Page:The Negro a menace to American civilization.djvu/256

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232
THE NEGRO

antly, fell on them bodily and bruised and cut them until all fled in terror.

Just as the last of the white men were returning from the chase, four negroes, who knew nothing of the trouble, walked into Kanze’s saloon. The white men rushed at the negroes, beating them with fists and clubs, and when they saw the police coming bolted the doors. The police broke in the door and rescued the colored men. They kept the white men off until they escorted the negroes out of sight.

Captain Byrne, of the Morrisania station, sent out a squad of men to capture the man who stabbed Fin— nessy and prevent any harm coming to him. Finnessy was taken from the sidewalk, where he lay bleeding during the rioting, and taken to the Lebanon Hospital. He was at once placed on the operating table, but his chances were regarded as slim.

Charles Jackson, alleged slayer of Charles Roxbury, the tea-taster, is supposed to have belonged to the same crowd of negroes which assailed Finnessy.

Note 5. Page 139.

All sorts of Opinions, and all sorts of actions have been taken in the matter of lynching, and I feel that the value of the present volume will be greatly en- hanced by recording a few of the most important ones in this APPENDIX. Some of them will illustrate what Thomas has to say in his work, “ The American Negro.”

The following is a cut—and-dried opinion by a mem- ber of the Supreme Court of the United States. Any ordinarily educated young man of twenty—five might have written it out. and expressed such an opinion, quite as well. Lynching will go on in spite of such high legal hum—drum. I clip this from the New York Daily Trib- une of Monday, August 17, 1903, p. 7. It runs thus : —