The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1904-03-12
MOB APPLIES TORCH.
Whites Attack Negro Quarters in
Springfield, o.-Buildings Burned
Troops Ordered Out.

Springfield, O., March 9.-Following
a night of rioting in bitter race war,
the result of the lynching of Richard
Dixon, a negro murderer of Policeman
Coils on Monday night, this city is I'M
der the guard of six companies of state
militia, sent here by Gov. Herrick. A
crowd of 5000 whites, nearly all of them
armed, invaded the levee district, the
settlement of the blacks tonight, fired
yolleys of shots through the flimsy
houses and saloons, and the set fire to
them. The whole of one side of block
was burned.
| The mob had everything its own way
until after Midnight. Then the troops,
which had been rushed here by special
train, surrounded the levee, drove the
rioters back and broke up the plan to
spread the work to another negro set
Element near by. Company M Of
the Fourth regiment of Xenia
and company d of the Third regi-
| ment of Urbana are now picketed along
| the Big Four railway tracks facing the
burned district There are 225 enlisted
men in each. Companies G and K of Day.
ton and company H of Miamisburg are
stationed at various points in the Espla-
made, Fountain evenue and High street
to prevent ingress to either negroes or
whites, and so far as their scant numbers
will permit will forestall any efforts to
burn the immediate business district.
STILL there is grave danger Of fire start
ing in the great outlying districts, among
the factories and houses, and ten times
the number of troops now on,hand would
be entirely insufficient to prevent in
cendiarism.
The attack on the levee began about
II o'clock. At that time mob of 1000
whites had gathered along the Big Four
railroad tracks, almost blocking Wash
ington street, which is known as the
levee, from Fountain avenue. Two hun
dred negroes were clustered together
: just west of this spot, near the place
called Honky Tonk. The negroes ap-
parently were awaiting move by the
white men. Suddenly a portion of the
white mob drew off about 100 feet from
the saloon of Lies" Thomas, we'll
known resort for negroes, and COM
menced firing at the building. Volley
after volley was poured through it's front.
but no noise came from the Interior and
it could not be seen If any one was inside.
Then flame shot up from the rear.
The fire leaped through the building.
! Surrounded on all sides by light frame
houses the fire spread rapidly, and in Is
minutes the entire block was blazing.
One of the fire engines was stuck in the
mud and was abandoned. The mob,
stirred to frenzy by the sight of the
spreading fire. was in no mood to have
its work stopped by the ffremen, and
they hampered the department in. every
way possible.
i Fears of negro attacks kept the police
on the alert all through the city. Tho
negroes have declared openly that they
propose to avenge the lynching of Mon
day night, and threats have been made
against several of the city and county Of
ficials.
The blacks are particularly incensed
against Sheriff Routzahn for not using
greater force in protecting Dixon, and
he was warned that as soon as torch
was applied in Washington street he
should remove his family from the Jail
as it was planned to blow UP the struc-
ture with dynamite. The other public
buildings are threatened as we'll.