The Penn's Grove record., 1903-07-10
Militia and Mob Have a Battle
in Evansville, Ind, During
a Negro Lynchins.
SOLDIERS SHOOT TO KILL
Hardware Stores Broken lnto--Arms
and Ammunition Taken From
Them---MartiaI Law.

Evansville. Ind. = Following Iour
days Of rioting and general lawiess-
ness, this city on the fourth night saw
the rlost terrible of its experiences
with rioters. Seven persons are DEAD
and fourteen are known to be injured
seriously with 1T least that NUMBER
more thought to be hurt.
AT 1890 o'clock the members OF Com
pany a, First Regiment, Indiana Ma
tional Guard, after a days vigilance
guarding the County Jail, and 100 Dep
uty Sheriffs, under Sheriff Chris. hratz,
fired point blank into a mob OF lOOO
gathered on Fourth, Division and vine
streets, surrounding the Vanderburg
County jail, and attempting it's capture.
'FRONT.' o'clock a. M. until the hour OF
the. nights catastrophe the crowd
surged about the Jail calling the mill
tiamen vile names, assailing them with
stones and berating the deputy sher1Hs
who guarded the jail.
At 9 o'clock the mob gradually be-
came more and more excited, its mani
ASot0tAVuo NJ uICuOlACSS AOAC AS4uNA3
and at 10 o'clock it was seen that moth
ing could prevent an assault on the
jail. At 1890 the rioters pressed slowly
forward and innocent OnlOOkers fol-
lowed. Slowly they forced the militia
men back toward the Jail, until the al
ley between Division street and the
stone building was reached. Then the
leaders, with a bicycle in their front
as a shield to the bay0nets OF the
soldiers, attempted to enter the alley
and storm the alleyway entrance. Cap
tain Blum, of the National Guard, or
dered a charge on the rioters.
Gradually the crowd was forced
back, the soldiers using their bayonets
and butts Of guns. Suddenly a rioter
fell. A soldier tried to drag him to his
feet, but before he could, was assaulted
by a rioter. Stones and boulders began
to fly through the air. A soldier was
struck with a rock and fell. A rioter
was knocked down with a gun butt
and then a shot was fired. The one
shot started a fusillade of musketry
and shotgun fire from defenders.
The dead are:
Edward Schiffman, painter; top of
head blown off with rifle.
Hazel Altman, fifteen years old,
daughter of Joseph III. Altman; shot in
breast with shotgun.
John Barrett, shot in the right lung.
August Jordan, nineteen, musician;
bullet wound through heart.
Edward Rule, twenty-three years old,
laborer; shot through body and head;
killed instantly.
Two men lying in front of the Jail.
Fourteen other men were dangerous
ly wounded.
Six other rioters were seer to fall,
but got away before their names were
learned. At least that number were
suspected of being hurt.
Four members of Company A, First,
Regiment, bullet and light gunshot
wounds on the body; one of them shot
through shoulder; another through the
ankle and other two slight scratches.
Two deputy sheriffs were slightly
wounded.
All this time Robert Lee Brown. the
negro whose life the lynchers were
eager to take, was in Jail at Vincennes.
He shot and killed Policeman Massey.
AS Massey lay on the pavement dying
he raised himself Oh his elbow and sent
a BULLET through the negro's left lung.
lnficting a fatal wound.
While the attack of the mob was
not unexpected it was supposed that
assurances that Robert Brown. the COL
ored murderer of Patrolman Massey.
was not in the Jail would again be ac.
cepted by the mob and that trouhle
would thus be avoided, but the mob
refused to believe the Sheriff's state-
ments and advanced upon the iail with
Dattering-rams cut from telegraph
poles.
The mob, which had been hunting
all the evening for a chance TO vent
wrath on some negro, found one
him.
The troops hurried to the scene and
tried by argument and by threats to
induce the rioters to permit the black
to go free. The mob would NOT
listen. however, and it's leaders de-
clared there should be a lynching then
and there. The members of the mob
for the work to begin and
despite all the efforts Of the troons
the work of hanging was commenced.
When the officers Of the militia saw
now determined the crowd was and
that it would be impossible to save the
negro they reluctantly ordered their
to prepare to shoot to kill.
The victim had been swung off when
firing actually began, and as O O
as the soldiers shot into the mob it's
returned the fire. The great
OF casualties among the rioters
rendered them furious.
The friends of the dead and injured
paraded the streets and threatened to
ourn the Jail and the crowd increased
10 2O,O00 people, many Of the women.o of
Dies Irving to Save q Pow