The Bourbon news. [volume] (Paris, Ky.) 1895-19??, 1903-07-28
ANOTHER RACE RIOT.
Two Killed and Twenty-Five
Wounded at Danyille, Ill.
One Negro Was Lynched and His Body
5urned-A Bitter Feeling Between
the Two Races Has Existed
For Long Time.

Danville, ILL.,, July 27.-James Will
son, colored, was arrested charged
with brutally assaulting Mrs Thomas
Burgess, wife Of a farmer, at Alvon,
| just north of here, Saturday He con.
fessed when placed in jail. A mob of
600 men started for the county Jail
| clamoring for his life.
On the way Negro named John d.
Metcalfe. said to be a fugitive from
Evansville, Ind, became involved in an
alteration with some of the mob.
They started for him and he pulled a
gun and fired. Henry Gatterman, a
young butcher, fell mOrtally wounded,
expiring a few seconds later. The Ne.
gro was arrested by the officers, but
the mob soon took him away from
the officers and hanged him to a tele-
graph pole His body was later cut
down and taken to the square in front
Of the Jail and burned.
The mob then made an attack on the
jail In vain effort to get Mrs. Bur.
CESS assailant. A battering ram was
imprOviSed and an assault made on
the Jail and the sheriff and the guards
resisted and finally fired into the
crowd. Twenty-Five persons were
wounded and the riot commenced.
The polite station was wrecked and
the county Jail had almost all it's win
dOws shattered.
The city is now in the hands of the
state troops and feeling of uneasi-
ness and dread prevails everywhere.
After daylight appeared Sunday
morning there were restless crowds on
the streets. Hundreds of farmers
poured into the city and each sur
rounding town contributed to swell the
crowd. There were many miners seen
on the streets.
Great unrest and threatening atti-
tude was reported from Westville, five
miles away. Early in the morning Will
son, the Negro assailant of Mrs. Bur-
CESS; was secretly taken from the
county Jail but was returned shortly
after 5 O'Clock Sunday morning to the
Jail.
Four companies of militia arrived at
$50 Sunday morning from Springfield.
Companies A, |, B and H, of the Sew
enth Illinois infantry, were sent in re-
ply to urgent requests sent at mid
night to state officials The troops
marched to the market house opposite
the Jail and camped. Streets were
cleared and the threatening attitude of
the crowds disappeared. There were
sullen threats heard, but no attempt at
an outbreak was manifest during the
day. Sunday night 100 sentinels were
patroling the streets in the immediate
vicinity of the Jail. Each soldier car
ries 40 rounds of ammunition.
Sheriff WhItlocA said Sunday in Civ
ing his version of the shooting into the
mob: after | saw from the Jail that
the mob was determined to attack, |
went to the veranda and attempted to
talk to the maddened men. AS | STEP
ped into view of the crowd two bullets
were fired, one striking the wall back
of me- ! fired two shots into the air.
Some one shouted that | was only
bluffing and was shooting blank cart
ridges. | warned the mob l would
resist an attack on the Jail with pow
der and lead There was another shot
from the mob and it surged forward.
l then fired a shot from my shotgun
into their legs This drove them back
but they returned a moment later to
the attack of the front door. l was
alarmed for the safety of my wife and
children My wife took a gun and
said she would stand by me. | got her
and the children out of the way and
then, seeing the leaders coming with
the rail to batter down the walls,
shot down the rail to make them drop
it, This accounts for so many being
shot in the hands and arms. l fired
eight or ten shots in all''
Sheriff Whit1Ock had four deputies
and three constables with him in the
Jail guarding the prisoners. He says
none fired into the mob but himself
Leading citizens say the outbreak
time, as bitter feeling has existed for
several years between the Negroes
and a certain class of white persons.
A number of miners outbreaks have
occurred during the past year
The feeling against the soldiers is
noticeable The cOmmiSsary depart
ment Sunday had much trouble get
ting restaurants to serve meals Many
refused to feed the soldiers There
was one clash between the guard and
q miner named Ed figgett. who be-
gan abusing the guard. The soldier
leyeled his bayonet and Liggett was
arrested and fined 500.