The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-07-22
Militia and Mob Have a Battle
in Evansville, Ind, During
G Negro LynchiHg.
SOLDIERS SHOOT TO KILL
Hardware Stores Broken Into. ARMS
and Ammunition Taken From
Them---Martial Law.

Evansville, Ind: --FoIo lowing four
days Of rioting and general lawless-
ness. this city on the fourth night saw
the most terrible of its experiences
with rioters. Seven persons are dead
and fourteen are known to be injured
seriously with at 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 days vigilance
guarding the County Jail, and 100 Dep
uty Sheriffs, under Sheriff Chris. kratz,
fired point blank into mob OF 1000
gathered on Fourth, Division and Vine
streets, surrounding the Nanderburg
County Jail, and attempting it's capture.
From 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 sheriffs
who guarded the Jail.
At . o'clock the mob gradually be-
came more and more excited, its mani
festations of uneasiness more frequent,
and at 10 o'clock it was seen that moth
ing could prevent an assault OIL the
jail. At 1920 the rioters pressed slowly
forward and innocent onlookers fol-
lowed. Slowly they forced the militia
mon 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 shield to the bayonetS of the
soldiers, attempted to enter the alley
and storm the alleyway entrance. Cap
tain Blum of the National Guard, Or
dered charge on the rioters.
Gradually the crowd was forced
back, the soldiers using their bayonetS
and butts of guns. Suddenly rioter
fell. 4 soldier tried to drag him to his
feet but before he could, was assaulted
by rioter. Stones and boulders began
to fly through the air. A soldier was
struck with rock and fell. A rioter
was knocked down with a gun butt
and then a shot was fired. The one
shot started a fusiHade 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 H. 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.
labcrer; 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 We're seen TO fall,
but got away before their names were
learned. At least that number were
suspected of being hurt.
Four members Of Company \. 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 Fincennes.
He shot and killed Policeman Massey.
AS Massey lay on the pavement dying
he raised himself on his elbow and sent
bullet through the negro's left lung,
inflicting fatal wound.
While the attack of the mob was
not unexpected it was supposed that
assurances that Robert Brown, the COL
pred murderer OF Patrolman Massey,
was not in the Jail would again be ar.
cepted by the mob and that trouble
would thus be avoided. bat the mob
refused to believe the Sheriff's state
ments and advanced upon the Jail with
battering-rams cut from telegraph
poles.
The mob. which had been hunting
all the evening for a chaEce to vent
its wrath on some negro. found one
about 11.30 p. m. and promptly lynched
him.
The troops hurried to the scene and
tried h argument and by threats to
induce the rioters to permit the black
man to 60 free. The mob would not
listen, however, and its leaders de-
clared there should be lynching then
and there. The members of the mob
clamored for the work to begin and
despite all the efforts of the troops
the work of hanging was commenced.
When the officers of the militia saw
how. determined the crowd was and
that it would be impossible to save the
negro they reluctantly ordered their
men to prepare to shoot to kill
The victim had been swung off when
the firing actually began. and as soon
rs the soldiers shot into the mob its
members returned the fire. The great
number of casualties among the rioters
rendered them furious.
The friends of the dead and injured
paraded the streets and threatened to
burn the Jail and the crowd increased
20 10000 people, many Of the women of
Dies Trying to Save a Boy.