The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-07-12
DURBIN STILL FIRM.

CONCLUDED FROM FIRST PAGE.)
bad negroes. They are human; hence they
were aroused in lust for summary ven
geance. They wanted the other negroes to
have an object lesson. That is pointed,
perhaps, but true. They would not incite
or encourage lynching, it may be, but
they were not going to be very eorry If one
took place, and they were not going to make
an exceptionally vigorous effort to prevent
one. Now how was the mob started?
HOW MODS GROW.
Have you ever attended a prize fight. or
a football game? If you have, you may
recall when at the suggestion of foul on
one side the partisans of the other. who
ordinarily are even tempered, well bal
excitement, in which they called on their
side to retaliate In kind. This explains
how eminently respectable, law-abiding
citizens of Evansville, shocked by the muir
der of the policeman, freely and publicly
expressed the opinion that some summary
action must be taken to put an end TO
such outrages and crimes. They did not
mean to suggest mob law, perhaps, but the
reckless citizens who heard them immedi-
ately jumped at the conclusion that a
lynching would at least be condoned by
the better element This sentiment spread
like wildfre. A man who stops in a crowd
ed thoroughfare and looks intently and
points up at the top floor Of building will
have an excited crowd around him in ten
minutes doing the same thing. That
plains how easy 1t is to gather the mob.
Human beings are much like sheep and will
follow a leader blindly over a precipice.
There were leaders for the Evansville mob.
There must have been. Then came Satur-
day nights outbreak at the Jail. Other
events followed rapidly and logically.
AS has been said before, mob is an
unreasoning and unreasonable animal.
Sheriff Kratz. instead of standing firmly
on his authority and duty, attempted to
argue and temporize with the mob Satur-
day night. He succeeded only in staving
off the inevitable. OF course outbreaks con-
tinued Sunday night and again the mob
was not dealt with summarily. BY Mon
day every intelligent person in the city
realized that the mob would have full sway
until IL accomplished its purpose. so far as
the local authorities were concerned. The
mob knew 1t. too. if not by the exercise of
intelligence. at least by intuition and blind
instinct.
A COMPLICATED PROBLEM.
Sunday nights demonstrations. when the
city was in the hands of riotous gangs
of both blacks and whites that were insti-
tuting a reign of terror, present a some-
what complicated problem. The negroes
were for the most part of the wholly vicious
class. inflamed by drink aid the fear of
violence at the hands OF the whites. They
determined to terrorize the whites. The
whites. most of whom likewise in
famed by drink, were eager to avail them
selves of the excuse offered by the rumors
that the negroes had started on the war
path TO take to the warpath themselves.
One mob formed, many OF whom We're not
armed. Some one suggested that weapons
be secured from nearby hardware store.
One man, aroused by the report that rela-
tive had been killed by the negroes, is said
To have told the mob 10 break into the
store for the arms, stating that he would
pay for all damage done. The mob needed
no further pretext. The store was raided.
some of the mob availing themselves of the
opportunity TO take a little silverware. etc.
as well as guns and revolvers. The report
OF the action of this mob was rapidly cir
cuIated and IL was taken as a license for
similar depredations. Then the mobs shot
up the town" Fortunately. or perhaps un-
fortunately. the mobs Of whites and blacks
did not come into direct and sanguinary
conflict.
Monday night the iawiess element. drunk
with excess and license. and indamed by
pure animal passion. formed the nucleus
OF the mob at the -aii. The crowd was