The sun., 1900-08-24
THE WORK OF A MOB.
Rioters Destroy the City Buildings Of
Akron, 0.
SOUGHT TO LYNCH NEGRO.
He Had Been Taken to Cleveland
For Safe Keeping, but the Mob
Would Not Believe This
to BE the Cuse.

Akron, o., Aug. 23.-As a result Of
rioting two are dead, two will die, 16
others are more or less injured and fully
S1000,000 in property has gone up in
smoke. The city hall is totally destroyed
the Columbian building, which adjoined
the city hall. is heap Of ashes and
several smaller frame buildings in the
vicinity are in ruins.
In the destruction of the municipal
building the city has lost all the records
Of the city clerk and also the records Of
the city engineer. City Engineer Payne
said that the loss III his department will
lie fully $2OO.0O0
The riot started when a mob, balked
in an effort to lynch Louis Peck, d negro,
opened fire OH the city building and final
~ wrecked it with dynamite. Trouble
continued through the night in spite Of
the appeal Of the local authorities for
The aid Of the militia Details as 10 thc
persons who were killed. or injured iii
encounters Of the mob with the police
were al first much confused The fol
lowing is the official list of the dead.
Glenn Wade, / years old. son Of Lillian
Wade: Ella Davidson, years old.
daughter Of Mr.. anl Mrs. J. NJ. David
son.
Ii is estimated that the mob was com
posed Of not less than 800 men.
Tho authorities lid everything III theil
power u quiet public opinion, but despite
their efforts an immense crowd gathered
around the Jail, where Louis Peck, the
alleged negro assailant Of Il little girl, was
confined and soon the cry, Lynch the
ngger.a was on every tongue.
l, =; -
removed Peek and another negro prisoner
from the jall and sent them to Cleveland
in the custody Of two deputy sheriffs.
The Mob IncreduIous.
The mob, however, would not believe
that the man they sought had been taker
away. As the night wore on the fury OF
the rioters grew apace, finally culmnat
ing in an assault on the courthouse anC
later on the city hail. Immense charge.
of dynamite We're placed under the city
and county buildings and, then. to com
plete its work, the mob applied the torch
Akron's streets now present decided
ly warlike appearance. Soldiers, tanned
by a weeks encampment, are marchin!
to and fro, with belts filled with chr
tridges. Colonel J. ID. Potter is in com
mand. Under him are II staff and lin,
officers and 300 men of the Fourth regi
ment Assistant Adjutant Genera
Adams and Surgeon Major Taylor o
General Speaks staff are also here. Com
pany 9 Of Canton. 43 men, is under com
mand of Captain w. A. Fisher.
Mayor Young said: I'VE did every
! thing we could, but nothing would salts
| fy the mob. Two committees searche,
| the building from cellar to garret an,
| reported Peck wasn't to be found, bu
| the mob would not take their word
Newspaper dispatches from Clevelan,
stating that Peck was in jail there wer
| read, but all were hpoted at hy the mol
Then the assault on the building he
gan. We resisted rs long as we could
| | feel that we did right as we could no
permit the hnilding to be Sucked. | sup
! pose the mob released eight OF ton NAL
prisoners in the city jail in the base
mont. | don't know who they were .
what became Of Them
! The excitement has camcd down am
! now tile people If Akron are inefull,
contemplating the smoldering evidence
Of the wild fury of the mob. 1t is no
| likely there will De further trouble. Onl,
flame Scared walls remain Of tho cit,
| hall, and great heaps of ashes mark tn
site of Columbia hall, which stood mex
to tile city building Fire completed III
havoc wrought by dynamite at the cit.
hall
II is reported that the chief Of polio
has been driven insane by the excite
ment.