Arrests Made in 1969 Race Riot

April 26, 2001 -- Two brothers who allegedly helped spark a race riot that resulted in the shooting death of a black woman more than 30 years ago in York, Pa., were arrested today.

Robert Messersmith, 52, and his brother, Arthur, 47, were charged with criminal homicide in the slaying of Lillie Belle Allen.

Allen was one of two people killed during the July 1969 race riots in York that left 60 people injured and led to more than 100 arrests. Henry Schaad, a white rookie police officer, was the other victim gunned down three days before Allen's death.

Until today, no one had been arrested in either slaying. (Schaad's death, police said, is still under investigation.) Police reopened the investigation in December 1999 after receiving new information from an audiotape left by a former gang member who had committed suicide. A grand jury convened last September to examine the case.

‘We Got One’

According to the criminal affidavit, both Messersmiths were part of a gang in York called the Newberry Street Boys.

Witnesses, the affidavit said, told investigators that people on Newberry Street frequently attacked non-white visitors to their neighborhood. On signal, rocks would be thrown at vehicles carrying non-white passengers. Vehicles with white passengers were given clearance.

On July 21, 1969, Allen and her family were driving on Newberry Street when they noticed the area was full of white males armed with guns. As they tried to drive out of the area, their car stalled and Allen, who was in a rear passenger seat, volunteered to take over driving.

As soon as Allen got out of the car, shots rang out. According to the affidavit, witnesses testified they heard shouts such as, "here come the n----rs," "it's the n----rs and they have guns," and "there is a carload of n----rs coming up the street."

Allen suffered a shotgun blast to the chest and died shortly afterward in a nearby hospital. No weapons were found in her vehicle.

According to the affidavit, witnesses told the grand jury they saw Robert Messersmith armed with a 12-gauge shotgun and Arthur Messersmith armed with a rifle hours before the shooting.

Several witnesses, the affidavit said, testified they saw Robert Messersmith fire at Allen and heard him say after the shooting, "We got one … I blew the n----r in half."

More Indictments Ahead?

Investigators claim one of the events that started the riots was the shooting death of a black male, Taka Ni Sweeney, on July 17, 1969. Robert Messersmith was arrested one month later and was later convicted of Sweeney's death.

In the current case, the grand jury recommended that nine other people be indictment, but no details on their identities were provided. Allen's youngest surviving sister, Gladys Oden, told The Associated Press she was surprised but relieved by today's arrests.

"I had my doubts, at times, that anyone would ever bearrested," said Oden, who was 13 at the time but was not a passenger in the car during the shooting.