Sworn to before me this 30th day of August, 1900.
FRANK MOSS, Notary Public, N. Y. County.
----
Statement of Paul Leitenberger and Alfred E. Borman (white), of 105
East 22nd Street:
On August 15th we were on 28th Street, and were going home, walking up
7th Avenue, and at 29th Street a crowd was coming down about ten P.
M. We followed the crowd up 35th Street, and it went into the Dorê
(a dive), and yelled, "Give us a coon and we'll lynch him!" They then
went to Corbett's on Broadway. He has a colored man working for him.
Then the police came with their clubs and dispersed the crowd, which
went up Broadway. A cable car was coming downtown, and some one cried,
"There's a nigger; lynch him!" and several white men jumped on the car.
A colored man was standing in the car, and with a cane or umbrella
warded off the blows. The car went on with him; the gripman would not
stop it, though they called on him to stop. Some of the men were thrown
off of the car and nearly run over. There was a Negro on the second
car behind that, and the crowd pulled him off, and the man escaped by
running into the Marlborough Hotel, where he was sheltered. There were
no policemen present at these times, but some policemen appeared and
the mob moved up Broadway to about 41st Street, and tried to get into
the Vendome Hotel. Some got in, and one cried out, "Give us the coon!"
The police coming up, they moved on and went up as far as the Hotel
Cadillac at 43rd Street, and went in to get the colored hall man, and
an officer came up and clubbed right and left. Other officers came and
the crowd scattered. We waited a half hour, and the police kept the
people moving. We walked through 42nd Street to 8th Avenue, and saw
more of the rioters, and several policemen would not allow them to make
any disturbance, and the rioters spread, breaking up. The whole aim of
the rioters was to catch Negroes. We saw Devery the first night. We
didn't see him the second night. He was in command. We observed the
first night that the police generally made no effort to disperse the
crowds, but ran along with them. The only places where they attacked
the crowds were at Corbett's and the Cadillac. The disturbing element
were young fellows, such as frequent "Hell's Kitchen." We talked with
a ringleader at the northeast corner of 28th Street and 8th Avenue,
a few nights after. He said he had been a leader in the riots and
would do it again--that the "niggers" must be treated the same as down
South. At the Cadillac there was an officer who did splendid work in
dispersing the crowd. For a while he was alone, and he clubbed the
crowd indiscriminately; in a little while two other officers came and
helped him, and those three men ejected the mob from the hotel, and
when they were in the street other officers appeared and effectually
dispersed the crowd. This showed what could be done when they wanted
to. They protected the hotel in good shape, also Corbett's, when the
mob tried to get in.
PAUL LEITENBERGER.
ALFRED E. BORMAN.
Sworn to before me this 13th day of September, 1900.
FRANK MOSS, Notary Public, N. Y. County.
----
Statement of Frank H. Bertholf (white), 463 West 44th Street:
On the evening of August 16th, 1900, I saw several Negroes kicked and
cuffed unnecessarily. Not a white man was touched. All happened in five
or ten minutes. Not many Negroes appeared, but when one came in sight
he was pounced upon by the crowd, and the policemen made no effort to
take care of them, and when they got hold of them they treated them
roughly. I saw two Negroes struck by rioters while in the hands of
officers, and the officers made no effort to protect them. I saw an
officer aim a very vicious blow with his club at a colored man; it
seemed it would kill him, but the Negro dodged.