Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1903-08-25
RIOT OVER NEGROES
Picnic of Colored People From
Chicago Results In Ser
ious Clash
ATTACK WHITE LADY
Latter is Almost Beaten to Death Be-
cause She demonstrated With Pic
nickers for Tearing Up Lawn-city
Marshal Attacked and May Die -
White Men in Pursuit of Negroes.


Marshal Attacked and May Die -
White Men in Pursuit of Negroes.
Chicago, Aug. 25.-Taken from pie
mic train which was stopped Sunday
night at Batavia. by Sheriff Burke. of
Knee county, and a shotgun posse.
Harry Bell and Mrs. Fannie Shelby,
colered. members of the Quinn chapel,
were saved from a mob, which threat
ened to storm the Jail. Prompt ac-
ton by the authorities, who spirited
them away from the scene of the ar
rests, and finally landed them safely at
Geneva, saved the man and woman.
There is no doubt that the angry
crowd which gathered at Batavia was
in earnest. Two assaults had been
committed during the day by coiore
men and women, who attended the pic
mic at Mill creek. two miles from town.
given by the congregations of Quinn
chapel an Bethel Nj. L. church Chi
cago.
Mrs. George Burton, one of the most
prominent women of Batavia, was set
upon by two colored women and severe.
ly beaten, when she ordered a crowd
from the lawn in front of her residence,
where men and women We're creating a
disturbance.
Reaching home after a struggle, Mrs.
Burton telephoned for aid, and Marshal
William Kelley went to her rescue.
His appearance was the signal for an
attack upon him. He was knocked
down and beaten by the maddened
women, and kicked by the men until ne
was unconscious.
He's done for shouted one of the
ringleaders when the officer gave no
signs of life, and the crowd thinking
him dead started on run for the pic
mic grounds, two miles away.
Mrs. Burton was alone at home, but
as soon as the mob disappeared, she
went to Marshal Kelley and, after u
time, succeeded in bringing him TO his
senses. He could scarcely move. but
insisted upon returning to the town. Il
nalf mile away, and getting help. Mrs.
Burton wanted to go instead, but the
marshal feared she might meet some
of the negroes on the way. She had
tried in the meantime to use the tele
phone. but failed. The officers said
Sunday night they believed the negroes
had noticed the wires, which run by
the carriage barn, where some of the
roisterers were, before entering the
house, and had cut the connections.
Marshal Kelly reached the town hall
ut Batavia so exhausted that he could
not speak. He was bleeding from
dozen Wounds and covered with dust,
for he fell from sheer weakness several
times. When he was able to tell what
had happened. Marshal Martin quickly
gathered few citizens and swore them
in as deputies. Mounted and in carria-
ges they drove to the Mill Creek pic
mic grounds, taking Marsha! Kelly with
them.
There were nearly 1000 men and
women at the picnic and it seemed
hopeless task TO find the fifty or more
who had assaulted the marshal. The
negroes made the work even harder, for
as soon as Marshal Kelly had been
taken past one group many of them
would run ahead and mingle with the
crowd in another part of the grounds.
Threats were made even in the presence
of the little posse to start the trouble
afresh. Occasionally n melon rind
would be thrown from the crowd ana
became even thicker when
Kelly pointed out woman as
one he had seen on Mrs. Burton's lawn.
You don't make any arrests here!"
shouted a big colored man, and imme-
diately the cry was taken UP by hun
dreas. But just then a rescue party
came on the scene.
Its appearance could not have been
more dramatic if plot had been laid
out 1t seems that as soon as the possee
left Batavia citizens who had not been
sworn in as deputies organized party
of their own and thirty men, armed
with rifles and shotguns set out for the
picnic grounds arriving just when It'll
looked ugly for the marshal and his
men.
Marshal Martin had difficulty in
keeping peace. The negroes, cowed and
sullen, made no more hostile demon
STATIONS, but the blood of the Batavia
people was up and they wanted to find
the guilty people.
A conference was held, however
which brought forth new plan. Mar
shall Kelly had lost consciousness again
and it was decided not to tax his
strength further, and as there was mol
one else there who could identify the
men or women who were wanted the
plan of stopping the train was adopted.
The marshal, his deputies, and the
volunteer possee made their way TO the
town and then. began preparations for!
The next move. More deputies We're
sworn in, cool headed men being pick
I'd, and a message was sent to Cen
eva for Robert Burke, sheriff of Kane
county. The trouble had been explain
I'd TO him over the telephone and he
reached Batavia shortly after O'Clock
With twenty men.