Daily News, Tuesday, August 21, 1900
ALARMING RIOT AT BLACKPOOL.
A CROWD ATTACKED BY SHOW NEGROES.
A correspondent writes: A serious fight between negroes and
white men took place late on Sunday night at Blackpool. Inside the grounds of
Raikes Hall where the "Savage South Africa " Show from Earl's Court is located, and
the disturbance was a free fight between blacks employed at the show and white
men.
In Church-street a powerful young Mashona got into a quarrel
with a white man respecting a woman. The inevitable crowd gathered, and some of the
black man's fellow-countryman endeavoured to take him away, but without
success.
On a policeman pushing him, the black leapt into the, air
shouting, "Now I will got my own back," and, flourishing a stout stick, he ran amok
the whole length of Church-street, and several persons were dealt violent
blows.
The crowd followed, and in the large open space in front of the
show entrance they found themselves faced by about a dozen infuriated black men,
armed with heavy sticks.
 With one wild rush,
accompanied by terrifying yells, the blacks scattered the crowd in all
directions. A number of white men stood their ground, and opposed the blacks
with sticks. In the course of the melee about a dozen white men received
severe injuries to the, head, some bled from ugly cuts, some were knocked
unconscious, and one lad was thrown into an epileptic fit.
After a time the blacks were dragged into the grounds of Raikes
Hall, and the gates were slammed to. For some time, however, they swarmed up
against the bars of the gate, yelling at and threatening the crowd.
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