The Manning times. [volume] (Manning, Clarendon County, S.C.) 1884-current, 1904-03-16
A WILD MOB.
The Homes Of Negroes Burnt in Ohio
by White Men.
ANOTHER NIGHT OF TURM0IL.
Governor Herrick Was Very Slow
in Ordering Troops to The
Rescue Of the Colored
People.
People.

in Ordering Troops to The
!, Rescue Of the Colored
People.
A dispatch from Springfield, o.,
says intense excitement prevails here
at an early hour "Wednesday morning
which not even the presence Of seven
companies of national guard can allay.
This excitement is shared by all the
business men and property owners Of
the city, the fear that some negroes
will attempt to avenge the burning Of
the leyee districts by firing the down
town business houses or their homes
IN the residence district. So far the
negroes have not tried to make good
their threats to dynamite the county
jail to even up" with Sheriff Rout-
zahn for permitting the negro MUIR
derer Dickson to be taken by the mob
Monday night without the shedding Of
blood to save him. Not fourth Of
the business district of the city is
under patrol by either militia or police
and it looks as if a close guard would
have to be kept for several days to
prevent further incendiarism. 1t is
thought, however, that the troops
now on hand will be able to save the
western levee district in West
Washington street, which the leaders
openly declared they would set fire to
as soon as the work in the eastern half
of the street was completed. There is
little or no disorder, the mob of 1000
men standing quietly watching the
spread Of the flames in the neighbor-
hood of Spring and Gallagher streets,
and apparently ready to help if it
should show signs of spreading beyond
the confines they originally set fer it.
When the leaders of the mob passed
down off of East High street early last
evening to begin the work of burning
the levee residences, Father John
Cogan, assistant pastor of St. Rap
hael's church, got down on his knees
on the sidewalk and implored them to
desist in their work as they might
start a fire they would not be able to
control. The incendiarists paused
only moment, a few of them cursed
him and then went quickly on to be-
gin their task. So far the fire loss
does not exceed $500
DETAILS OF NIGHT OF TRIAL.
Threats throughout the day and
Thursday evening to burn the leyee.
the negro district Of the city, confirm
ed Mayor G. J. Bowlus in his behalf
that more trouble was brewing Thurs
day night and he asked Governor Her
rick for troops. Two companies from
Dayton and one each from Miamis-
burg, Urbana and Columbus, have
been promised to reinforce the two
local companies.
Many Of the negroes of the city were
surely and moody Thursday night, and
it was realized that only spark was
needed to set off the magazine Of
race war. At $50 O'Clock Thursday
night the crowd gathered in the levee
district numbered 1,500 and one or
two revolver shots had been fred at
random.
BY $50 o'clock crowd of 1000
men had assembled along the Big Four
railroad tracks almost blockading
Washington street which is known as
the levee from Fountain avenue. Two
hundred negroes were clustered
together just west Of Fountain avenue,
in the levee district near the place
called Honkytonk.
The negroes were unusually quiet
and seemed to be waiting for start
to be made by the white men. The
other crowd was boisterous and there
were frequent yells and several pistol
shots heard, although no one has been
reported injured so far.
At ll:2O the threat Of the mob, fire.
quently made through the day and
evening, was finally made good and a
volume Of flame was seen to shoot up
from the rear OF place occupied by
Les Thomas, a saloon keeper. Pre-
ceding the firing of the building, the
mob at a distance of hundred feet,
shot at the front Of the building for a
half hour, but it is not known whether
any of the occupants had remained in
the building anc if they did whether
any fatalities resulted from the shoot
ing. The fire spread both ways from
Thomas place.
1t is understood that the negro
population is highly incensed at Sher-
III Routzahn for not using greater
force in protecting Dixon. Sheriff
Routzahn had been warned that the
insvant the torch was applied in
Washington street he had better re-
move his family from the jail as that
institution was to be Immediately
dynamited.
Throughout the day there has been
a vague unrest in every quarter Of the
city. The body of the lynched negro
was taken from the telegraph pole at
clock Thursday morning and placed
in a little undertaking shop. Through
the forenoon fully $4,000 people saw
the body and stood aboat the city in
groups. The police and officials were
worried, but did not seem to know
what was best to do.
at noon the undertaking Office was
closed. The crowds did not disperse,
and nobody seemed to be working. at
nightfall there were reports OF threat
ened trouble-fiying thick and fast and
the crowds in the streets grew larger.
1t was rumored that the negroes would
attempt to burn the city and the in
surance men appealed to Mayor Bow
lus to protect them. The police were
in state bordering on panic after
their horrible experience at the jail
the night before.
The company of militia from Nenia
arrived at l:30 "wednesday morning)
and were Immediately sent towards
the leyee by circuitous route.