Robert Charles

Robert Charles (1865–1900) was an African-American activist living in New Orleans who took part in a gunfight between July 24 and 27, 1900, after being assaulted by a police officer, leading to the death of five policemen and two civilians, and the wounding of 19 others. The event sparked a major race riot, known as the Robert Charles riots.

Background Robert Charles was born in late 1865 or early 1866 in Copiah County, Mississippi, the fourth of ten children. He was a freedman since birth, though his parents were still enslaved when he was born. Charles' parents were sharecroppers, with his father being a registered voter in Mississippi. He grew up in a large family and learned to read.

Charles moved to New Orleans in either 1894 or 1896, either due to the economic aftermath of the Panic of 1893 or legal issues with Copiah County authorities for the unregulated sale of whiskey, using the alias Curtis Robertson.

Police took custody of Pierce, escorting him to the station while Aucoin kept his service pistol pointed at Pierce's head. Aucoin and a police captain, John T. Day, interrogated Pierce for his address, which he divulged in the early hours of July 24, at 2:40 a.m.

Manhunt and riots On July 24, following the initiation of a manhunt, several New Orleans newspapers, especially the Times-Democrat, blamed the black community for Charles' crimes. Outraged white residents gathered in armed mobs and began roaming the streets, ostensibly searching for the fugitive Charles. In the following days, several race riots occurred as the armed white mobs confronted and attacked black residents. On the night of the July 25, white mobs killed three blacks and wounded six more so severely that they had to be hospitalized. Five whites were also hospitalized, and more than 50 people suffered lesser injuries.

Hiding, siege, and Charles' death Charles had taken refuge at 1208 Saratoga Street, where he remained safe from the police until Friday, July 27. Upon receiving a tip about the whereabouts of Charles from an informant, police searched the house. As the officers neared Charles' hiding place beneath the stairs, Charles opened fire, killing two of the officers [Sgt Gabe Porteus and Corporal John Lally]. Other officers, upon hearing the gunshots, quickly brought in reinforcements to both surround Charles and to protect the black residents from white mob violence. Historian William Ivy Hair described the scene:

Throughout the day, the police fired on the house, where Charles returned fire from the second-story windows. By 5pm, Charles had killed or fatally wounded five law officers, and wounded nineteen other persons. Yet more rioters continued to arrive. Under constant fire, and with no chance of entry without being shot, the rioters decided to light the house on fire to get him to leave his cover. While continuing to shoot, Charles attempted to flee the house, but on opening the door he was instantly shot by a special policeman and afterwards riddled with the bullets of the armed white mob. The mob then mutilated Charles' body.