Five Dead in Charlotte Riot, Aug. 27, 1919

From the Hickory Daily Record, Aug. 27, 1919

Five Persons Are Dead Result Charlotte Riot. . . Cars Running on Limited Schedule Today Under Heavy Guard. . . City Officials Say Situation Is Well in Hand. . . A Machine Gun Is in Readiness

By the Associated Press

Charlotte, August 27—Reports to the city hall today indicate a quiet night. Six companies of militia and 200 armed citizens are patrolling all sections of the city as a result of the street car strike. The street car barns, which was the scene of a riot early Tuesday morning in which three persons were killed and 13 wounded, was under a heavy guard last night. A machine gun mounted is in readiness to repel any attacks upon the guards. The death list was increased to five today when J.D. Aldred and will Hammond, wounded, expired between midnight and dawn. One other man is in critical condition. The street cars were being run on limited schedule at (:30 this morning. The city officials assured the Southern Public Utilities Co. they had the situation well in hand, and were prepared to promptly handle any disturbance. The guards and police patrolled all the sections where the cars were being operated.

Revised Casualty List

The dead:

Claude H. Hinson, William C. Pope, Caldwell Houston and J.D. Aldred.

The wounded:

V.A. Kincaid, Will Hammond (expected to die), Tom Head of Huntersville (expected to die), A.T. Baker (considered serious), Clem Wilson (slight face wound), H.N. Freeman (condition very serious) Everett Raymond, George Smith, Lewis Wilson, D.M. Miller, Walter Handle, Robie Stuart. The wounded men are all at hospitals.

Events in the strike situation moved rapidly yesterday morning following the affair at the car barns. Mayor McNinch’s call for citizen volunteers received an earnest and quick support and by 6 o’clock yesterday there were over 150 men sworn in and more applying every minute.

Troops Arrive

By 8 o’clock the first troops, those from Lexington, arrived under command of Lieutenant W.R. Crawford. They were followed in rapid order by the Statesville troops under Captain D.M. Ausley; Lincolnton troops under Captain Hair Page, and Winston-Salem troops under Captain J.A. Smith. Late last night the Hickory troops commanded by Captain L.F. Abernethy reached Charlotte and the Durham troops were expected about 1 o’clock or a little later.

County troops, citizens and policemen, the city officials found themselves with a force of about 500 men to preserve law and order. A cabinet, consisting of the mayor and commissioners, captains of all the reserve infantry forces and Captain W.M. Wilson, head of the citizen guards, was formed, and every move was planned in advance, being ordered by a written message. Part of the men were placed on post, part held in reserves, and a mobile flying reserve was formed, consisting of automobiles filled with soldiers and citizens, which ceaselessly circled the city. No attempt to operate street cars was made and the day passed off very quietly.

The only arrest made during the day was that of John Wilson, brother of Clem Wilson, the young man struck on the head on Monday night. Wilson was the man who was talking in an insulting manner to Chief Orr at the time the shot that started the fusillade was fired. The charge against him has not been determined.

Volunteers are coming to the city hall in great numbers and no serious difficulty in controlling the situation is anticipated when the street cars are started this morning.

….

Hysterical rumors to the effect that women and children had been shot, that practically all the wounded men in the hospitals had died; and others of like kept tension at a high pitch yesterday, but as fast as the rumors could be traced down, they were found to be inaccurate.

Squire J.W. Cobb was yesterday appointed coroner to take the place temporarily of Coroner Z.A. Hovis, who is confined to his home by illness. In his capacity of coroner, Square Cobb held a postmortem yesterday over the bodies of three men killed Tuesday morning and announced than an inquest woiuld be held Thursday afternoon.

Announcement was made yesterday that T.R. Drumm was the man set upon by the mob early Monday morning at Independence Square. Mr. Drumm was not seriously injured.