The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1900-09-05
MOB 4BRR0RIZES AKRON.
Baked in an Effort to Lynch Negro.
It Begins to Shoot
THE COUNTY JAIL STORMED'
Rioters Numbering Thousands in bat'fe'
and Many Shot Down by Jaiiers
Negro Prisoner Was Spirited to Glove
land - Frenzied Crowd Applies tho
Torch-Mayor Appeals For Troops.


Akron, Ohio (speciaD.AAn angry
mob baft,ed in its attempt to lynch
d negro, began a pitched battle with
the Mayo, and other city officials. A
baby and a ten-year-old boy were
killed and many unknown men shot.
]. NJ. Davidson was in an open
carriage in the main street Of Akron
with his wife and baby. The child
was asleep in its mothers arms. A
shot from a polceman's revolver in
,tantly killed the child. Another man
was also shot, and will die.
The dead are: Glen Wade. aged ten'
1hot through the heart; John NJ. DaV-
idson's four-ycar-old child, shot dead
in a baby carriage.
Mayor w. E. Young and other city
officials, after being hOOted and stoned
by the mob, took refuge in the inner
rooms Of the city building.
A negro named Louis Peck made IN
ATTEMPT to assault Christina, a six
year-old daughter of Mr.; and Mrs. me
odore Mas, white people of this city.
The negro was arrested at one CLOCK
next morning and locked up In the
city prison. At 7.30 o'clock p. m. a
mob of several thousand persons gath
cred about the prison yelling for the
life of Peck. They forced their way
into the city prison and searched all
the cells. The officers offered no re-
sistance as the negro had been re-
moved in the early part Of the even
ING. The mob then rushed Tor the
county iail and forced open the outer
doors of the building. The Jail was
soon packed with the bowling mem
bers of the mob who Insisted that PECK
was there.
Deputy Sheriff Stone addressed the
mob. saying that Peck was not there
A committee was appointed Dy the
mob and was permitted to search the
Jail from top to bottom. The mob
then rushed across the street and
forced open the doors Of the Court
House and searched that building.
Peck was not there anu another rush
was made for the city prison, which
was again soon packed.
The officers made no resistance and
Mayor Young appeared at q window
in the upper part of the building and
attempted to address the crowd. He
told the people that Peck and another
negro named Bug" Howard. who was
arrested two weeks ago for shooting
a white man, were removed from the
city by Sheriff Kelly. At o'clock he
took the two colored prisoners to
Cleveland for safe keeping.
The mob attacked the city building
for the third time soon after 10 o'clock.
People in the crowd opened fire on the
building and it was returned by the
police officers in the building. One
boy was shot dead and several people
wounded. Shortly after midnight the
mob broke into q hardware store and
stole all the firearms and ammunition
they could find, including guns. rifles
and revolvers. and proceeded to the
city building and opened fire on the
defenders. and finally set fire to the
Columbia Hall, which adjoins the city
building.
Columbia Hall was burned to the
ground and the city building was set
on fire. The Fire Department was
called out. but was unable to do much
work. One fireman was shot and the
rioters cut the hose at every oppor-
tunity.
The trolley wires and some of the
electric light and telephone wires in
the centre of the city were cut.
The Mayor telegraphed to the Clcvt
land Police Department for forty p;
licemen.
The office of the Morning Journal
Beacon. opposite the city building. was
partly demolished by stones and bull
let's.
Dynamite was used in front Of the
city building. The first charge smashed
all the windows in the building and
did much other damage.
All prisoners were released from the
city prison. Alonzo Manchester. a fire
man, has been shot in the neck. John
Horn was Shot in the arm.
The Governor was requested to call
out the National Guard to suppress
the riot.