Earlier in the day newspapers reported four alleged assaults committed by black men on white women. By that evening the extra editions of the papers included lurid details and language designed to inflame an already volatile situation. Many people were enraged at this attack against white womanhood by the shiftless saloon goers.
By the afternoon a crowd estimated to be over two thousand had gathered downtown near present day Five Points. This crowd was made up of mostly working class white men and boys who were already fearful. City leaders tried to maintain calm among the crowd but ultimately failed to do this.
It Begins
By late afternoon the crowd turned into a violent mob that swept down Decatur Street and toward the heart of the business district. Streetcars, businesses, and the saloons were stormed by the angry vigilantes. Any person of color who crossed their path was subjected to violence and no place was safe.
The first recorded fatality was a butcher who was pulled from his own shop and killed in the middle of the street. A bootblack from Alonzo Herndon's barbershop was also chased down and murdered.
Alonzo Herndon
The mob also destroyed Herndon's barbershop. Herndon, who had seen the mob gathering earlier in the day, had already closed his business and retreated to the relative safety of his home. Many scholars believe that Herndon's business was attacked because he was both a successful businessman and because many whites patronized his establishment.
Militia
By nightfall the Georgia Militia had arrived in the city. They, and not the city police, were tasked with regaining control of the city and restoring peace. They were largely unsuccessful in gaining control or protecting African-American property and life.
The crowd dispersed by 2 am the crowd dispersed due to a heavy rainfal. This act of nature allowed the militia to finally gain control over the city.
