The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-04-16
And He II Seized, Despite Resistance,
Dragged from Jail and Hanged
to q Telegraph Pole.
MOB REFORMS LATER AT NIGHT
IxvADEs THE NEGRO QUARTERS OF
THE CITY, FIRES HOUSES,
Assaults Frightened Occupants and
Caases Them Away, Paying No
Heed to Lawabiding People.

JOPLIN. Mo-. April 15.-This city was
tonight in control of mob which lynched
one negro burned the houses of others and
drove every coIored man out of the city.
This was done despite the pleading of City
Attorney p. II. Decker and the efforts Of
law-abiding citizens.
The lynched negro was a tramp who was
arrested on suspicion Of shooting Police
irg to arrest some negroes in the Kansas
City Southern Railroad yards last night.
The negro was found to-day in a slaughter
house east of Joplin by Lee Fullerton. The
negro was armed with a rife. Fullerton
slipped into the structure unobserved and
crept up behind the negro. Fullerton
The eaptor held knife at the capttve's
throat until the negro surrendered the
rife. Pointing the rife at the prisoner
Fullerton marched him to Jail. The Jail
was surrounded by hundreds of people.
City Attorney p. H. Decker mounted the
jail steps and made plea for law and or
der. This did not appease the mob. and a
short time after Decker's speech the mob
started to batter in a section of the Jail
wall Futile efforts were made to prevent
the entrance of the mob. but within fif-
teea minutes the lawless men had gained
entranc, to the Jail and secured the trem-
bling Iegro AS he was dragged forth City
Attorney Decker again urged that the
negro be given a trial. For half an hour he
talked and the mob listened to him with
the negro in their custody. Some of. the
transgressors repented and began to dis
perse.
THE NEGRO SEIZED.
Suddenly a rush was made for the spot
where the negro held and he was
dragged two blocks from the jail. A rope
WIS fastened around his neck. After the
rope had been thrown over the crossarm
of a telegraph pole score of men at
tempted to pull the negro from the ground
AS many more seized the negro and tried
to prevent his being hanged. For some
moments IL was a tug of war. but rein
forcements on the free end of the rope
proved the stronger and the negro. despite
his protestations Of innocence, was finally
swung into the air and strangled to death
while shouts went up from the mob. The
name OF the negro was not known. He
was a stranger in Joplin. AS soon as the
negro was dead the mob dispersed in the
twilight and later the body was cut down
and taken in charge by the coroner.
The lynching of the negro, however
served only temporarily to satisfy the in
dignation OF the mob, and later tonight
hundreds OF men again assembled and
rioted through the negro district, burning
houses. stoning negroes and finally driving
every negro from Joplin. The police were
poweriess. The first act. of the mob after
hanging the negro was TO demand the re-
lease from jail OF local character known
as Hickory Bill, who was under arrest on
a charge OF ssaulting a negro. In the
hope that this would appease the mob the
prisoner was s,. free.
THE ORCH APPLIED.
But the mob dI not disperse Instead a
rush was made through Main street and
every negro was driven TO the north part
OF Joplin. where the colored population
lives. Then the mob charged down on the
quarter. Stones were thrown, doors and
windows OF negroes houses were broken in,
and finally several houses were fired The
fire department responded. but many of
the houses were burned TO the ground. The
mob made endeavors to prevent the fire de-
partment from extinguishing the flames,
and were partly successful. All the officers
or the city, township and county were
called out. but the mob swept them aside
and proceeded with the rioting Mayor
Trin ran from corner to corner. and, mount
ing boxes. made earnest appeals to the mob
to cease. but, cheering the mayor vocifer-
ously. the mob swept on and the depreda-
tions continued. The saloons were hurriedly
closed by the mayor.
After the hundreds of frenzied men COM
posing the mob had vented their wrath
in the north end of the city they rushed
TO the southern end. where a number of
negroes lived Their bouses were vacant
and not a negro could be found Three more
houses were fired and two were burned. All
efforts to reason with the rioters were
futile.
The streets ore thronged. and at midnight
the whole city Is In an uproar. So far as
known no fatalities have occurred. al
though many persons received minor in
5Lriss.
Another Negro Spirited Away.