Audubon Republican. [volume] (Audubon, Iowa) 1894-1925, 1903-07-30
MAD RACE RIOT
At DANv|LLE, I'LL.
Mob Of White Men Wanted
Negro Who Had Com
mitted an Assault.
ONE NEGRO WAS LyNCHED
He Was Strung to Telegraph Pole.
Then Burned and Hacked to
Pieces-He Had Killed a White
Member of the Mob.


this city, resulted in the violent death
OF two men; the fatal wounding of
many others, with six of eight men,
whites and blacks, injured, is the Sc
quence of an assault made by a negro
named Joe Wilson, upon a Mrs. Bur.
CESS of Alvan, village near here,
yesterday. The news of the assault
was quickly spread; Wilson was soon
captured and colflned in the jail here.
When the news Of the affair spread
throughout this city it took but a short
time for a leader to arouse a mob,
whose purpose it was to infiict sum
mary punishment upon the ravisher.
Early last night this mob, started to-
ward the Jail, but on the way quarrel
arose between the leaders and some
negroes who had accompanied the
lynchers. During this trouble Henry
Gatterman, of Danville, white, was
shot and instantly killed by j. D. May
field, a negro from Evansville, Ind.
This intensified the fury of the mob,
which Immediately seized upon May
ield and hung him to the nearest
telegraph pole.
When this was done the crowd start
ed on for the Jail, intent on having
Wilson's life.
Just as the mob was preparing to
storm the Jail someone suggested that
they go back and cut down the dead
negro.
The suggestion was Immediately act
ed upon. Rushing back to the scene
of the lynching, the mob cut down the
victim and carried the body on run
to the public square in front of the
Jail. Hay, straw, bales and boxes were
collected and the corpse was thrown
upon the pile. A torch was applied
and the flames shot up.
While the mob's victim was burning
several men fired bullets in the flames.
Several knives were drawn, with which
they hacked the burning corpse. The
ears were chopped off and the feet,
which protruded from the flames, were
hacked to pieces.
When the mob had done everything
it's fury could suggest, it turned again
to the Jail, in front of which was still
smouldering the human bonfire.
A fence rail was procured as bat.
terng ram, AMI the mob charged the
jan uoSi. iholbO, Suoiuiho thO pi ioo-
ner, was Sheriff R. D. Whitlock, sew
eral deputies and a negro turnkey.
All were armed. Sheriff Whitlocl1
shouted to the mob to stand back or
he and his men would fire. The warn
ing was unheeded, as the mob was
almost upon the Jail door a volley
rang out from inside. Several of the
mob fell wounded and dying. A bull
let pierced the heart of Adam Merry.
His death is but matter of a short
time.
Fl. Hines received bullets in the
shoulder and neck and his wounds
are so desperate that, his death is
expected.
Otto Heinke was wounded in the
arm. Others received lesser injuries.
The mob was especially wild in it's
anger against the negro turnkey. After
the fusilade it recoiled for few min
utes but Immediately preparations
were made for another attack. Final
ly. at 2:30 this morning, after fruit
less efforts to break into the JAIL the
mob dispersed.
Danville, ILL.,, July 27.-Two killed
and twenty-five wounded, the police
station wrecked, the county Jail with
few of it's windows left unshattered,
the city in the hands Of the state
troops and feeling of uneasiness and
dread prevailing everywhere, is the
situation left by the race riots of Sat
urday night and early yesterday morn
ing.
Four companies of the Seventh ILL
nois infantry arrived at $50 yester-
day morning from Springfield, where
the regiment is holding it's annual en-
campment. Streets were soon cleared
and the threatening attitude of the
crowds disappeared. Last night, 100
sentinels patrolled the streets in the
vicinity of the Jail.
Leading citizens say the outbreak
has been feared for long time, as bit
ter feeling has existed for several
years between the negroes and a GER
tain class of white persons. A num-
Der of minor outbreaks have occurred
during the past year.
The feeling against the soldiers is
noticeable. The commissary depart
ment yesterday had much trouble get
ting restaurants to serve meals. Many
refused to feed the soldiers. There
was one clash between the guard and
a miner named Edward Liggett, who
began abusing a guard. The soldier
leveled his bayonet and Liggett was