Sworn to before me this 4th day of September, 1900.
STEPHEN B. BRAGUE, Notary Public (125). N. Y. County.
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_City and County of New York, ss._:
Robert Myrick, being duly sworn, deposes and says that he resides at
414 West 39th Street, and is employed by Bernard Brennan, saloon keeper
at 49th Street and Broadway; that on Thursday evening, August 16th, at
about eight P. M., he left his work at the said saloon and
walked to 8th Avenue between 47th and 48th Streets; that he entered
a restaurant on that block, and after eating a meal he asked the
proprietor whether there was any trouble downtown to-night. He replied,
"No, it is kind of quiet to-night, but I guess you had better take a
car and ride down, it will be safer." He replied. "I guess that will be
the best way," and then walked out onto the avenue and boarded a car
bound downtown, and had gone as far as 42nd Street when a mob of about
one hundred boys, none of whom apparently were over nineteen years of
age, began to throw stones at the car and yell, "There's a nigger in
the car; let's kill him!" Some woman on the car said, "Come over here,
mister; don't stand there and get killed." I went along the footboard
from the rear of the car, where I had been, and got under the seat,
where the mob could not see me; but the mob continued following the
car and stoned it until I reached 39th Street, where I wanted to get
off, but was advised there by three men (who were the only passengers
that had remained on the car) not to get off. I continued on until
the car reached 38th Street, when the car stopped and the mob caught
up with it. I then got off the east side of the car, and ran over to
the southeast corner of 8th Avenue, to where I saw five men standing,
and going up to one I said, "Officer, will you please see me home?"
He said, "Where do you live?" I told him. He then said, "What are you
doing on the street at this time of night?" I answered, "Going home
from work." He then asked me where I worked. I told him. He then said.
"Have you got a gun or a razor?" I said "I have neither." He then
proceeded to search me, when I remembered having a razor in a case in
my outside coat pocket, and I told the officer and showed him where it
was. He then took the razor out of my pocket, and, striking me across
the back of the neck with his club, said, "You black son of a b----!"
and then struck me several times on the head. I said to him, "I come
over to you for protection, and this is what I get." He then said,
"Shut up!" I was then taken to the 37th Street station house, and while
there I was kicked by the officers in the section room, and by the
doorman, and when I protested I was told to shut up. I was locked in
cell No. 13, and in the morning I was brought to the 54th Street police
court, where the judge turned me loose. While in my cell I got into
conversation with a colored man who is a porter for the N. Y. C. & H.
R. R., and he said that he was dragged from a street car and clubbed by
police officers. Deponent further states that he had the aforementioned
razor in his pocket by reason of the fact that it needed repairing, and
he had taken it to a barber to see if he could fix it, and finding that
he could not fix it he was taking it to his home to lay it away in its
place. Deponent says further that the time of the clubbing was about
8:30 P. M.