The daily morning journal and courier., 1906-04-16
THREE NEGROES LYNCHED
 BY YSPRIkCFIELD,MO.,NOB
JAIL TORN DOWN AND VICTIMS TAKEN FROM THEIR
 CELLS.

Former Up Fire is Built Under
 Them--ROpe Breaks With Sundays
 Victim But He is Quickly Strung Up
 Second Time--Lynchings Take
 Place Under Statue Representing
 "Justice"--MiIitia Called Out.
 Springfield, Mo-, April 15.-A mob of 5000 persons last night tore down the jail and took Horace Duncan and James Copeland, negroes, hanged them to an electric tower in the center oI the public square and built fire under the suspended men.
 The negroes, both under twenty-one years of age, were in jail charged with assauting Mabel Edmondson, white girl Friday night.
 The mob used telephone poles and sledge hammers to tear the jail to pieces. It is a mile from the jail to the square, and the mob marched down one of the principal streets, shouting and firing pistols.
 Circuit Attorney Arthur Sager of St. Louis, was a witness of the tragedy. He slipped into the cellar of the jail to and cut off the gas, hoping to confuse the mob, but he was too late.
 Sheriff Horner tried to dissuade the mob but it was determined and hooted him. Jailer King was assaulted and finally gave the mob some keys, which were not for the negroes cells, and the mob was forced to break the iron bars,
 Two months ago T. M. Kinney was assassinated and two negro suspects are in jail. Later an old peddler was killed, and two negroes were accused of that crime. This created strong anti-negro feeling. An anti-negro play, acted last night, intensified the hatred towards negroes.
 Early this morning Will Allen, a ne- gro, charged with the murder of O. M. Rouark last January, but protesting in- nocence was taken from the jail by the same mob that lynched Duncan and Copeland before midnight Saturday, and was hanged in the public square to the same tower that had served as a scaffold for the two other negroes.
 Allen was calm and collected as he jumped from the tower upon which he had been compelled to ascend. The rope about his neck broke as his weight fell on it, and he dropped into the pyre containing the charred bodies of his former companions in prison, Dun- can and Copeland. He was immediate fly taken up the tower again, and again compelled 60 jump. This time his cap- Hors were more successful in their fwork,
 q swear that am not guilty of kill Ing Rouark,'' were his last words. ' The lynching took place under stat rue representing Justice, that surmount- ed the electric light tower Duncan ;and Copeland were suspected of as- ,saulting young woman, but they de- clared themselves innocent and they have not been identified as the woman's assailants.
 As soon as Allen was dead several men rushed back to the jail for Bud Cane, a negro also accused of the mur- der of Rouark, but Cane and all but Gix of the prisoners in jail had es- caped from the wrecked prison. The mob finding itself without more prey went home as day began to dawn.
 The iail is a wreck, the mob, after they had secured the three negroes, continuing their work of destruction until nearly all the prison bars were down. About $3,0OO damage was done in the prison and as much more in the sheriff's residence, which was attacked first. State militia, reinforced by 200 deputy sheriffs, guard the streets of Springfield tonight against 8 renewal of mob violence. There are hundreds of strangers in Springfield, and the an- ti-negro feeling still runs high.
 Although no untoWard move was made during the day, many threats were heard and Sheriff Horner, fearing a fresh outbreak when darkness shouldN fall. telegraphed Governor Folk early in the day for aid. The governor re- snonded promptly and within a few hours six companies of militia were nn inc way to Springfield from various narts of Missouri. The first of these companies arrived this evening and 1t was followed during the night at inter ValS py UliOA9' ,,,
 o,ard against further violations of the law Governor Folk took quick action to nrosecute the leaders of the mob. The governor authorized reward of ,s2oo each for the arrest and conviction of +ba members of the mob This is the limit allowed by law. He also instruct ed Rush Lake. assistant attorney gen. eral, to go to Springfield at once to aid in ferreting out and prosecuting the leaders in last nights work.
 Of the fourteen prisoners, whites and negroes. who escaped from the prison last night during the mob excitement, four were captured dIfing the day.
 Thousands of persons to-day swarm ed about the jail to see the wreck caus- ed by the mob, and about the public square where the three negroes were hangd and burned. Evry train brought hundreds of persons to the city from surrounding towns.
 Many from the farming regions caught the mob spirit readily, and shared the sentiment of many that the negroes should be driven from Spring field while the feeling against the negro race was strong.
 Negroes, who dared to appear on the streets to-day were greeted with hoots and jeers, and on several occasions men and boys collected to attack them. Both
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