The San Francisco call., 1906-04-16
Prepares to Prosecute
the Members of
the Mob.
Denounces Their Ac-
ton, Referring to 1t
as Murder.
Third Negro Is Put to
Death in City Of
Springfield.

JET EhSON CITY, NO., April 15.-
Governor Joseph Folk in statement
today saids
~The lynching Mt Springfield was a
most disgracefuI occurrence. Whatever
the Offense Of the negroes may have
been and however deserving of death
they may have been, they were entitled
10 punishment by law and not by a mob.
md when n mob takes the law into its
own hands as this did any member
of it is guilty of murder"
Prosecuting Attorney Patterson Is
said TO have secured the names of more
than 100 men who took part in the
lynchInE.
SPRINGFIELD, Mo. April l5.-At
z:i5 o'clock this morning William Allen,
young negro, was taken from the
County Jail here 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
has been those of the other negroes,
beneath the spot where they had been
lynched
Following the dispatch OF Duncan
and Copeland some one suggested that
Allen and Cain. two other negroes
known TO be in the jail, should also be
ls-nehed- The Eaebs. now bfoodrhfrsty
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
DRAGGED FROM JAIL.
Allen and Cain were being held upon
suspicion Of having murdered o. P
Ruark, while Duncan and Copeland
were accused of sssaulting Mabel Ed
monson, a white domestic.
Their work finally accomplished, the
mob quietly dispersed. But today
crowds filled the streets, making threats
OF further vengeance, and tonight sew
'eraI companies Of State militia, ordered
out by Governor Folk, together with
200 deputy sheriffs, patrol the streets.
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 yet and the second
mob found him hidden under q cot He
was dragged out, his hands were tied be-
hind 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 stairway and
stood upon the platform with Allen be-
tween them. One Of these men, who
held a lantern in his hand, faced the
crowd below, and. waving his hand
q toward the negro. said:
Ladies and gentlemen: This is Will
Allen, the man who murdered old man
Ruark What shall we do with him?"
MOB ACTS AS A JURY.
Hang him!" cried the crowd" Throw
him overheard"
"Can any one identify this nigger?"
asked a spokesman.
Hold up the lantern" some one
shouted
The man put the lantern UP so it shone
into the face Of the negro. and some one
In the crowd said: Yes. I identify him
Hang HIM"
At this the crowd laughed
Are you VIII Ailen?" asked the orator
Yes. but did not XIII Ruark." he an
ewered.
well, who did?"
Il only know what / heard-that Bus
Cain killed him." the negro answered
-AcHE oDAl Il OUA- MAKE MIN COu-
fessl" the crowd shouted.
The man with the lantern shouted
again: rs this nigger guilty? Yes or no."
Some one shouted YES" others cried
NO"
Vhe mob was undecided. While the
crowd was debating the second man on
the platform began tying rope to the
iron railing.
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 they jeered
at the negro. In the meantime the rope
had been placed about Aliens neck, and
presently the hangman caught the negro's
ankles lifted him and threw him forward
over the railing. Allen turned a somer-
sault in the air. and as the rope came
tsut his neck cracked like a pistol shot.
The rope broke and he fell in the bed of
Goals on top of the other two negroes.
There he kicked and houndered around
until another rope was brought. thrice
looped around the neck and he was again
suspended in midair.
More boxes were brought. another big
fire kindled and soon the swaying figure.
now dead, fen into It, sending UP an ar
rowy spray Of live sparks.
Five thousand persons saw the trio