Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1900-08-23
TO-DAY'S TELEGRAPHTC NEWS
City I'm the Hands of renzied Mo


City in the Hands ola trenzied Mob.
Akron, Ohio, Aug. 23.-Two are
dead, two will die, many are injured
and almost 100000 worth OF property
is DESTROYED as the result OF bloody
riot. which lasted from dark until day
light this morning The city buildings
are burned to the ground, Columbia
Hall is a smoldering mass of ruins add
several frame buildings ADJOINING it are
in ashes. The row began ut nightfall ,
when a mob formed to lynch Louis
Peck, a negro, who yesterday confess
ed be had attempted an assault on six
year.old Tina Mas. The officers fear
ing such an al tempt, spirited Peck to
| Cleveland. Midnight found the city
officials besieged in the city hall. The
mayor ordered out the local militia, bat
his orders were ignored. When the
city hall buildings were again attacked
it looked ss though the mob bad de.
termined to kill every one in them
At 1:45 D. m. dynamite was placed in
front OF the city building. Ali the win.
dows in the structure We're shattered at
the first explosion. The crowd then
went to the city building in the rear OF
W hich is the jail, and all the prisoners
were released. An hour later the mob
took the automobile patrol wagon and
ran it iuto the canal. The city build
ing was set on fire and practically ruin
ed. At $3.50 q. IN. the mob had desert
ed the city buildings and the officials
began to take account of losses. All the
city records OF the city clerk and city
engineer were destroyed, The efforts
OF the firemen TO save the building
were useless, for the mob cut the hose
| and fred on the iremen as they
worked.
Telephone, telegraph, trolley and
electric light wires were cut, and the
city thrown in darkness. Finally, the
Mayor and police managed to drop on
of q rear window and escaped in the
darkness. The police were last seen
dashing down the tow path by the Ca
nal.
The Fourth regiment, from Columbus,
and two companies from Canton have ar
rived to prevent further trouble today
II is feared the mob may attack the
county Jail and the court house. The
city and other losers by fire will be Ut
able to collect insurance, il is claimed,
be cause the buildings were destroyed
during a riot.
Paterson, N. j., Aug. 23-Lou Peck
the colored man who assaulted little
girl at Akron, Ohio, and a subsequen,
attempt at lyncbiDg caused serious
rioting in the Ohio city last night, be-
longs here. Peck fled from Paterson
on May 30, 1898, alter committing al
unnatural assault on an eight-yearO
boy named John Sweezy. Peck also
slashed the boy with "a razor iphicting
serious wounds. His Whereabouts were
unknown until this morning when
news was published here that he had
caused the riots in Akron.
Cleveland, o., Aug. 23.-Louis Peck
confessed in the county Jail this morn
Ing thet he had attempted a criminal
assault on Chrstians Mass. II wae
drunk" said he ia the presence OF Der
uty Sheriff Barry. "For a week / had
been boozing. / picked the girl up OIL
the road aud took her in the buggy
with me. l was SO drunk, however, |
could do no harm. When let her oul
of the buggy near her home, she was
not injured in the least. Physicians
will tell you that. / was full OF whis-
key. What fool l was" Peck was
badly scared when told OF the doings Of
| the mob in Akron.