Lee Sparks the pistolwhipping cop was well known around the country for a day, Great news yesterday in the POST.

 Newspaper men all around the country knew that the behavior of Lee Sparks had caused the riots although there was a noticeable effort to avoid blaming a policeman. [Alma I want to leave these short paragraph]
On 8 September 1917 the Chicago Tribune headlined: “POLICE OFFICER IS INDICTED FOR HOUSTON RIOTS.” [Alma, these capitals are too big—please help!]
In Texas the Fort Worth Record-Telegram on the 8th hedged in the headlines (“HOUSTON POLICEMAN WHO PARTLY STARTED TROUBLE IS INDICTED”) and hedged again in the text (Sparks’s assault on “Sergeant Baltimore” is "supposed to have been the incentive which caused the troops to mutiny”).
The Portage, Wisconsin Register in the subhead said: “Police Officer, Whose Alleged Assault on Negro Sergeant Caused Trouble, Faces Two Charges.”
The Los Angeles Times on the 10th started with “Accusation. BLAME POLICEMAN FOR NEGRO RIOTS,” but reduced the pistol-whipping of Baltimore to “Alleged Brutal Assault Upon Colored Corporal said to Have Precipitated Clash.”
The Nashville Globe on the 14th in headlined: “MOUNTED OFFICER SPARKS STARTED NEGRO RAID.”