Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1900-08-30
IN THE HANDS OF A MOB.
Akron the Scene of One of the
Worst Riots Ever Known
in Ohio.
THOUSANDS or INFURIATED PEOPLE.
Several Persons Dead and a Large
umbe Injured-Gun store Loot
ed of Arms and Ammunifion-The
Torch Applied and Dynamite Used
Militia and Police Called for.

Akron, o., Aug. 22.-Two persons
are known to have been killed. several
others were NAMED and for hours to-
night the streets of Akron were filed
with a wild. uncomfortable mob. The
trouble was the outcome of an unsuc-
cessful attempt to lynch a negro who
is charged with a brutal assault.
The mob formed with the intention
of lynching Louis Peck, a negro who
was arrested to-day charged with hav-
ing attempted to assault Christina.
the ~six-year-old daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Theodore Mas, Industrious and
respectable people who live On Per-
kin's Hill.
In the police court the prisoner
pleaded guilty and was bound i've to
the common pleas court. His bail was
placed at $4,000.
The negro, on Monday night, offered
to give the child a ride in his buggy.
Christina accepted the invitation and
a few hours later she was found on
the side of a road west of the city.
A large crowd gathered about the
city prison tonight at $50 o'clock
was soon packed with the mob, and
officers offered no resistance, as Peck,
earlier in the evening had been quiet
y taken away to Cleveland.
To satisfy the mob the officers sug-
gested that a committee of six be ap-
pointed to search all the cells and go
through every part of the building.
This was done, and as the negro was
not found a yell was made: Now for
the county Jail. Give US the niger,
and we will deal with him."
A mad rush followed for the jail,
and soon the Jail was in the hands of
the mob. After going through the
private apartments of the Jail the
crowd started to batter down the big
iron doors. Deputy Sheriff Stone
stood in front of the prison doors and
made a speech. He informed the
crowd that Peck could not be found
there, and he told the people in the
mob to select a committee and he
would allow the committee to search
the Jail from top to bottom.
A committee was quickly selected,
and the jail was searched, every cell
being entered. Satisfied that the ne
T vas not there the mob then
rushed across the street and forced
open the doors of the county court
house. The old courthouse was soon
packed and all rooms searched ex-
cept the rooms in the treasury de-
partment. \ start was made to tear
off the iron doors of the treasury de-
partment, but the mob decided not t,
tackle the job, and then the thousands
of men and boys again rushed back
to the city prison crying for the blood
OF Peck.
The city prison was again surround
ed, and hundreds of people forced
their way into the prison a second
time insisting that Peck was there.
Mayor W. z. Young, at this time an
peared at one of the windows IN the
upper part of the building. He ad-
dressed the mob as best he could, say
ing that Peck had been taken put of
the prison at four o'clock by Sheriff
Kelly and driven out of the city in d
closed carriage. The people in the
mob would not believe the mayor and
continued to yell and demand that
Peck be surrendered.
AT ten o'clock the mob began FOR
the third time to attack the prison.
Some one in the crowd began shoot
ing at the building. This was followed
by several more shots. The officers in
the building appeared at the windows
end began to shoot over the heads of
the mob. a man with a shotgun then
fired at the officers.
1t is said that several officers were
wounded. The crowd then began to
smash in the windows of the city
building, and the firing became gem
eral. Hundreds of shots were ex-
changed, and one boy was carried
dead from the street. 1t is certain
hat dozens of men were wounded. a
report has been received from the
city building that one of the officers
had both his legs broken and that an
other was badly wounded.
Mayor Young is yet in the building
and directing a call for the militia.
Eleven ambulances of the city have
been called out, and the excitement
is intense. In front the building is a
wreck, and the firebells are ringing.
At 10:45 p. m. the prison keeper, Mr..
John E. Washer, came from the city
building, and was knocked down by a
brick. He was badly injured about
the head and had to receive medical
attention.
1t is known that two persons were
instantly killed and another person is
dying at the city hospital, while many
others are wounded.