The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-11-11
.R|OTING AND BLOODSHED
A Day of Turmoil and Intense Ex-
element at Wilmington.
EIGHT NEGROES KILLED
The ONCE OF Negro Newspaper Is
Wrecked and Set on Fire The
Mayor and Aldermen Resign.
Order Finally Restored.

uay OF pioodsned and turbulence, Will
mington has subsidized tonight into
comparative peacefulness. Eight ne
groes were killed and three white men
wounded during the day. one of them
william Mayo. seriously.
Tonight the city is In the hands of a
new municipal government and Jaw
and order are being established. This
afternoon the board of aldermen re-
signed one by one. AS each alderman
vacated, the remainder elected a sue
| cessor named by the citizens commit
| tee. until the entire board was changed
| legally. They resigned in response To
| public sentiment. The new board Is
composed of conservative democratic
| citizens.
The mayor and chief OF police then
resigned and the new board elected
their successors. according to law. Ex-
| Representative Waddell was elected
mayor and +. G. Parmalee. chief 90 po-
lice.
The first act of the new government
was to swear i'm 250 special policemen,
chosen from the ranks of reputable
white citizens. They are vested with
all the authority OF the law and will
take charge of the city. The citizens
committee will remain on guard
throughout the town TO prevent at
tempts at incediarism. The new gov
ernment Will devote it's attention to re-
straining recklessness among the
whites as well as keeping down law
lessness among the negroes Further
trouble OF a general or serious nature
fs not expected. Soon after the meet
ing. George Rountree received a telc-
gram from Governor Russell. saying
that he would use all his efforts to in-
nuence the mayor and city council to
resign. IL that would restore peace
Mr.. Rountree sent the following re-
ply: Mayor and aldermen resigned.
Two hundred and fifty special police
men sworn in. Law will be maintained
and peace restored"
Mr.. Rountree is a prominent attor-
ney here and a member of the demo-
cratic congressional committee.
The trouble I'm Wilmington to-day
commenced at $50 this morning. when
an armed body of citizens. numbering
400. and led by ex-Representative wad-
dell. chairman Of committee of 25 ap-
pointed for the purpose. proceeded 20
the publishing house of a negro news
paper. the Record. to wreck Il. The
editor OF this paper had published an
article defamatory OF white women, and
mass meeting of citizens yesterday de-
manded his expulsion from the city
within "a hours and the removal of his
press. Fifteen leading negroes were
called In by the committee OF rs las
night and directed to notify the chair
man by 7:3O this morning whether they
would agree to the removal Of the press
They were informed that IL no answer
was returned the press would be de-
molished.
No answer was received by the chair
man this morning and after waiting an
hour the citizens proceeded in a body
and demolished the fixtures of the
printing office. The building was also
fired and gutted. The leaders say that
this action was the work Of irresponsi-
BILE persons. and as soon as the fire was
discovered the fire department was
called to extinguish IL.
The burning of the printing Office |
created a great commotion among the |
negroes OF the town. The rumor spread |
that the whites were going to burn and |
murder In the negro quarter. This ru- |
NOR reached the negro employees of a
cotton compress, numbering 300 or 400. /
who quit work and hung about the |
streets In manifest terror. Other par
ties congregated in the negro section. |
and II was I'm one Of these that the first /
tragedy was enacted. The men were
on a corner and were ordered |
to dsperse. They declined and, IL is
a fusilade was Immediately opened |
upon them by the whites and three ne
groes were killed. Two whites We're
slightly. One negro ran down
the street and, passing a residence. |
fired a rifle at William Mayo. white.
on the veranda. shooting him
through the left lung. This negro was
pursued and captured while
hiding under a bed. IL II said he con-
fessed 20 the shooting. He was riddled
with shot by his captors and killed.
In the meantime the town was in a
state of great excitement. The whites
rushed to the street from every direc-
tion. the local militia company was or
iered out and. a battalion of United
states naval reserves proceeded to the
Of the trouble with a rapid fire
gun.
About ! o'clock some negroes In a
house fired upon a passing party OF
white men. The house was surrounded
and four negroes were captured and
aiken TO Jail one negro broke away
and ran, but was shot down and killed
before he had proceeded half a block.
During the afternoon there were 9TH
r. ARRAYS Of this kind. and eight ne
-Toes were killed during the various
lines in the disturbed sections. Their |
names at this time are unknown.
AS the news Of the riot spread
hrOugh the nelsnDorlnB cities. they or !
erred 20 send help. but all such offers
we're declined. except In case Of Fay
'tteville. from which town came about
80 men. As night fell, the town was
completely patrolled and guarded. |
very few negroes were on the streets
ma they were not allowed to congre-
.ate anywhere.
The acton Of the citizens In organiz-
ng a new municipal government is ex-
Dected TO bring peace and order and no
-ioting is expected tonight. IL devei-
,ped later in the day that the negro
summoned last night had
lgreed TO use their good offices TO have
he press removed. although the editor
lad disappeared and they had no au- !
hority in the premises. This letter ia !
tead OF being delivered 20 the chair I
nan OF the committee OF % In person. J
vas put in the mail and did not reach v
i'm until three hours after the expira-