The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1904-03-09
RACE WAR IN Ohio.
Mob in Springfield Burn Negro
Quarter and Defy Law Officers.
Gov. Herrick Orders Out Ten
Companies of Militia to Re-
store Order.

Springfield, O., March s.-Threats
throughout the day and this evening
to burn the levee, the negro district
of the city, confirmed Mayor G. ].
Bowlus in his belief that more trouble
is brewing tonight and he has asked
Gov. Herrick for troops. Two COM
panies from Dayton and one each from
MiamisDurg, Urbana and Columbus
have been promised to reinforce the
two local companies.
Many of the negroes Of the city are
surly and moody and it is realized that
only spark is needed to set off the
magazine of race war.
At $50 o'clock tonight the crowd
gathered in the levee district number
ed l, 500 and one or two revolver shots
had been fired at random. The excite
ment is growing and in an instant the
situation can easily pass beyond the
control of the local police. All the
saloons throughout the city have been
closed.
TEN COMPANIES OF MILITIA
ORDERED OUT.
Columbus, o., March 8.-Upon
urgent representations from Mayor
Bowlus of Springfield, o., that q race
war is imminent as a result of the
lynching of the negro Dickerson, Gov.
Herrick tonight ordered eight COM
panies of State militia to the city to
preserve order. Adjt. Gen. Crutchfeld
at once arranged for the mobilization
of troops. Besides the two companies
at Springfield, companies at Urbana,
Dayton, Xenia, Miamisburg and Piqua
we're called out.
Gov. Herrick's first order to Mayor
Bowlus was to issue a proclamation
ordering the closing Of all saloons.
Next he ordered the men of Company
A, Ninth battalion to rest on their
arms in the armory and see that none
of the guns were stolen.
THE CROWD INCREASES.
Springfield, o., March 8.-By $50
O'Clock 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 Foun-
tain avenue in the levee district near
the place called Hondy Tonk. The
negroes were unusually quiet, and
seemed to be waiting for start to be
made by the whites. The other crowd
was boisterous, and there were fire.
quent yells and several pistol shots
heard, although no one has been re-
ported injured so far.
BUILDING SET ON FIRE.
| At 11.20 the threat of the mob, made
through the day and evening, was
finally made good, and volume of
fame was seen to shoot up from the
rear OF place occupied by Les Thomas,
a saloonkeeper Preceding the firing
of the building, the mob, at the dis
tance of a hundred feet, shot at the
front of the building for half an hour,
but it is not known if any of the oc-
cupants had reamined in the building,
and if they did whether any fatalities
resulted from the shooting. The fire
is spreading both ways from the
Thomas place. 1t is thought that the
mob will not tolerate any effort of
the department to put out the fire in
the levee district, but will offer no
resistance in the attempt to conhne the
fire to the buildings along Washington
street, known as the levee The build
ings are dilapidated frame structures.
1t is said that the negro population
is highly incensed for not using greater
force in protecting Dixon.
THE JAIL TO BE DYNAMITED.
Sheriff Routsea has been warned that
the instant 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. At midnight the entire
block in Washington street from Gala
gner street west to Spring street, is on
fire, with no hope Of saving any of the
buildings.
PROGRESS OF THE FIRE.
Springfield, March S-While the
eastern portion of the leveo is doomed
it is thought that the department. will
be able to confne the conhag ration to
the region east of Spring street. Mem
berS Of the mob openly declare that
when their work in the eastern levee