Eagle River review. [volume] (Eagle River, Wis.) 1890-1927, 1900-08-30
MOB RULE IN AKRON.
ATTEMPT 70 LYNCH A NEGRO IN
AN OHIO TOWN.
Lookup, County Jail and City Building
Successfully Stormed by the Crowd
Scenes of Riot and Bloodshed IN
which Two Persons Are Killed.

A mob of several thousand frenzled
persons in Akron, Ohio, Infatuated over
| an assault upon the little daughter Oh MI.
| and Mrs Theodore Mas by Louis fecA'
| a colored man, searched the city prison.
| the county jail and the old court mouse
for the negro, engaged in battle OF Dui-
| lets with officers Of the law, set nre 10
Columbia Hail. adjoining the city build
ing. and threatened to destroy the latter
structure.
Peck was arrested Wednesday ana
murmurs of gathering trouble caused Tue
| sheriff secretly to transfer the prisoner
| to Cleveland The report that ne had
| confessed spread rapidly and the moD
gathered soon after dark.
Tt was about $50 o'clock when the mop
| surged down the street to the city prs
| on. With a shout from the leaders the
| doors were battered down and a rush
made for the prisoner. The officers OIL
| fered no resistance and to satisfy the
| mob that Peck had been removed plloted
a committee in a search of the cells ana
building. -,
The search was fruitless and with a
| veil. 'Now for the county Jail; give us
| the niger and we will deal with him.!
rush was mode for the latter building
| and it was soon in the hands OF the fren-
| zied crowd. After a thorough search or
the private apartments the mob started
to batter down the big iron doors. Dep
uty Sheriff Stone mounted char IN
| front of the prison doors and implored
| the crowd to disperse, giving MS Woro
| that Peck was not within. He offered to
allow a committee to make search from
top to bottom, and this satisfied the
crowd that the negro had been smuggled
| away.
Then the mob rushed across the street
| and forced open the doors Of the county
court house. The building was soon
packed and all rooms searched except
those of the treasury department. A start
was made to tear off the iron doors of the
| latter department, but this was soon
abandoned and the mob rushed back to
the city prison, crying for the blood OF
Peck.
Hundreds forced their way into the
Jail for the second time, insisting that the
negro was there somewhere.
Mayor w e. Young fastened to the
building, and mounting the steps called
upon the crowd to dispense, pledging his
word that the prisoner had been escorted
out Of town. Cries Of indignation greet
ed the executives announcement and ne
was. denounced on all sides for allowing
the colored man to escape the clutches
of the mob.
At 10 o'clock the mob began to attack
the city prison for the third time In
the excitement someone fired shot,
which was followed by fusillade. Ihe
officers in the building appeared at the
windows and began to shoot over the
heads of the people. A man armed with
shotgun leyeled his weapon at the OIL
GERS and they were soon made the target
for the mob's fire. An indescrlbable
scene followed. Several of the policemen
fell wounded, others were struck by
bricks and other missiles hurled by the
mob and the return fire of the laws OH
GERS wrought havoc in the ranks OF the
mob. 1t is certain that thirty or forty
persons were wounded in the melee and
two are known to be dead.
Following the shooting, Columbia Hall
was set on fire and within short time
had burned to the ground. This building
adjoined the city prison and the flames
were soon communicated to the jail. MOI
content with firing the buildings, the moi
determined to prevent the firemen from
attempting to stay the progress or the
flames. The hose was cut at every op'
portunity and one fireman was shot.