The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-07-06
new RACE WAR.
This One Breaks Out at Evans
vile, Indiana.
Armed Bodies of Whites and
Blacks in Streets.
ORDERS OUT MILITIA.
Citizens Riddle Negro Dives
With Bullets.
List of Dead and Wounded Not
Yet Made Up.
ORDERS OUT MILITIA.

! Evansville Ind, July 6.-Race preju-
dice between blacks and whites brought
on a reign of terror here Sunday which
has not ended. All of last night and
all day yesterday armed mobs threat
ended the lives of citizens Gun stores
were broken open and weapons and
ammunition were seized by blacks and
whites, the county Jail is partly
wrecked, an angry mob of 1000 whites
breaking in to hunt for a black victim,
the wall was forced with battering-
ram, negro dives were ransacked ana
shot to pieces in the search for the
blacks. and an armed company of
drilled blacks marched through the
streets threatening the lives of all
whites. The governor ordered out
troops to protect property and quell
the disturbance.
At $50 this morning Capt. Brenke of
the police force reported that there was
little possibility of peace. The crowd
of negroes that started the trouble last
night is thought to have been organ
lied at Bud Fruits place. The cap
tain said that there is little doubt in his
mind but that Fruit melted the negroes
to go to the defense of Brown, who the
mob thought was confined in the jail.
The armed force of negroes still is at
large, though scattered, and is defying
the officers. No arrests have been
made, but the policemen have been IN
structed to do everything in their power
to corrall the band. No deaths have
been reported, but several are known
to have sustained serious injuries ana
a number of negroes are missing.
The mob that moved on Baptist Town
early this morning rfddled the dives
with bullets, and it is thought few
persons were killed and several injured
! The r1onh hln infn tllt1
powder magazine, though an attempt
was made to do So 1t has divided into
small groups and the members are still
armed and marching through the
streets.
The company of militia which was
ordered on the scene by Governor Dur
bin has not arrived. an5 an investiga~
ton will follow the rs ilne of the cap
tain of the company to respond to the
call of the state and city authorities
Capt. Brenke says the police depart
ment is powerless if another outbreak
occurs.
HE SHOT A POLICEMAN
The race riot was the immediate out
come of the shooting of Patrolman Mas
Sey Friday night by Lee Brown, ne
gro. Brown and another negro had en-
gagged in a quarrel and Brown had
sworn to kill his antagonist He ran
toward hih home to secure a revolver
and Patrolman Massey hearing of the
trouble lay in wait for Brown. AS the
/ negro CAME DICK dIIHSN, IQllli1S lid Ct-
emy, Massey stepped from a doorway
and laid his hand on Browns shoulder.
Brown turned quickly and shot the pa
trolman in the abdomen. The officer as
he lay on the sidewalk fired at Brown
and wounded him dangerously. He fell
and the two fired at each other as they
Law on the pavement emptying their re-
volvers.
Excitement has been intense and after
the arrest of Brown the Jail has been
I <l.ol ,;r1,f I'D dn a NIGHT a
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 moved from the jail and
taken to Vincennes where he now lies in
the new Jail a the point of death from
his wounds. The Jail is being guarded
by armed deputies who VIII remain on
duty all night.
Patrolman Massey died last msnt
from his wounds.
TROUBLE OF LONG STANDING.
The trouble. which has been brewing
for months. came to a crisis Friday
when Lee Brown, a negro, shot and
killed Patrolrnan Massey, who was try
ing to arrest him while bent on the
murder of a man with whom he nad
quarreled Threats of vengeance were
followed by the surrounding of the jail.
The negro was secretly removed from
the city yesterday and taken to Nln-
cennes Patrolman Massey died in ter
rible agony. and yesterday morning the
crowds refused to credit statements of
the officials that the negro was not in the
iail and became threatening. Twenty
five policemen were moblllzed in the
iail and repulsed the first attempt to
force an entrance after the gates were
crushed in. A telephone pole was used
as a battering ram and the Jail win
dows gave way. A committee was ap-
pointed to search for the negro, but its
rCfl rrff
believed, and forcing a breach the mob
poured into the corridors Finding It's
victim gone. there was a cry of XIII
the negroesi" and arms were demanded.
DOWN WITH WHITES.
A company of armed negroes, aroused
by the race troubles, marched through
the streets shouting Down with the
whitesr' and threatening death to all
if the negro was lynched. This started
a rush for the gun stores by the whites.
Three were broken open and 400 rif1eA
and revolvers with ammunition Were.
seized.
From this time on throughout the
night there was continued shooting.
What the fatalities were the comine
day will show. But one negro woman
is lsnown to be dead and a boy named
Logan was shot and seriously wounded
by a negro. The mob went through
the streets inhabited by negroes, but
did not stop to inspect its work, ana
the excitement and confusion have pre-
vented houses being searched for dead
! and wounded.
The mob. after leaving the Jail, on
finding that the negro Brown was gone
broke into the gun stores of Boetticncr
& Kellogg, Willerding & Co. and F. NJ.
Bush & Co, and after thoroughly arm
ing rushed through the streets hunting
negroes. The armed company of ne
groes had disa aDpeared- All the blacks
had fled the streets, and when the riot
ers failed to find victims In the streets
the resort of Bud Fruit was attacked
and shot to pieces. Whether any were
killed there is not yet known. F>reHs
there the gun stores OF Willerding and