Colored Men Defend Their Homes Their Women and Their Lives Against Savage Mob -- 07-January-1923

Perth Amboy Evening News, 12-January-1923

100 years ago today, 07-January-1923, is regarded as the final day of the Rosewood Race Massacre in Florida. At least eight people were killed, 6 African-Americans and two whites, but the actual number killed was most likely between 27 and 250, mostly African-Americans. The Richmond Planet was an African-American owned newspaper. The article is from 13-January-1923.

Richmond Planet, 10-January-1923

22 KILLED AND WOUNDED IN BIG FLORIDA RACE
WAR AS COLORED MEN DEFEND THEIR HOMES
THEIR WOMEN AND LIVES AGAINST SAVAGE MOB

Armed Warfare as Whites
Attack Community Following
Escape of a Suspect.

DYING, BUT FIGHTING
Numerous Instances of Heroism.

ROSEWOOD, FLORIDA, Jan. 8. -- Reports from authentic sources say that, when the whites began to assault and kill colored women indiscriminately, several colored men barricaded themselves in a house and fought off the mob of white hoodlums and while the whites were waiting for re-enforcements these men, some ex-soldiers, charged for the protection of nearby woods. Most of the colored casualties were sustained by "non-combatant" women who were chased and beaten wherever found. The whites sustained the greatest number of casualties.

Rosewood., Fla., Jan. 6. -- James Currier, colored, shot and killed this morning, was the seventh victim of a race riot which began here on Thursday night. Carrier was shot to death while standing on the graves at Sumner of the four other colored people who fell in the fighting that followed an attempt by a crowd of white men to enter a colored home in search of Jesse Hunter, escaped convict wanted for alleged implication in an attack on a white girl at Sumner.

According to information received by officials, Carrier was seized by several white men this morning and accused of having been in the house from which colored persons fired on the approaching white men, killing two of their number. When he is said to have refused to reveal the names of those who did the shooting, the white men, officers were informed led him to the colored graveyard and made him stand on the newly dug graves of his brother and mother, also victims of the fighting, while they riddled his body with shots.

Meanwhile Hunter, search for whom has resulted in the seven deaths, is still at large. Officers stated tonight that the situation in the entire vicinity was quiet and they anticipated no further trouble.

Carrier had returned to Rosewood this morning and appealed to W. H. Pillsbury. Superintendent of the Sumner Cypress Company mill there, for protection. Pillsbury locked him in a house in the colored quarter. Later, however, when a new clash became imminent, he was turned over to twenty-five or thirty men.

Rosewood, Fla., Jan. 5. -- Armed posses numbering between 200 and 300, were searching tonight for Jesse Hunter, escaped colored convict, who in addition to an alleged attack on a white girl, has been the incidental cause of the killing of two white men and four colored people and the wounding of four other white men. The deaths and wounding resulted from a race riot fomented here last night by a search of the colored quarters for the wanted man.

Following the clash between the races the colored section was set on fire and nearly destroyed, six houses and a colored church being burned. All the people fled from Rosewood and are believed to be hiding in the woods for protection.

O. P. Wilkinson, a merchant of Sumner, and Henry Andrews, superintendent of the Sumner Lumber Company, at Otter Creek were killed when they advanced on a colored home last night to see Sylvester Carrier, colored who was believed to know the whereabouts of Hunter. Their companions then rained bullets on the house, the fire was returned. The number of persons in the house was estimated at twenty-five.

Before dawn the white men’s ammunition was exhausted and the people escaped before the supply could be replenished. A search of the house revealed that Sylvester Carrier and his mother Sarah Carrier had been shot to death. Letty Gordon, colored woman was shot to death as she was leaving her burning dwelling, it was reported This afternoon the body of Mingo Williams, colored was found on a road about twenty miles from Rosewood. He had been shot through the jaw.

The white men wounded were: Cecil Studstill of Sumner, Bryan Kirkland of Sumner, Mannie Hudson of Sumner and Henry Odon of Otter Creek. Several colored persons are believed to bear wounds inflicted in the fight.

The community had been aroused since an attack on a young white woman at Sumner on Monday. Hunter, who escaped from a road gang in Levy County, was accused in connection with the crime which was said to have resulted in Carrier saying his act was an example of what the colored people could do without interference.

The white men went to Carrier's home last night to see if Hunter was there and to warn Carrier against further talk of that kind. Hunter was serving a prison term, for carrying concealed weapons.

It was believed he was in the house at the time of the clash.