Mob Rule In New Orleans — Brutality in New Orleans
+BRUTALITY IN NEW ORLEANS+
Mob rule reigned supreme Wednesday, and the scenes that were enacted challenge belief.
How many colored men and women were abused and injured is not known, for those who escaped were glad to make a place of refuge and took no time to publish their troubles.
The mob made no attempt to find Charles; its only purpose was to pursue, beat and kill any colored man or woman who happened to come in sight.
Speaking editorially, the _Picayune_ of Thursday, the twenty-sixth of July, said: +ESCAPED WITH THEIR LIVES+
At the Charity Hospital Wednesday night more than a score of people were treated for wounds received at the hands of the mob.
Some were able to tell of their mistreatment, and their recitals are briefly given in the _Picayune_ as follows: Alex.
Ruffin, who is quite seriously injured, is a Pullman car porter, a native of Chicago.
He reached New Orleans at 9:20 o'clock last night, and after finishing his work, boarded a Henry Clay Avenue car to go to Delachaise Street, where he has a sick son.
"I hadn't ridden any way," said he, "when I saw a lot of white folks.
They were shouting to 'Get the Niggers.'
I didn't know they were after every colored man they saw, and sat still.
Two or three men jumped on the car and started at me.
One of them hit me over the head with a slungshot, and they started to shooting at me.
I jumped out of the car and ran, although I had done nothing.
They shot me in the arm and in the leg.
I would certainly have been killed had not some gentleman taken my part.
If I had known New Orleans was so excited I would never have left my car."
George Morris is the name of a Negro who was badly injured by a mob which went through the Poydras Market.
Morris is employed as watchman there.
He heard the noise of the passing crowd and looked out to see what the matter was.
As soon as the mob saw him its members started after him.
"One man hit me over the head with a club," said George, after his wounds had been dressed, "and somebody cut me in the back.
I didn't hardly think what was the matter at first, but when I saw they were after me I ran for my life.
I ran to the coffee stand, where I work, for protection, but they were right after me, and somebody shot me in the back.
At last the police got me away from the crowd.
Just before I was hit a friend of mine, who was in the crowd, said, 'You had better go home, Nigger; they're after your kind.'
I didn't know then what he meant.
I found out pretty quick."
Morris is at the hospital.
He is a perfect wreck, and while he will probably get well, he will have had a close call.
Esther Fields is a Negro washerwoman who lives at South Claiborne and Toledano Streets.
She was at home when she heard a big noise and went out to investigate.
She ran into the arms of the mob, and was beaten into insensibility in less time than it takes to tell it.
Esther is being treated at the charity hospital, and should be able to get about in a few days.
The majority of her bruises are about the head.
T.
P.
Sanders fell at the hands of the Jackson Avenue mob.
He lives at 1927 Jackson Avenue, and was sitting in front of his home when he saw the crowd marching out the street.
He stayed to see what the excitement was all about, and was shot in the knee and thorax and horribly beaten about the head before the mob came to the conclusion that he had been done for, and passed on.
The ambulance was called and he was picked up and carried to the charity hospital, where his wounds were dressed and pronounced serious.
Oswald McMahon is nothing more than a boy.
He was shot in the leg and afterward carried to the hospital.
His injuries are very slight.
Dan White is another charity hospital patient.
He is a Negro roustabout and was sitting in the bar room at Poydras and Franklin Streets when a mob passed along and espied him.
He was shot in the hand, and would have been roughly dealt with had some policeman not been luckily near and rescued him.
In addition to the Negroes who suffered from the violence of the mob there were several patients treated at the hospital during the night who had been with the rioters and had been struck by stray bullets or injured in scuffles.
None of this class were hurt to any extent.
They got their wounds dressed and went out again.
