6 (Jet 71
Guns in Wilmington, N.C.,
Barred in- Racial Unrest
NYTirns
OCT 6 1971
WILMINGTON, N. C., Oct. 5 to a black housing area where
(UPI) — Public possession of rocks were thrown at cars
firearms was barred today in passing through the area.
Three police officers rethis port city, which has been ceived , slight shotgun wounds
beset by sniper fire against early Sunday, and two others
the police in black neighbor- received slight wounds early
hoods and rallies by armed yesterday in a battle with
whites.
snipers in a black neighborMayor B. D. Swartz and hood.
Meares Harris, chairman of the During the weekends, Ku
New Hanover County Commis- Klux Klan leaders offered aid
sioners, declared a state of to the police, and many of the
emergency in a proclamation whites driving around the city
read without comment to news- at night with guns said that
men.
they were members of the
The proclamation said that, group called Rights of White
beginning at 5 P.M. today and People, which was formed to
continuing through 5 P.M. next oppose busing of school chilSunday, all persons "shall re- dren for desegregation.
frain from transporting or posWhite Man Killed
sess off his own premises
any dangerous weapon or subA white man was shot to
stances in areas within the city death on the porch of his house
or county."
on the fringe of a black neighMayor Swartz and Mr. Harris borhood last night and a 30acted after the chief of police year-old black man, William T.
warned that efforts to maintain McGhee, was charged with murlaw and order in the city were der. Chief Williamson called the
being undermined by armed incident a "neighborhood shootwhites holding rallies and fol- ing," and said that the men
lowing• patrol cars.
had been arguing for a month.
They lived a block apart.
5 Officers Wounded
Mayor Swartz attributed the
Five law enforcement offi- problem to the busing of school
cers have been slightly wound- children, which he said had ined by shotgun fire from snipers creased racial tensions.
in black neighborhhods here.
Last January, black youths
since last Friday, and another began demonstrating here to
patrol car was fired at last back demands for a greater
night.
voice in student affairs at deAbout 250 armed whites segregated schools. Fire bombmilled around in a park for ings broke out, and two men
several hours early today, and —one black and the other
other whites have followed pa- white—were killed.
trol cars through the city on
The Rights of White People
night patrols.
group held a rally Sunday at
Fire bombs slightly damaged which a speaker said he was
a gasoline station and a power tired of whites being killed.
company warehouse last night
The police kept a close watch
or early today, and a school on the whites at the park last
bus was set afire, but Police night• and later stopped a car
Chief H. E. Williamson said in which several whites were
things appeared to be calming riding. The police confiscated
down.
two shotguns, a carbine and
Trouble erupted after a high several pistols. Joseph M. Rogschool football game Friday ers, 25, was arrested and
when whites and blacks began charged with discharging a
fighting, and the turmoil spread firearm in the city.