Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1903-07-29
ANOTHER RACE RIOT.
Two Killed and Twenty-Five
Wounded at DanvLlc, Ill.
One Negro Was lynehcd and His Body
eurned-A Bitter Feeling Between
the Two Races Has Existed
For Long Time.

Danville. H.. July 27.-Jamcs VIII.
son, colored, was arrested charged
with brutally assaulting Mrs. Thomas
Burgess. wife OF farmer. at Alvon.
Just north of here. Saturday. He con.
tossed when placed in Jail. mob OF
GOO men started for the county jail
clamoring for his life.
On the way Negro named John ID.
Metcalfe. said 10 be fugitive from
Evansville. Ind. became involved in an
alteration with some Of the mob.
They started for him and ne pulled n
gun and fired. Henry Gatterman. n
young butcher. fell mortally wounded,
expiring few seconds later. The Ne.
gro was arrested by tho 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
| improviscd 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 police station was wrecked and
| the county Jail had almost all its 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 a threatening atti-
tude was reported from Westville, five
miles away. Early in the morning Will.
| son, the Negro assailant of Mrs. Bur-
| gess, was secretly taken from the
county Jail but was returned shortly
after o'clock Sunday morning to the
Jail.
| Four companies Of militia arrived at
$3.50 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
sullcn 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 Whltlock said Sunday in Civ
| ing his version of the shooting into the
| mob: AFTER ! saw from the Jail that
| tie 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
| blufng and was shooting blank cart
| ridges. ! warned the mob ] would
resist an attack on the jail with pow
| der and lead. There was another shot
| from the mob and 1t surged forward.
then fired slot from my shotgun
| into their legs. This drove them back
| but they returned n moment later TO
tic attack OF the front door. I 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, I
SHOT down the rail to make them drop
IL. This accounts for so many being
shot in the hands and arms. fired
eight or ten shots In all"
Sheriff Whitlock had four deputies
| and three constables with him in the
jail guarding tho prisoners. He says
none fred into the mob but himself.
Leading citizens say the outbreak
has been expected by them for a long
time. as bitter feeling has existed for
several years between the NegI oes
and certain class OF white persons.
A number Of miners outbreaks have
occurred during the past year.
The feeling against the soldiers Is
noticeable. TIE commlssary depart.
mcnt Sunday had much trouble get
ting restaurants 90 serve meals Many
refused TO feed the soldiers. There
was one clash between the guard and
a miner named Ed Liggett. who be.
gan abusing the guard. The soldier
leYele1 his bsyonet and Liggett was
arrested and fined 800.