Race and Arson
In arson crimed reported in The Daily Express there were 11 articles that did not identify a suspect, 24 articles where alleged offenders were white, 2 articles with alleged black offenders, 1 article with native Filipino offenders. Many of the victims in arson cases are often times not reported, with multiple articles in The Daily Express simply stating that an offender was charged or arrested for arson. Of the victims reported, majority were white, with the exception of an arson in Chinatown residence, with assumed victims being Chinese.
One of the most prolific front page arson stories was an out-of-state one from July 29th 1919 in Chicago, IL, where racial tension under Jim Crowe laws resulted in rioting and arson, leaving many dead or wounded. As racial tensions and civil unrest grow in America during this time period, historian Albert Smith stated that “Violent, interracial protest, a form of revenge for the racism and poverty that defined the region's race relations”. This can be also seen in another article from October 1st 1919 in Omaha, NE where violent and fiery riots broke out after the lynching of a black man. While arson was a way for black Americans to express their outrage towards an inadequate system, this idealogy can also be applied to a sensationalized article titled "Many Death Sentences", reported on November 26th 1900, in which Filipino natives were charged with arson and murder at an American Military base in Manila.
While there were not many non-white offenders reported in The Daily Express those that were reported oftentimes had different motives from their white counterparts, as their arson motives were more likely to be justified by civil unrest as opposed to insurance fraud.