Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1900-08-29
MOB RULE In AKRON.
ATTEMPT TO LYNCH A NEGRO IN
AN OHIO TOWN.
..ockup %, County Jail and City Building
successiveiy Storrned by the Crowd
scenes of Riot and Bloodshed in
Which Two Persons Are Killed.

mob of several thousand trenzlcd
persons in Akron, Ohio, lntnriated over
an assault upon the, little daughter of Mr.
and Mrs. Theodore Mas by Louis Feek,
n eoIored man, searched rAc city prison,
the sounty jan and the Old court house
for the negro, engaged in ii battle Of eul-
lets with officers { the law set nre 20
Columbia Hall, adjoining the city build
ing. aud Threatened 70 destroy the latter
structure.
Peck was arrested Wednesday ard
murmurs Of gathering trouble caused the
sheriff secretly to transfer the prisoner
to Cleveland The report that he had
confessed spread rapidly and the mob
gathered soon after dark.
1t was about $50 O'Clock when the mob
surged down the street to the city pris-
on. With shout from the leaders tue
doors were battered down aud n rush
made for the prisoner. The officers Of
fercd no resistance and 10 satisfy the
mob that Peck had been removed plotted
committee in q search Of the cells and
building.
The search was fruitlesS and with n
veil. NOW for the county jail: give us
the niger aud We will deal with him. q
rush was mode for the latter building
and it was soon in tho hands Of the fren-
zied crowd After n thorough search OF
the private apartments the mob started
to batter down the big iron doors. Dep
uty Sheriff Stone mounted chair IN
front of the prison doors and implored
the crowd ia dispense giving his word
that Peek was not within He offered TO
allow committee to make search from
ton 10 bottom, and this satisfied The
crowd that the negro had been Struggled
away.
Then the mob rushed across the street
and forced open the doors OF the county
court house Tne building was soon
packed aGl all rooms searched except
those of the treasury department. A start
was made TO tear off the iron doors Of the
latter department, hut this was soou
abandoned and the mob rushed back To
the city prison, Trying for the blood VI
Peck.
Hu-lreds forced their way into the
Jail the second time, insisting that the
negro was there somewhere
Mayor w. E. Young FASTENED 10 the
building. and mounting the steps called
upon the crowd to disperSe, pledgIng his
word that the prisoner had been escorted
out of town. Cries Of Indignation greet
ed the executives announcement and he
was denounced on all sides for allowing
the eolored man TO escape the clutches
of TIE mob.
At 10 o'clock the mob began to attack
the city prison for the third time. In
the excitement someone fired a shot,
which was followed by fusilade. The
officers in the building appeared at the
windows and began to shoot over the
heads Of the people A man armed with
a shotgun lcvpled his weapon at the Off
| GERS and they were soon made the target
for the mof's FIRE An ndescribabie
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 OBJ
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 he dead
Following the shooting, Columbia Hal
was set on fire and within a short time
| had burned to the ground. This building
adjoined the city prison aud the flames
were soon communicated to the Jail. No
| content with firing the buildings tie moi
| determined to prevent the fremen from
attempting to stay the progress Of the
| flames The hose was cut at every op
portunity and one fireIna., yas shot