Omaha daily bee., 1902-09-20
CRUSHED IN A PANIC
CONTINUED from First Page

NoohAAhuNN AOA AAeh 4 "6N'I
citizens OF Birmingham, was a witness Of
the catastrophe. He lives within half a
block Of the church and hearing the COM
motion went to ascertain the trouble. As
he reached the front Of the church the crowd
began blocking the front OF the church, and
in describing It, he said: II have wit
messed many appalling sights, but the wild
scene at the head Of these steps is beyond
description. Wildly excited negroes rushed
to the top OF the steps and began falling
headlong down the incline. Others we're
pushed upon them and notwithstanding the
warnings from the outside the crowd con-
tinued to push. In a few minutes the men
and women were piled on top of each other
to the height Of ten feet. Presently a negro
woman with a baby in her arms mounted
the mass and. climbing over the bodies,
leaped to the ground without injury to her
self or the infant. As quickly as possible
a rescue party was organized, and as soon
as the entrance was cleared began the re-
moval of the bodies"
Rev. DR.. T. w. Walker, pastor of Shiloh
church, said tonight: shiloh church is a
modern brick structure and has Just been
completed at a cost Of SIS. 900. There are
four entrances to the building and the main
one is sixteen feet wide. The deaths we're
caused by everybody trying to rush out
OF the main entrance at the same time.
Inside the church not a bench was over
turned and all Of those who we're killed
died in or about the entrance. The people
up near the front of the church were not in
jured in the least"
Major w. NJ. brennan, said: Most of
those who were killed are strangers, but
their bodies will be cared for until identi-
| AoA and nI.NrnaA ky -nIaNEv,. - f
Washington Tells of Stampede.
Principal Booker T. Washington, when
seen after the accident, at the residence OF
DR.. U. G.. Mason. said:
II had just finished delivering my lecture
on Industry when some woman back OF
me was heard to scream. Some Of the mem.
bers Of the choir yelled quiet, which the
gallery understood to be fire. This was
repeated and started the stampede. !
found on Investigation that a Birmingham
man had stepped on the toes of a delegate
from Baltimore named Ballou.
"Ballou resented it and made a motion
as though to draw a gun. This caused the
women to scream. There was little ex-
element in the center and front Of the
church. The rear Of the church was con.
gested and some of the men tried to wall
Jul Oh bue uSdub oL tue CTOWu. Al the
time Of the fright there were probably 5000
In the church and probably that many out
side. The crowd on the sidewalk surged in
and this in a measure accounted for the
large loss Of life. The majority OF those
killed were smothered to death, very few
having bones broken. When l saw that G
stampede was imminent / started the choiI
singing and part of the audience JOINED
them. l remained until the audience had
subsidized, for fully thirty minutes. One
good sister, whose name l did not learn
caught me firmly by the waist and held me-
throughout the excitement, saying 'keeI
STILL
81 am unable to say positively, but there
is o probability that the convention will
adjourn out OF respect to the dead. The
session would have closed next Monday
night. So far as is known, ten delegates
were among those killed, two from Texas
and two from New Orleans being among thu
numharb