Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1895-08-10
NEGROES SHOT DOWN.
Attacked by italian Miners Near
Spring Valley, III.
Many of Them Are Beaten, Shot and
Othcrwise Abused-Forccd to Flee for
afety-Indications of Fur
ther Trouble.

PRINCETON, Ill, Aug. 5.-The Italians
of Spring Valley broke out Sunday in
war upon the negroes with view of
either massacreing them or driving
them from within the city limits.
The following negroes were seriously
injured
Granville Lewis, aged IS years, shot In head
and dubbed with rifles and face and neck bad
ly lacerated, may die; Glen l. Martin, aged
81 years, shot in back of head with rife ball,
thirty buckshot in back and shoulders,
seriously injured; Norman Bird, aged
8s years, shot in neck and head
badly bruised, internal injuries; Mrs. Bird.
nged 81 years, wife of above, shot in right
cheek and arm; Maria Bird, daughter OF
above, aged IA years, shot in breast, mny prove
fatal; William Lee, aged "a years, kicked
and trampled upon; Jude stuart, aged
F years, trampled upon face, lacerated
and injured internally, badly cut by barbed
wire fence in attempting to escape from the
mob; Oscar Prim, head bruised with rocks
and stones Silas Rurken, bruised with clubs
and shot at about thirty times; Jim Kelley,
aged 20 years, flesh wounds and cloth
ing riddled with shot; win Beck aged
80 years, badly bruised and inter-
nal injuries; Frank Turner, aged 6s years.
shot twice in back OF head and struck in back
and shoulders by about forty buckshot Frank
Burner, head badly bruised, trampled upon
and internal injuries.
The Italians for many months have
wished to drive the negroes out of the
coal mining belt and Sunday plausi-
BILE excuse for so doing presented it.
self. AT o'clock Sunday morning an
Italian was held up on the public
highway by four negroes, robbed and
shot four times, from the effects of
which his physician says he cannot live.
A mass meeting of the Italians was
called and at 10 o'clock a mob of over
400 that gathered started out for the
negro village which is located
2 miles west of Spring Val
ley. They We're headed by the
Spring Valley Italian band and
to deceive the negroes into thinking
the assembly peaceable one this
band rendered several national an
thems. The negroes as a result re-
mained in their homes, and the Italians
fell into them like lot of Apache In
dians.
The men were dragged out, dubbed,
trampled upon and made the targets
for the shotguns, rifles and small arms
the mob had brought with them. The
women We're insulted, slapped and two
of them while begging for mercy were
shot down and fatally injured.
The Italian rioters served notice on
the women and children who had not
been driven out that they and the in
valids would be given until
night to leave the town for
ever, and that if they were
not gone by dark they would be shot
down in their tracks. Consequently
,f
all that was left of their household
goods and fleeing over the hills in all
directions. Large numbers have
started out in the direction of Toluca
and others have taken refuge at Seat.
onville.
The injured, many of whom are lying
at the point of death, are sheltered
in barns and under trees. OF those
who are uninjured about thirty
have gathered at Seatonville and
have been collecting arms and am
munition and say they will at all haz-
ards return to Spring Valley this morn
| ing and remain there until they are
discharged from the services of the
coal company. Some have homes
there, and all have wages due
lllCll rum llS COdl
They claim that the city police
have made very little effort to hun
down the criminals but that this is no
fault of theirs and matter for which
they will not suffer. This resolution
of the negroes has created consider
able apprehension and more trouble is
expected if it should be carried out.
When the rioters We're organizing
near the city hall the mayor
was notified of the threatened
trouble by a group of citizens,
to whom, it is charged, ne replied
! that it was no use for him to try to do
anything and that he didn't know but
what the negroes should be shot any
way. Word was then sent to Sheriff
! Clark at Princeton, who at once COM
menced the organizing of posse by
sounding the fire alarm and enlisting
the men as fast as they turned out By
noon he had sufficient number, but
at that hour word was received that
actual rioting had ceased, so he went
to the scene of the trouble with only a
dozen men. The negroes asked that
protection he had be given them SO
they could return to their homes but
the sheriff referred them to the city
authorities and the latter SO far have
refused protection of any nature.