The St. Louis Republic. [volume] (St. Louis, Mo.) 1888-1919, 1902-03-09

| lowed. the total number variously estimated
at from ten To twenty
reigned. Frightened men. women and emit
| dren made a wild rush for the doors. while
some got under the seats and other safe
places.
When the firing had ceased, 1t was happily
discovered that no one was seriously hurt.
but why several were not killed is a great
|, miracle. The number of shots fired, in such
close proximity and the number of people
so closely punched and in direct line of the
fusillade. makes their escape attributable
only to the merest accident. As ii was sew
erai narrowly missed leaden bullets. Some
time after. the casualties We're discovered
and summed up as follows:
One negro actor received n bullet in his
leg. near the knee; not seriously hurt.
Clay Hunter narrowly missed being
killed. A bullet plowed its way through the
skin on top of his head. and had il been
a quarter inch lower would have penetrated
his brain.
"A ball passed through the collar of Tom
ME Waters's overcOat, missing his neck
by about n half-inch.
Hal Hunter received n bullet through his
oyercoat and sweater. just between the
shoulders. II going in from the side and
coming out again without touching the
flesh.
"Wint L%wis's overcoat. undercoat and
sweater contained holes made by a bullet
passing just across his front near the belt
MIR. and Mrs. Reeves were leaning
against the coal box and Il bullet entered
the box only a few inches behind them.
After the excitement caused by the
shooting In the opera-house had subsidized,
the members OF the troupe made their way
TO their car. One Of them. however. ran
west and II couple Of shots We're fired at
him. He was found In a box
car. Another went near Ristine. and Sun
day sent a note 10 Manager Treyser for 81.
This note was intercepted and the negro
brought into town.
Searching for the Man.
"A crowd OF about seventy-five citizens
assembled around the car. with rifles. shot
guns and pistols. and for awhile the fate
OF the negroes was uncertain. as mutter-
ings and threats oil the enraged citizens
vice OF cooler heads prevailed. and the ne
groes. after being searched in their car by
Marshal Richards and others. were taken
\ during the day Sunday crowds OF
citizens could be seen on the streets. dis
cu:sing the situation II was plainly evil
by firing the FIRST shot would be punished,
but IL was difficult at first TO identify the
S shs ,r6 a1@es snd . aSoet Of : c u9I si1,z or more ,dsn, 81
fled Lou F. Wright. a trombone player.
whose home was Ottawa. kas.. as the man
who fired the shots from the stage. . II
was also learned that another of the ne
sroes urged Wright TO shoot. saying: FIFE
on them: burn emf Wright was also iden-
tilted as the negro who insulted the white
boys. The negroes were held in Jail upon
a warrant charging them with rioting.
"On Thursday. the manager. George A.
Treyssr. was also arrested upon the same
charge. and he gave a $500 cash bond for
his appearance Monday.
The LynchinR.
About II o'clock Sunday night. Sheriff
Stone. Jailer George Shields and T. II. La
Neile We're In the lower front room of the
jail. Some one was heard TO rap on the
back door. next to the courthouse. The
Sheriff and Mr.. Shields went to the door
and opened II. Five masked men entered.
grabbed Mr.. Stone and took the KEYS OF the
cells from him. Mr.. LeVelle. hearing the
noise. started into the room, but was taken
by the collar and told to go back. Mr..
Stone was held by two men, holding his
outstretched arms against the wall. Mt.
Shields was taken in charge by two OF the
men and thrown down and held. The ffth
man went upstairs. unlocked the cells and
brought down the negro. Lou F. Wright. Il
Ia said a crowd Of forty or fifty more men
were on the outside: The negro was taken
railroad track. on the Big Prairie road.
His hands were pinioned behind hibm. a
new three-Quarter-inch rope was out around
his neck the end thrown over a limb about
fifteen feet from the ground. and the negro
was drawn up. His body was viewed by
hundreds of people Monday morning. About