The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1900-08-30
RIOT IN AKRON, OHIO.
LARGE CROWD GATHERED TO LYNCH
COLoRED MAN.
TWO CHILDREN KILLED.
jail oficials Fired Upon and Many Peo-
pie Injured in Melee Crime for which
Coiored Man was Arrested was Assault
Upon six-Year- old Girl - Prisoner
Taken to Cleveland.

Akron. Ohio Especially In this city
the heart Of the boasted Western Re
serve, mob sought the lie of negro
prisoner and in a conflict with the au-
thorities shed blood
Louis Peck, q colored man, was put
In jail on the charge of criminally as
saulting the little daughter of Mr.. and
Mrs. Theodore Mas.
The report that he had confessed
spread rapidly and a mob gathered.
Not believing the statement of the
Sheriff that Peck had been sent out OF
the city the crowd sent committees
through the city prison and the county
Jail to search. This proving fruitless,
the mob gathered in front Of the city
prison, where the Mayor tried to induce
them to disperse.
Some one fired a shot at the
prison. Other shots followed and FOR
few minutes there were terrible
scenes.
Two persons are dead from bullets
and several are badly wounded, at least
one of the latter fatally.
Between / and 2 o'clock a. m. Officer
John Duffy arrested Peck, who during
the day confessed to Prison Keeper
Washer of having attempted to assault
Christina, the 6-year-old daughter of
Mr.. and Mrs. Theodore Mas, industri-
Gus and respectable people, who live
on Perkins Hill.
The colored man 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 the road west of the city.
The prisoner Is about 40 years Gf
age, married, and recently moved here.
The story of his confession spread
like wildfire through the city and Off
GERS learned that an attempt would be
made to lynch him. Peck was badly
frightened. Officers had been search
ing for him since Monday night, and
he was arrested at the Union Depot as
he stepped from a Baltimore and Ohio
passenger train. In Police Court he
pleaded guilty and was bound over to
the Common Pleas Court. His bail
was placed at $4,000.
large crowd gathered about the
city prison at 7.30 o'clock and forced
in the doors. The prison was soon
packed with the mob and the officers
offered no resistance, as Peck earlier
in the evening had been quietly 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 yell was made, Now for
the county jail. Give us the Niger
and we will deal with him.
mad rush followed for the Jail,
and soon the jail was in the hands Of
the mob.
After gaining 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 in there and told the peo-
pie 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
examined.
The city prison was again surround
ed and hundreds of people forced their
way into the prison for the second
time, insisting that Peck was there.
Mayor W. e. Young at this time ap-
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 out of
the prison at o'clock by Sheriff Kelly
and driven out of the city in q closed
carriage. The people in the mob would
not believe the Mayor and continued
to yell and demand that Peck be sur
redered.
At 10 o'clock the mob began for the
third time to attack the city prison.
Someone in the crowd began shooting
at the building. This was followed by
several more shots. The officers in the
building appeared at the windows and
began to shoot over the heads of the
people. A man with a shotgun then
fred mt the officers.
1t Is said that several officers were
wounded. The crowd then began to
smash in the windows Of the city build
ing and the firing became general.
Hundreds of shots were exchanged, and
one boy, name unknown, was carried
dead from the street. 1t is certain that
dozens of men were wounded.