Los Angeles herald., 1906-04-16
Ey Associated Press.

~ Associated fTeSS.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo-, April 15.-Wil
liam Allen, young negro, was taken
from the county jail here at 2:15 O'Clock
this morning and lynched in the public
square by the same mob that two hours
earlier had hanged Horace Duncan and
James Copeland. The body of Allen
later was burned to ashes, as had
been those of the other negroes, be-
meath the spot where they had been
lynched.
Following the dispatch of Duncan
and Copeland, someone suggested that
Allen and Bus Cain, two other negroes,
known to be in the Jail, should also
be lynched The mob, now bloodthirsty
and wrought. up to the highest pitch
of excitement, readily took up the cry,
and soon the charred body of a third
victim lay beneath the statue of the
Goddess of Liberty. Cain escaped.
Allen and Cain were being held upon
suspicion of having murdered o. P:
Ruark, while Duncan and Copeland
were accused of assaulting Mabel Ed
monson, a white domestic. Their work
finally accomplished, the mob quietly
dispersed. But today crowds filled the
streets, making threats of further ven
geance, and tonight several companies
of state militia, ordered out by Gov
ernor Folk, together with 200 deputy
sheriffs, patrol the city.
Prisoners Escape
When the mob left the Jail at mid
night with Copeland and Duncan, four
teen prisoners escaped in the excite
ment. Among them was Cain. But
Allen was there, and the second mob
found him hidden under a cot. He was
dragged out, his hands were tied be-
Ind hn oil
his neck and he was marched down
the street to the tower in the square.
Two men climbed up the iron stairway
and stood upon the front platform with
Allen between them. One of these
men, who held lantern in his hand,
faced the crowd below, and waving his
hand toward the negro said
Ladies and gentlemen This is Will
Allen, the man who murdered old man
Ruark What shall we do with him.?
Hang him!" cried the crowd.
"Can anyone identify this nigger?''
asked the spokesman.
Hold up the lantern" someone
shouted.
The man put the lantern up so it
shone into the face of the negro. and
some one in the crowd said "Yes,
identify him. Hang him."
At this the crowd laughed
Are you Will Allen?" asked the
orator.
"Yes, but I did not kill Ruark," he
answered
"Well, who did"
81 only know what heard, that Bus
Cain killed him. the negro answered.
Make him spit it out! Make him
confess!" the crowd shouted.
The man with the lantern shouted
again: rs this niger guilty? Yes or
MOP"
Rope Breaks
Some one shouted YES" others cried
mo"
The mob was undecided. While the
crowd was debating the second man on
the platform began sying rope to the
iron railing.
The negro stood directly above the
sinoldering ash heap, from which the
smell of burning flesh arose. But he
stood erect while the man with the
lantern harangued the mob and they
jeered at the negro. In the meantime
the rope had been placed about Aliens
neck and presently the hangman caught
the negros ankles, lifted him and
threw him forward over the railing
Allen turned a somersault in the all
and as the rope frightened around his
neck it broke Allen fell upon the two
other negroe, and there he kicked and
foundered around until another rope
was brought, thrice looped around his
neck, and he was again suspended in
midair.
More boxes were brought, another
big fire was kindled, and soon thu
sWaying figure, now dead, fell into 1t
sending up an arrowy spray of live
sparks After that most of the mer
went home, but some men and boy!
stayed by the tower all night and fec
the fire. When daylight broke upor
the scene there remained only thu
blackened trunks and charred remain!
oe the three negroes.
Five thousand persons saw the trio
hanged and burned. Among the crowC
of spectators were hundreds of wome1
and children, girls and bays.
Dancers Witness Tragedy
In hall overlooking the plaza al
Easter dance was in progress. 1t:
music stopped while the dancers
crowded to the windows and watched
the writhing black bodies, and tn,
flames that finally consumed them.
Today, souvenirs of the night. con
sisting of a button from the trousers
of one of the negroes, a piece of tn,
hangman's rope and other articles wer
eagerly bought by many among thu
crowds that gathered at the scene.
Prosecuting Attorney Patterson il
said to have secured the names o
more than 100 persons who took par
in the lynching.
A crowd of persons assembled on tn
square early tonight and refused t.
disperse. When the first company o
militia arrived they sullenly scattered
1t was feared that an attempt nigh
be made during the night to set fir
to buildings on the outskirts of tn
city, and consequently the arrival o
the other companies of militia wa
anxiously awaited.
The authorities tonight assert tha
two of the victims, Copeland and Dun
san, were innocent. This is the genera
belief.
Miss Edmondson, the attack upol
whom provoked the lynching outbreaks
when told of the work of vengeance
said:
Served them right
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