The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-07-06
NEGRO sHoT POLICEMAN.
Cause of the Riot Which Sets Evans
 vile in Turmoil.

Evansville, Ind, July 5.--Tonights riots were the immediate outcome of the shoot ing of Patrolman Massey Friday night by Lee Brown, negro. Brown and another negro had engaged in q quarrel and Brown had sworn to kill his antagonist. He ran toward his home to secure re- volver, and PatrolmaR Massey. hearing of the trouble. laid in walt for Brown. As the negro came back armed, hunting his enemy Massey stepped from door way and laid his hand on his shoulder Brown turned quickly, a revolver in his hand. and shot the policeman in the ab- domen. The officer. as he lay on the side walk, fired at Brown and wounded him dangerously He fell and the two fired at each other as they lay on the pavement, emptylng their revolvers.
 Excitement has been intense, and after the arrest of Brown the jail was guarded night and day. Last night lynching was feared and the mob that surrounded the jail during the night was held at bay only by the ready weapons of dozens of deputies.
 Today an outbreak was feared, and the negro was secretly removed from the jail and taken to Vincennes. where he now lies in jail at the point of death.
 Patrolman Massey died late last night from his wounds.
 It took twenty-flv policemen to prevent the lynching at the jan Saturday night, but their bravery was not sufficient to avert the bitter race war. The mobs smashed down iron gates and were part way into the jail before they were re- pulsed by the policemen Their efforts to lynch Brown aroused the enmity of the negroes of the city, who gathered about the jail this afternoon and made a threat ening demonstration. The negroes were chased away by a crowd of white men.
 Mutterings of revenge were heard and a clash was feared.
 Brown killed Massey in a street battle Friday All Saturday there was talk of lynching and about 1 o'clock at night men and boys began to assemble in the neighborhood of the jail. Sheriff Kratz had several deputies sworn in to protect the prisoner. Shortly before midnight Judge Louis O. Rasch of the circuit met the officers of the court and ordered the grand jury to convene Monday to look into the Brown case. It was announced to the crowd that the negro would be in- dicted Monday and his case brought to trial at once. This appeased the crowd apparently. and 1t dispersed
 About o'clock Sunday morning, how ever, crowds began to gather at the jail and near the court house.
 At 2:30 a mob of 100 men and boys made an attack on the jail with the view of se- curing the negro. They had large tele- phone pole which they used to batter down the iron gate to the right of the jail. Once in this passageway the mob tried to beat in the side door that leads to the jail corridor.
 Sheriff Kratz offered no resistance, but at once sent for the police. who forced the mob from the passageway into the street
 The mob grew in size and about o'clock another attempt was made to enter the jail through the side door The officers fired no shots, but again pushed the mob into the street, and at o'clock the mob dispersed.
 Sheriff Kratz finally took the prisoner to Vincennes for safe keeping.
 There was a suspicious quiet all day, and early this evening a mob againsur- rounded the jail
 The mob was told that the negro had been taken away. but a committee com posed of five citizens was selected to go through the jail. The mob clamored for twelve men, but the police refused to grant the request. After being in the jail for some time the committee addressed the crowd and told them the negro was not there. Dr. William Gilbert, the chair man of the committee tried to calm the assembly, but his voice was drowned in shouts of Co get the nigger."
 The people refused to believe that the negro had been removed from the city. The crowde shouted. Death to the ne- groes,' and the police feared they would murder all the negro prisoners indiscrim- inately. The race war started late to- night when a little boy named Logan