.Queens College Phoenix, February 27th, 1962
Ridgely (Pop. 834) Receives Some Surprise Yankee Guests by Peter Wolff
Denton MD, Feb 24th - the nearby town of Ridgely got its first, unexpected Taste of non-violence Civil Rights Movement when a band of approximately 20 Freedom Riders descended upon it earlier today.
The tiny town, (pop. 834) situated in southeast section of Maryland, was obviously surprised by the demonstrations and retaliated with a series of stonings and muggings here in Denton.
Nine of the Ridgley roders were from Queens College.
And angry name-calling game of use and younger men gathered spontaneously to meet the Riders and Ridgely, finally forcing A hurried exit by the integrated group of demonstrators.
Ridgley is a quiet, minute community, whose main shopping center is concentrated on two blocks along the town's Main Street. Although the white gang that harassed of riders use racial slurs, it's activities were seen as primarily acts of hoodlumism.
The freedom ride and contingent organized by Baltimore's civic interest group [CIG] -included a carload of students from Wellesley, and three Negroes.
Gangs of local toughs began to collect spontaneously as the riders alighted from their cars and cross the Main Street.
There have been no previous attempts at desegregation at Ridgely, but the town is small and word spreads fast. Groups of angry racists began to collect in front of the three main segregated restaurants as the demonstrators approached.
A town Policeman was spotted at the demonstrations on set but was not seen again. Two state troopers watched the proceedings from a parked car.
Most of the shop owners lock their doors as soon as the integrated group appeared.
The tension reached a peak at a small luncheonette just off the main street. Here the two groups met head-on, almost fifty young local whites threatening to explode into violence at the slightest challenge.
A negro group leader Frank McDougall, was violently jostled as he asked to be served at the door of the Luncheonette.
Only the presence of the Maryland police prevented an out-and-out clash from developing.
In this instance, no legality was used to prevent the entrance of the demonstrators - the only barrier was the blockade created by Hefty local youths.
In most cases, sit-in demonstrations are "read out. " Under this procedure, the proprietary must read aloud the state's public accommodations act in the presence of a law enforcement officer.
The crowd continue to increase, however, and tempers were reaching a breaking point. Group leaders felt that any further tests of facilities would precipitate an eruption of open War. State policeman claimed that they could not remove the use, who showered the integrated group, well dressed and orderly by contrast, with shouts of "white trash", "white Tramps", and "n****** go home."
The showdown between the two groups occurred several minutes later after approximately seven local cars trailed the three carloads of Freedom Riders out of town.
The car driven by Queens College is John McAward ran out of gas and was forced to stop at a service station in an isolated Farm area several miles out of Ridgely.
The three integrationist cars stopped at the station, but the State police car continued on to Denton.
Noticing that the police protection had disappeared, the Ridgely whites begin to hurl stones at the immobile cars. The owner of the service station refused to pull out the pump, created an immobile Target out of McAwards car.
As the youths departed from their autos and prepared to circle the park riders, the state police car returned, apparently recognizing The disappearance of its charges
The Freedom cars returnee to Denton without incident. They were, however Trail into Denton by one ridgley vehicle.
In the evening , a gang of ridgely youths invaded Denton and stoned and beat Mcdougall , one of the Negroes in charge of the Ridgley ride, as he picketed a movie theater. He was reportedly shaken but in good condition and not hospitalized.
Denton, the county seat of Caroline County, CIG's primary target today, is one of the larger towns on the Eastern seaboard.
When the Queens College cars arrive here this afternoon, a large and hot-tempered group of about 300 white adults created a to block receiving line directly across the street from the town's largest restaurant.
Today is the first day of demonstrations in Denton. The lengthy queue of localities has created a national Gauntlet of verbal abuse and insulting assaults for the integrationists marching and picketing the major thoroughfare.
Until this evening, when McDougall and the movie-picketers were slugged, there had been a large amount of police protection here in anticipation of an outbreak of violence from the expanding mob.
Queens college students were "read out" of three restaurants in town, as picketing continued throughout today. Civic interest group organizers were stationed here at Bethel Church, in the town's negro sector. Other CiG groups went to the towns of Easton, Federalsburg, and Chestertown. The college group rested for a short time in Houston long enough for them to learn that one picket line of local Negroes had been jailed
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