Omaha daily bee., 1906-04-16
City Quiet, but Precautions Are Takon to
Prevent Fresh Outbreak.
WHITES AND NEGROES ARE ARWlNG
Hardware Stores Dispose Of Their Stocks Of
Firearms During Day.
GOVERNOR FOLK TAKES PROMPT ACTION
Reward Of $500 offered for Conviction
of Members of Mob and Deputy
Attorney General sent to
Aid Prosecutor.
BULLETIN.

KANSAS CITY, Mo-, April IA special
TO the Times from Springfield, Mo-, says:
At midnight the militia had cleared the
public square of all people and are sleep
ing around the tower where three negros
were lynched La ght. Other squads
Of militia are =. the negro district.
The streets othe1 " deserted. There
is feeling now 2, trouble is over.
Tonight reaction I'd most people
condemn the action 9O'
SPRINGFIELD, Mo, AT 2:15
O'Clock this morning " Allen, a
young negro, was taken n county
jail and lynched In the pub re by
the same mob that two hourA Il had
hanged Horace Duncan and JAs.es Cope
land. The body ot Allen later was burned
TO ashes as had been those of the other
negroes beneath 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
tnok up the cry and soon the charred body
Of a third victim lay beneath the statue Of
the Goddess of Liberty. Cain escaped
suspicion Of having murdered o. P. Ruark.
while Duncan and Copeland were accused
Of nssaultlng Mabel Edmundson, a white
domestic
Their work finally accomplished. the mob
quietly dispersed. But today crowds. aug
mented by hundreds OF persons from sur
rounding towns filled the streets, making
threats of further vengeance. and tonight
several companies of state militia, ordered
out by Governor Folk. together with 200
deputy sherfs. patrol the streets.
When the mob left the Jail at midnight
with Copeland and Duncan fourteen pris-
oners escaped in the excitement. Among
them was Cain. Five thousand persons
saw the trio hanged and burned. Among
the crowd of spectators were hundreds OF
women and children. girls and boys In
han overiooling tina plaza an easter dance
was in progress. It's music stopped while
the dancers crowded TO the windows and
watched the writhing black bodies and the
flames that finally consumed them.
Today souvenirs OF the night. consisting
OF n button from the trousers OF one OF the
negroes a piece OF the hangman's rope and
other pieces OF relics were eagerly bought
by many among the crowds that gathered
at the scene.
Governor Sends Militia.
state militia, reinforced by 200 deputy
sherins sworn in today, guard the streets
OF Springfield tonight against a possible
repetition OF the work of the mob that
last night lynched three negroes in the
public square. There are hundreds Of
strangers and Springfield is still in the grip
Of the mob spirit Although no untoward
move was made during the day, many
threats were heard, and Sherin Horner,
fearing a fresh outbreak when darkness
should fall. telegraphed Governor Folk
early in the day for aid. The governor
responded promptly and within a few hours
ak companies of militia were on the way
here from Aurora, Carthage, Peirce City,
Butler Nevada and one other point. The
first OF these companies arrived at I
o'clock this evening and was followed dur
ing the night at intervals by others.
VIII Prosecute Leaders.
In addition TO sending soldiers here TO
guard against a further violation of the
law Governor Folk took quick action to
prosecute the leaders of the mob. Today
he authorized the Offering of a reward OF
$500 each for the arrest and conviction OF
members Of the mob This is the limit al
lowed by law. In addition he instructed
Rush Lake, assistant attorney general, TO
proceed here at once and aid the grand
Jury OF Greene county in ferreting out and
prosecuting the prime movers In last nights s
work Mr.. Lake left Jefferson City for
Springfield tonight.
OF the fourteen prisoners, whites and
negroes, who escaped from the prison last
night during the mob excitement, four were
captured during the day.
Thousands Of people today swarmed
about the jail TO view the wreck caused
by the mob and about the public square,
where the three negroes were hanged and
their bodies later burned TO ashes Every
train brought hundreds of persons to the
city from surrounding towns, mostly hood
lums who apparently scented trouble and
were anxious 20 take a hand in IT, Many
others, who came from the farming dis
tricts caught up the mob spirit readily and
Joined the general sentiment that the ne
groes should be driven from the city and
that now. when the feeling against the race
was strong. was the time to do IL.
BIE Demand for Firearms.
Negroes who dared to appear on the
streets today were greeted with boots and
jcers and on several occasions crowds OF
men and boys collected TO attack them. a
crowd OF 200 gathered around one Negro
Who recently had been released from jail
and threatened him with violence. The
fact that no one would assume the lead
probably aloue saved the negro
Both the negroes and whites are armed
and the Hegroes would not likely be driver
out OF the city without struggle.
There was a steady demand today fol
firearms and at many hardware stores 4
was reported that they had sold nearly
their entire stock OF guns OF every sort.
Ropes were stretched around the Jail to
day and a force OF twenty-five deputie,
was kept busy keeping the curiosity seek
ers from forcing their way beyond the en-
closures. The damage done 20 the jai
cannot be repaired for some time. and Il
could be entered easily by a mob unless
opposed by a sunicient number Of armed
men.
Many Of the leading ministers in theil
Easter sermons today denounced the lynch