Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1902-09-25
DISASTER OCCURS JUST AS BOOK.
Err WASHINGTON CON.
cLuDEs ADDRESS.
TRAMPLtD AND CRUSHED TO DEATH
BODIES OF DEAD NEGROES ARE
sTREWN IN EVERY 81.
REcTIoN.

bITmiuSudm AiA.p Sept. El.-Iu au
awful crush OF humanity caused by 6
stampede in the Shiloh Negro Bap-
list church at Avenue G and Eigh-
teenth streets last night seventy-eight
persons were killed and as many more
seriously injured. The catastrophe o.
CURED at 9 o'clock, just as Booker T.
Washington had concluded mis- address
to the national Convention of Baptists,
and for three hours the scenes around
the church were indescribable. Dead
bodies were strewn in every direction,
and the ambulance service of the city
was utterly in~capacitated to move
them until after l o'clock.
The church is the largest house of
worship for negroes in Birmingham,
and the pastor says there were at
least 1000 persons in the edifice when
the stampede began. Instructions had
been issued to allow no more to enter,
but the negroes forced their way In
side the building and were standing
In every aisle: even the entrance to
the church
Was Literally Packed.
Just as Booker T. Washington con-
cluded his address Judge Billou, q
negro lawyer from Baltimore, engaged
In an alteration with the choir leader
concerning an unoccupied seat, and It
Is said a blow was struck. Some n
In the choir cried fight" Mistaking
the word fight" for IRE" thu con-
g~regation rose en- masse and started
for the door. One of the ministers
quickly mounted the rostrum and ad-
monished the people to keep quiet,
He repeated the word quiet" several
times and motioned to his hearers to
be seated. But the excited consrega-
ton mistook the word quiet" for
fire" and renewed the struggle to
reach the door. Men and women
crawled over benches, fought their
way into the aisles, and those who
had fallen were tIanlpled under foot.
The ministers tried again and again to
stop the stampede, but no power on
earth apparently could stay the strug-
CLING,
Fighting Mass of Humanity.
The screams of women and children
added to the horror OF the scene, and
through mere fright many persons
tainted, and as they fell to the floor
were crushed 20 death.
The level of the floor is about fifteen
| ACCL llOL1 "a SlOuhu uiu lOLb 0LCPc
lead to the sidewalk fro mthe lobby
Just outside the main auditorium.
Brick walls extend on each side Of
these steps for six or seven feet, and
this proved a veritabIe death trap.
Negroes who lad reached the top of
the steps were pushed violently for
ward and many fell. Before they
could move others fell upon them, and
T., Rftnap ,~sn,,fnu nnronnu runrn nflnI
upon each other to the height of ten
feet. This wall of living beings blocked
the entrance and the weight of 1900
persons was pushed against 1t. More
than twenty persons lying on the steps
underneath the heap of bodies died
from suffocation.
Two white men we're in the rear Of
the church when the rush began, and
escaped, and, realizing the serious
ness Of the situation, rushed TO a o
ner e. by and
Turned IL a Fire Alarm.
The department came quickly and
! ne arrival OF the wagons served to
scatter the crowd which had gathered
around the front OF the church. A
squad of pc.ico was also FASTENED to
the church, and with the firemen, final.
ly succeeded in releasing the negroes
from their pinioned positions In the
entrance. The dead bodies were
quickly removed and the crowd inside
finding an outlet came pouring out.
Scores OF them lost their footing and
rolled down the long steps to the
pavement, sustaining broken limbs
and internal injuries.
In an hour the church had been
cleared and the sight which greeted
! The eyes of those who had come to aid
The injured vas sickening. Down the
aisles and along the outside of the
pews the dead bodies of men and
women were strewn, and the cries of
The MANNED and criLpiss Tere heart
rending. In a few minutes the work
If removing the bodies was begun. At
least fifteen of those injured died be-
lore they could be moved from the