The Washington times., 1904-03-09
BURNING OF SALOONS
BY MOB ON THE LEVEEv

SPRINGFIELD. Ohiv, March 9.-Ths
( city yesterday 1fteru86n anDarepfI,-
I considered as closed incident the
+ lynching The night before oe
Richard Dickerson, alias Dixson. who
killed Police Sergeant Coils. The new
outbreak OF the mob last night was en-
tirely unexpected.
Early in the evening crowds were no
ticed assembling about the depot ard
the police were ordered by Chief r. E
O'Bria1, with Inspector Farner. as sec
ond in command, 10 disperse them. Both
>he day and night forces We're called
TO duty. numbering thirty-eight men
The mob at the depot numbered between
LEGO and 1.5o0 men. Ine police drove
the mob back on Fountain Avenue to
High Street There it divided into three
divisions and moved in this dIvided
shape from High Street, the Arcade ard
South Limestone Street to the Big -Four
yards There the mObs consolidated, and
made a rush on the negro dives on what
IS known as the levee, which is conpos-
ed OF saloons and dIsreputable negro
houses, located on East Washington
Street between Gallagher and Spring
Streets.
The row Of houses attacked consisted
OF three brick and two frame buildings
all two stories in height except one,
which was a three-stOry brick Strue-
ture- The buildings were occupied as
follows:
Nantoles Saloon. Les Thomas. restau-
rant. both twO-stOry frames, with rooms
above Charles &. Burke. saloon. brick
structure with rooms above. occupied
by women Thomas saloon, three-s1oTy
brick with rooms and a frame house.
occupied By women.
Material for Fire.
The mob appropriated all the avail.
able waste in the Big Four yards ana
armed with combusubles entered the
levee houses in three divisions. One di-
vision went into Les Thomas restaurant.
one into Mantoles' saloon. and the otn-
er into Les Thomas saloon. Many OF
the men were armed and as they en-
tered the shrek of bullets rang out. bur
the mob seemed TO control itself suhi-
ciently to make sure that the rayolverA
were pointed at no one, and. as q rt.
suit no one was wounded ia the fusil-
lade.
At the. appearance Of the mob and the
crack OF their revOlverS the inmates
and hangCrs-On at the leVee began 10
rush from the buildings. All escaped IA
SAFETY. running north on High Street
Where they applied for protection AMI
We're sheltered. With everybody fright
ened from the buildings. the mob
brought into play the waste it had
three nres We're started inside the build
ipGs entered by the three divisions OF
the mob. The mob then withdrew 10
the railroad tracks TO witness the pyrO-
technics resulting from their torches.
Firemen Did Not Work.
The pressure Of water having been -
lied upon the hremen did not work
themselves into perspiration t01 save the
levee- There was but one point to which
they gave serious attention. that was
the saloon of Charley Bray. white, at
the east end of the Ievee. He had never
given the police a call. as they say. and
his place was not even scorched by the
flames. while the i've buildings. occupied
by the negro saloons women. aud
gambling hells We're completely destroy
ed. There had been about $50 negroes
IN the buildings burned, but many OF
them left town,
There seems 20 nave been some sort
OF feeling that they would be attacked
last night. for In addition TO the exo-
dus the fire insurance companies yes
terday Cancelled the Insurance on an
ire levee buildings.
Last night Mayor BOwlus communf-
Gated with Governor Herrick saving
that troops would be needed The gov
ernor at once called Adiutant General
CTIchuclo and sent eight CoTnpanies Of
the Ohio National Guard t. Sprirgficfd
Col H. d. Mead. of the Third Infantry
Dayton. was placed IN comand Of tie
troops,