The Minneapolis journal., 1903-07-06

Evansville IND, July e.-This city IS
quiet this morning and there are, no signs
OF the mob violence that animated the
population all Of last night. Business Is
proceeding on the even tenor OF Its way.
A trip in the business section reveals
the fact that much damage was done to
numerous stores last night, especially TO
the hardware houses, many of which were
entered and robbed of guns and ammunl-
ton Thousands Of shots were fired dur
: ing the night, but so far as learned no one
p was killed, altho numbers Of people are
said to have been wounded. Several
negroes were caught by mobs and almost
beaten to death before the police could
save them.
The chief demonstration Of the night
was an attack upon the county Jail, be-
tween 10 and ! o'clock. Several thousand
men crowded the streets before the build
Ing and finally obtained entrance thru
the fortified gates to the yard where
they began to batter the windows Of the
Jail
Efforts to prevent this were futile and
the crowd held sway, the police OF the
city being occupied with preventing the
mob from invading the front part Of the
building and ransacking the sheriff's
residence.
After the mob was thoroly satisfied that
Lee Brown, the murderer OF Patrolman
Massey, was not In the building, they
and paraded the downtown streets until
daylight, shooting promiscuously and Wis
iting the negro quarters. .--'
The local company of the state militia
has been ordered out and will be rein
forced by companies from southern In
diana.
A Reign Of Terror.
Race prejudice between, blacks and
whites brought on a reign OF terror Sun
day which has not yet ended. All LOT last
night and all day yesterday armed mobs
threat tened the lives of citizens. Gun
stores were broken open and weapons and
ammunition were seized by blacks and
whites. RIB.
The county jail Is partly wrecked, an
angry mob of 1000 angry whites having
broken In to hunt for a. black victim. The
wall was forced with q, battering ram.
Negro dives were ra.nsacked and shot
to pieces in the search for the blacks,
and an angry company Of drilled blacks
marched thru the streets threatening the
lives of all whites
The governor has ordered out troops to
protect property and quell the disturb
ance, but they did not arrive.
At daylight this morning $500 arme
white men started for the powder maga-
zine near the city to secure explosives
with which they declare they will blow up
the entire negro colony Of Bapt1sttown,
a suburb Of the city.
Cause OF the Trouble.
The trouble which has been brewing
for months came to crisis Friday, when
Lee Brown, a negro, shot and killed Pa
trolman Massey, who was trying to arrest
him while he was trying to murder q man
with whom he had quarreled.
The negro who was arrested was secret
ly removed from the city yesterday and
taken to Vincennas. Patrolman Massey
died in terrible agony.
The Mob Becomes Threatening.
Yesterday morning the crowds refused
TO credit statements of the officials that
the negro rwas not in the jail and became
threatening. Twenty-Five policemen were
mobiized in the jail 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
windows gave way. A committee was
appointed to searchc for the negro. but its
report that he was not in the jail was
not believed and after forcing a brea ch
the mob poured into the corridors. Find
ing its victim gone, there was cry OF
'kill the niggers," and arms were de-
randed.
A Company of Armed Blacks Come Out
A company of armed negroes, aroused
by the race troubles, marched thru the
streets shouting down with the whites,
and threatening death to all If the negro
was 1ynched. This started rush for the
gun stores by the whites. Three were
broken open and 400 rifles and revolver
with ammunition were seized.
From this time on thruout the nigh
there was continued shooting. One negro
woman Is known to be dead and a bo,
named Logan was shot and seriously
wounded by negro. The mob wen
thru the streets inhabited by negroes
and the excitement and confusion hav
prevented houses being searched for deat
and wounded.
Gun Stores Broken Open. s
The mob, after leaving the Jail on find
ing that the negro, Brown, was gone
broke into the gun stores Of Bottioner (
Kellogg, Willederng & Co., and F.. M
Bush & Co.. and, thoroly arming, rushe
thru the streets hunting negroes. TIL
armed company of eegroes had disap
peared All blacks had fled from tn
streets and when the rioters failed to fin
victims In the streets the resort Of Bud
Fruit was attacked and shot to pieces
Whether any were killed there is no
known yet. ~ "
The Mob Marches on RaptIsttown.
The march to Baptisttown was then be
gun as dawn began to break a sectio
OF the mob was rushing toward the pow
der magazine near the city for powde
with which to blow up the negro colony.
Thruout the night officials were power
less. The governor was appealed to an
ordered out the militia, but 1t did not an
pear. Three gun stores were demolished
the Jail was partly wrecked, glass In
hundred buildings was broken and a spir
Of revenge on the, part Of the whites an
the sullen resistance on the part Of tn
blacks was manifest. The governor wa
appealed to a second time.
The Police Were PowerIess.
The riot became worse at o'clock tn
morning. The police sent after the mo
which started for Baptisttown telephone
to headquarters that they were powerles
as the mob was armed with rifles and the
had only revolyers.
Just after dawn the mob began bon
harding the houses of colored people
Baptisttown and the police had repor,
that many people were wounded and ths
there are probably some deaths. The p,