The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1904-03-09
MOB At SPRINGFIELD
APPLIES THE TORCH
IN LEYEE DISTRICT


Members of the mob openly declared that
when their work in the eastern
levee district was completed they
would transfer their efforts TO that
portion west of the Big Four sta
ton and the Arcade Hotel. This portion of
West Washington street is also known as
the levee, and the buildings are similar TO
those in the eastern portion.
Among the places in the west levee dis
trict are a number that are resorts for
the colored people and in one of which
Dixon shot Coils.
At midnight it was apparent the negroes
all over the city had become intimidated
and their boasts made in the earlier part
of the evening were no longer heard.
Mayor Bowles was in constant communi-
cation with Governor Herrick. the latter
fully realizing the urgent need in which the
city stood for help.
UNREST ALL DAY.
Throughout Tuesday there had been a
vague unrest in every quarter of the city.
The body of the lynched negro was taken
from the telegraph pole at 3 o'clock Tuesday
morning and was placed in a little under
taking shop. Through the forenoon fully
10000 people saw the body and people stood
about the city in groups. The police and
officials were worried. but did not know
what best to do
At noon the undertaker's was closed, but
the crowds did not dispense. At nightfall
there were reports of threatened trouble
flying thick and fast and the crowds grew
larger. 1t was rumored that the negroes
would attempt to burn the city, and the
insurance men appealed to Mayor Bowlus
to protect them The police were in a state
bordering panic after their horrible ex-
perience at the Jail Monday night. Iney
had been without sleep, were nervous and
at high tension. They appealed to the
mayor and a council was called. The mayor
Chief of Police o Brien and Sheriff Routzaz
han and two or three other city and county
officials met in the mayors office.
The result of the elaboration was that
the Governor was asked for troops In the
meantime the crowd grew larger. The ma
Jority of the mob seemed to be at the rail-
road station in the heart of the city and
close to the levee The police tried to scat
ter them, but they were only partially sue
cessfuI. In this crowd a negro fired a shot
There was a cry that it was aimed at an
officer. an6 Immediately the whole contin-
gent of police and the mob at their heels
with a yell, started after him. The negro
got away
Negroes were not much in evidence
through the early part OF the evening
When they appeared they were greeted
with boots and yells.
MILITIA ARRIVES.
The company of militia from Xenia ar
rived al 1870 this wednesday, morning and
was Immediately sent toward the levee
by a circuitous route. The companies of
local militia are guarding the armory
where ammunition is stored They are
commanded by Major Kirkpatrick.
The feeling of unrest was accumulated by
the uncertainty of what the mob was 60
ing to do, or where the trouble might next
begin
Company NJ. of the Fourth Regiment, of
Xenia, and Company d, of the Third Regi-
ment. of Urbana. were picketed along the
Big Four Railroad tracks, facing the burn
ing district along East Washington street
At las o'clock Companies G and X, of
Dayton, and Company X. of Miamisburg
arrived and they were stationed at vari-
Gus points in the esplanade, Fountain ave-
nue. and High street to prevent ingress
of either negroes or whites. The outlying
districts among the factories and dwell
ing houses are unprotected and ten times
the number of troops now on hand would
be entirely insufficient to prevent incen-
diarism.
At 2 o'clock this morning the excite
ment was still intense. The bust
ness men feared the negroes would
avenge the burning of the levee district by
firing the downtown business houses or
their homes in the residence district So
far. however. the negroes have not tried to
carry out their threats to dynamite the
county Jail TO 'even up with Sheriff
Routzahan for permitting the negro muir
derer Dixon to be taken by the mob Monday
night without the shedding of blood to save
him.
TROOPS WILL KEEP ORDER.
Not a 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, how
ever. that the troops now on hand will
be able TO save the western levee district
in West Washington street, which the lead
ers openly declared they would set fire as
soon as their work i'm the eastern half of
the street was completed.
When the leaders of the mob passed down
off of East High street early last even
ing to begin the work of burning the Ievee
resorts. Father John Cogan, assistant pas
tor of st. Raphaers Church, got down OF
his knees on the sidewalk and implored
them to desist in their work as they might
start a fire they would never be able to
control. The incendiaries paused only
moment, few of them cursed him and
then went quickly on to begin their task
The fire in East Washington street
burned out exactly the district the mob
said should 60 and there is now no dan
ger of it spreading either further east or
west or to the north.
Charles jackson. aged nineteen a negro,
flourished a big revolver in the presence
of a small crowd of whites in Primrose
alley and within two minutes a mob of sew
eral hundred surrounded him and he was
hidden by the police TO save his life He
was held at headquarters all night, the
police fearing to remove him to the county
Jail.
EIGHT COMPANIES or