The Butler weekly times. (Butler, Mo.) 1881-1918, 1906-04-19
HANGED
AND BURNED.
Three Negroes at Springfield
Meet Horrible Fate at
Hands Of Mob.
Militia in Charge-Leaders Of
Mob Under Arrest.

having assaulted a white woman at
Springfield, Mo-, were taken from the
Jail, Saturday night last, conducted
to the statue OF the Goddess Of
Liberty In the public square and
hanged, after which boxes were piled
under the hanging bodies and burn.
ed. After this horrible manifesto.
ton Of vengeance, the mob returned
to the jail, secured another negro
who was charged with completely in
the murder Of q crippled white man,
took him to the public square, pro.
ceeded to deliberately hang and burn
him. The scenes attending these
executions were horrible In the OK.
treme, and 1t almost passes belief
that In a city the size Of Springfield,
with its police force, sheriff and other
peace officers, with Its thousands Of
law-abiding citizens, such outrages
on law and humanity would be per-
mitted.
The reports indicate that the mob
was composed OF drunken men and
boys, irresponsible hoodlums, with.
out a leader or organization, and q
few brave, firm officers could have
dispersed the crowd, saved the lives
Of the prisoners and the city the
shame and disgrace attached there
to. The mob first broke into the
sheriff's residence, dragged his vile
and daughter from their beds and
the women escaped to neighbors with
blankets wrapped around them.
Then the rabble broke up the iurni-
ture, danced on the tables, and com.
pletely wrecked the rooms, and stole
a purse, containing $15 in money,
from under pillow. They then dug
the bars from the jail window, the
members OF the mob entered, batter.
ed down the doors to the cell and
took the prisoners out. All this time
the sheriff and a hall dozen deputies
we're standing on the inside Of the
jail pleading With the mob to desist.
Nota shot was fred in defense flaw,
and the only excuse offered by the
sheriff was that he didn't want to kill
any Of the neighbor boys.
When Governor Folk was notified
on Sunday, be ordered the adiutant
general OF the state to rush enough
companies OF state militia to the
scene to preserve order and uphold
the majesty OF the law.
Six full companies from Aurora,
Carthage, Lamar, Pierce City were
rushed to the scene on special train
and by 8 o'clock Sunday night were
in command of the situation, Com
pany B OF Butler, under command
Of Captain Harper left on the night
train for Springfield. General Clark
went to Springfield on the first train
and took command of all the forces.
On Monday the prosecuting attor.
ney OF Greene county swore out war
rants for the arrest OF fifteen leaders
OF the mob. The sheriff was sppsr.
emily afraid to serve the warrants.
Governor Folk was communicated
with and he ordered General Clark
to use his militia to arrest the men
and lock them up. Five Of these men
we're arrested on Monday and others
will be as fast az they can be found.
Circuit Judge Lincoln has ordered
q special Grand Jury to Investigate
the lynching.
The r~ports indicate that the two
negroes first mobbed were innocent
OF the crime charged.
Another negro was shot and killed
by q white man in the outskirts oil
the city Monday night. He wa
escorting a young lady home and
claimed that two negroes attempted
to hold them up. One Of the negroes
escaped.
The whole trouble seems to be the
elimination Of bad blood between
the whites and black In Springfield
| A number Of murders and Other
crimes have been laid at the door o.
the negroes and q race war has beer
threatened for some time.
Il is thought that all further trou
bic from mob violence is over, iortht
present at least, and until the militia
is removed.
United States Senator VIM. Warner
has accepted an invitation 10 deliver
an address before the Grand Army 81