The Montgomery tribune. (Montgomery City, Mo.) 1892-1910, 1906-04-20
BLOT UPON
MISSOURI SHIELD
THREE NEGROES HANGED AND
BURNED AT SPRINGFIELD.
THE MOB SPIRIT RAMPANT
All Three of the Victims Were Ac-
cused of Foul Crimes, Hut In
Neither Case Had the Charges
been Proven.

Springfield, Mo-, April 16.-At 2:1s
o'clock Sunday morning William Allen
a young negro, was taken from the
county Jail here and lynched in the pub
lie square by the same mob that, two,
hours earlier, had hanged Horace Dun
can and James Copeland. The body OF
Allen later was burned, as had beer
those of the other negroes, beneath the
spot where they HAD been lynched.
Mob Thirsted Tor More.
Following the dispatch of Duncan an6
Copeland. some one suggested that AL
len and Bus Cain, two other negroes
known to be in the Jail, should also be
lynched. The mob, now bloodthirst!
and wrought up to the highest pitch o
excitement, readily took up the cry, ane
soon the charred bones of a third vic
tim lay beneath the statue of the God
dess of Liberty. Cain escaped.
The Alleged Crimes.
Allen and Cain were being held upor
suspicion of having murdered o. P
Ruark, while Duncan and Copeland
were accused of assaulting Mabel Ed
mondson, a white domestic.
Their work finally accomplished, the
mob quietly dispersed; but Sunday,
crowds augmented, by hundreds of per.
sons from surrounding towns, filled the
streets, making threats of further ven.
geance, and Sunday night Several com.
paries of state militia, ordered out by
Gov. Folk, together with 200 deputy
sheriffs, patroled the streets.
Cain Made His Escape.
When the mob left tHa Jail at mid
night with Copeland and Duncan, Ia
prisoners escaped in the excitement.
Among them was Cain. But Allen was
there yet, and the second mob found
him under a cot. He was dragged out,
his hands were tied behind his back, a
rope was put around his neck, and he
was marched down the street to the
tower in the square.
Two men climbed up the iron stair.
way and stood upon the platform With
Allen between them.
The negro stood directly above the
smoldering ash heap from which the
smell of burning flesh arose. But he
stood erect while the man with the Ian.
tern ~harangued the mob and the crowd
jeered at the negro. In the meantime
the rope had been placed about Aliens
neck, and presently the hangmap
caught the negro's ankles, lifted him
and threw him forward over the railing
A Sfckenfng Spectacle.
Allen turned a somersault in the air.
and as the rope became taunt his neck
cracked like a pistol shot. The rope
broke and he fell in the bed of Goals or
top of the other two negroes. There he
kicked and floundered around until an.
other rope was brought, thrice Topped
around the neck, and he was again sus-
pended in midair.
The Fire Replenished.
More boxes were brought another
big fire was kindled and soon the sway.
ing figure, now dead, fell into it, send
ing up an arrowy spray of live sparks
After that most of the men went home,
but some men and boys stayed by the
tower all night and fed the fire.
Five Thousand Witnesses.
Five thousand persons saw the trio
hanged and burned. Among the crowd
of spectators were hundreds of women
and children, girls and boys.
In a hall overlooking the plaza an
Easter dance was in progress. Its mu'
sic stopped, while the dancers crowded
to the windows and watched the with
ing black bodies and the flames that
finally consumed them.
Morbid Relic Hunters.
Sunday souvenirs of the night, con-
| sisting of a button from the trousers OF
n of the negroes. a piece Of the hang
mans rope and other pieces of relics
were eagerly bought by many among
the crowds that gathered at the scene.
The authorities assert that Copeland
and Duncan, two of the victims, were
innocent. This is the general belief. A
reaction has set In and most people are
condemning the mob's work.
Gov. Folk VIII Tale Actiop.
Jefferson City, Mo-, April 16.-Goy
Joseph w. Folk, in a statement, Sun
day, said:
1.-THE lynching at Springfield was 6
most disgraceful occurrence. Whatever
the offense of the negroes may have
been, and however deserving of dealt
they may have been, they were entitled
to punishment by law, and not by 6
mob, and when a mob takes the law in.
to It's W hands, as this one did, any
member of it is guilty of murder.
will request T of the assistant attor.
ney generals to aid the prosecuting at.
torney of Greene county to punish the
offenders and shall offer a reward O
$500 for. any information that would
lead to the conviction of any member
of the mob"
A Big Consignment OF Specie.