODMEN MEMBER-
SHIP NOW PAST 80,000
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Denver. Colo., June 3.—The Ameri-
Galley NINE
GET BUSY WITH The MAIL *
(By the Assoc'td Negro Press) *
In this hour of drastic politi- *
cal moves, every organization *
and every individual m the *
United States, Nortn, South, *
East and West, should get busy *
with the mail in letters of pro- *
test and action, without further *
notice. *
Write letters of protest a- *
gainst Lily White Action to: *
President Warren G. Harding *
White House; Chairman Will *
H. Hays, Republican National *
Committee, Munsey Building: *
Senator Medill McCormick, *
Chairman Senatorial Campaign *
Committee, United States Sen-
ate; Congressman Simeon D.
Foss, Chairman Congressional
Campaign Committee, Mouse of
Representatives.
For information and co-opera-
tion, write:
The Associated Negro Press,
Washington Bureau, Whitelaw
Hotel, 13th Sl T. Streets, N. W.;
The Committee on Legislative
Relief, 1216 Pennsylvania Ave-
nue; The National Negro Press
Association, 905 You Street, N.
W.; National Association for
Advancement of Colored Peo-
ple, 1816 Twelfth Street, N. W.
All the Above addresses are in
Washington, D. C.
CRISIS IN LILLYWHITISM
Negro Pres<? to have conferred, and it
well founded opinion, that the sub-
ject of Southern political conditions
Conference With
ATLANTA PASTOR STRIKES
BLOW AT PEONAGE
(By the Associated Negro Press)
..T^t'anta' ®a" '*une 3-—Preaching on
"Peonage Within the Law and Peon-
age Without the Law" Rev. J W
Ham, pastor of the Baptist Taber-
nacle, on last Sunday night took oc-
casion to discuss at some length the
situation brought about in Georgia by
the charges of peonage and the count-
er charges of sensationalism made in
defense.
"It will do us no good to say, 'It
isn't so,'" said Dr. Ham. "The fact
that 400 lynchings have occured with-
out punishment of the offenders, is
sufficient reason why the whole mat-
ter should be exposed and Brought to
the attention of thinking people. The
injection of racial prejudice into the
discussion will get us nowhere. It is
time for calm consideration and care-
ful weighing of the consequences that
are sure to follow unless conditions
are remedied."
Dr. Ham declared that peonage con-
ditions exist in convict camps thru-
out tGeorgia, that prisoners are flog-
ged and mistreated, that barbarious
practices prevail under the guise of
legal authorities. He asserted that
"peonage within the law" is more of-
fensive than "Peonage without the
law." "The moral issue cannot be
beclouded," said the minister.
MASS MEETING
factory to Church
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Washington, D. C., June 3.—"LILY
WHITE," the infamous, notorious, ne-
faripus, sacreligious, and heil-hearted
dame of southern debased ideas, is
on the ramaage again! If -"Lily" is
permitted to run loose, as now ap-
pears to be the Republican program,
so far as the South is concerned, may
Sod help America and the G O P'
President Warren G. Harding, than
whom, no finer exponent of human
justice, by word of mouth, ever oc-
cupied the Executive chair, is seem-
ingly being inveigled to acquiesce in
a program that has for its object the
elimination of Colored Americans
from absolute consideration in south-
ern politics.
This amazing condition of affairs
is thoroughly presented in a four-col-
umn, even tempered, farnk editorial
in the Atlanta Independent, issue of
May 21st. The editorial sets forth
the establishment of a "Committee of
One Hundred." which seeks to re-es-
tablish the Republican party among
whites in Georgia, and very obviously
has for its ultimate object, the elimi-
nation of Henry Lincoln Johnson, and
his following, both white and Color-
ed, in Georgia politics. President
Harding has, according to latest in-
formation, as published in the Inde-
pendent, recognized this committee,
and thru Chairman Will H Hayes, of
.the Republican National Committee
declares his decision in the premis-
es, is without appeal
Slemp and Hitchcock Confer
Congressman Bascon Slemp. of Vir-
ginia, and Frank H. Hitchcock, for-
mer Chairman of the Republican Na-
tional Committee, and former Post-
can Woodmen, our leading Race Era    uas oeen
ternal, is announcing its Fifth Quad- thing in recent years in the opinion
rennial Session, August 8-13 inclusive.
Dr. Whitby calls a mass meeting of
the National Association for the Ad-
vancement of Colored eople for Sun-
day, 3 p. m., Tabernacle Baptist
Church, to aid the Tulsa Negroes. Ev-
erybody come.
FEDERATION TO HAVE GREAT
JUNE PESTIVAL IN CHICAGO
(By the Associated Negro Press)
Chicago, June 3.—Chicago is to be
the center of great activity during the
week of June 5-11. Activities will be
centered in the Great June Festival,
staged at the Eighth Regiment Ar-
mory, by the City Federation of Col-
ored Clubs.
It may be doubtful what big things
can be done successfully in tne world
of business today, but the determina-
tion ot three thousand women to raise
$100,000 by this wonderful spectacle,
of organized, united ettort, proves
them undaunted. There has been ar-
ranged a program of representative
attractions. Chicago's most noted lit-
erary and musical talent will be pre-
sented and many novel attractions
will be offered. There has been no-
of Chicago women, to rival the magni
T .. .  wwuicu, iv iivcii me maeni-
In this city. This event will bring a tude and interest which they expect
thoroughly discussed.
Congressman Slemp rs chairman of
the sub-committee, of the Republican
National Committee, that has the mat-
ter of dealing with the delegates to
the National convention, under con-
sideration. Congressman Slemp is
known as a "Lily White" of the first
degree, according, to Colored leaders
of Virginia. Frank Hitchcock, for
years, has been known to be obsessed
with the idea of building up a Re-
publican party in the South, in which
Colored citizens would practically be
eliminated, except possibly that miser-
able tew 0f "Uncle Toms" who would
do the bidding of their masters.
The situation has reacned a crisis
Washington, and has superceded
all other considerations. The subject
of patronage has become nothing, as
compared with it. In fact, on the sub-
ject of patronage, Robert R. Church
or Tennessee, had an extended con-
ference with President Harding about
three weeks ago. The coherence was
one of confidential exchange of opin-
ions and policies. Mr. Church has not
appraised the Associated Negro Presi
of the details of the Conference, but
it has been learned from reliable
sources that President Harding was
painfully frank in letting it be known
that there are to be certain limita-
tions of the administration in ap-
pointing Colored men t oorfice. In
other words, the Harding administra-
tion, in seeking honestly ;o apply the
tonic of justice, will not go so far as
to appoint Colored people to positions
that will bring forth bitter comment
from white southerners.
So serious has become the political
status of the Race, in the Republican
party, that all reactionalism has
ceased, and ail well-known leaders
throughout iue country are presenting
      V  j pic3cuhug
master General under President Taft, a solid front to tne common enemy ot
have been known by the Associated the times. "Lily White."
DEAD!
Latest reports from Tulsa show that Ed Howard and Dr. A. C. Jackson are
among the dead. Dr. Jackson was shot and instantly killed as he leaped from
his home which was in flames.
Stop Spreading False Rumors
xzrr.
hi y that^as 3 ™K?OT bi& e™u*h to nip in the bud any attempt on
the part of cowardly vandals to distroy our homes and property. When vou
hear a rumor, call some Negro leader, who ought to know the facts before
mav hi fh°me ?Dif 6 The 8tate is a tinder box Just now and vour mouth
hi L h i . necessary to set evil influences i nmotion. Let vour activitv
nf whom , f immediate relief of our fellow black men and women, some
of whom are today naked, hungry and dying. On behalf of the Negroes of the
£ «• lhHnk l,he (?k!ahoma Ci'y Ti'ne* and other movemerns over Ihe
state, which have for thei purpose the relief of the suffering Negroes of Tulsa.
$650.00 Had Been Raised
Friday Noon, for the Tulsa Riot Victims, by
Oklahoma City Negroes. Kave you contribut-
ed? Your duty is plain. Ring Drs Young or Bet-
hel or The Black Dispatch for information.
WILL YOU HELP?
In a mass meeting held in the Aldridge Theatre, many Negroes oathered
7hIUr!nfy xhn°0n started a relief fund for the destitute Tulsa victims of
the riot. The meeting was held under the ausoices of the Colored Welfare
SrL°^^r hUn.dred d0llars was laid down and solicitors put out ow
the city. At this writing the fund has probably reached $500 Black Deon>
r'rvrrr* °ver *he state 8hou,d h°>< rS£ s
for the aid of their stricken brethren. All such funds can be sent to thl
tllns and^ChHff?e'. We.wHI Pub,i«h a ,ist of a" contributions of oraaniz^
C*y "« donors and ^