Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1906-03-02
Its Members Burned the
Homes of Negroes.
AT TSPRINGFlELD,O.
The Shooting of a Brakeman by Two
Negroes Leads to Scenes of
Riot and PilIage.

Springfield, o. = Tuesday night
the outlook was most threatening
here as the result of the shooting in
the railroad yards Tuesday morning in
which M. M. Davis, Big Four brake
man, was perhaps fatally shot by two
negroes, Preston Ladd, of Bellefon-
taine, and Edward Dean, of this city.
Ladd was found by railroad detectives
lying along the Big Four tracks, badly
hurt about the head, but he refused
to say how he received the wound, and
Dean gave himself up last evening.
Dean and Ladd were taken to Jail at
Dayton last evening after consulta-
tion of officials. This conference was
attended by Common Pleas Judge
Kunkle, Capt. Horace c. Keifer,
Sheriff Almoney, Mayor Todd, Chief
of Police O'Brien and several detec-
tives. There were threats all over
the city Immediately after dinner,
when the report was given out from
the hospital that Davis was dead, that
railroad men would go to the city hos
pital and lynch Ladd.
Later a squad of policemen was
sent to the hospital for the purpose of
smuggling the wounded man away.
A big crowd congregated in the heart
of the city at $3.50 p. m. and chased
several negroes. The report circulated
that Ladd was no longer in the hos
| pital and a mob of a thousand men
and boys headed for the Jungles, the
scene of the desperadoes' first crime,
when Earl Sulkens, ball player, was
badly cut.
Pistol shots were heard in the di-
rection of East Columbia and North
streets and the evident intent of the
mob was to burn the Jungles.
Mayor Todd issued orders to Capt.
Keifer to call out Companies B and E,
of the Third regiment, o. N. G. Both
companies are stationed here.
The mob started for the Jungles and
numbered from 500 to 1900. 1t di-
vided at the intersection of Main and
Limestone streets, part going east on
Main and little later the second half
marched north on Limestone street to
North and Columbia streets. 1t was
the evident intention of both parties
| to meet at Foster and North streets,
the beginning of what is known as the
Jungles. The crowd took up the cry
"Burn the Jungles."
The mob reached the Jungles and
battered one house to pieces with
stones and posts used as battering
rams. The police were unable to cope
with the mob.
Kempler's saloon, a low resort on
East Columbia street, was looted by
the mob. Kempler and his wife fed
leaving their three little children
asleep in a room over the saloon. The
building was riddled with bullets and
stones and it was only by the hardest
efforts of police and fremen that a
way was forced through the mob and
the children rescued. Kempler's en-
tire stock of liquor was looted and
the crowd filled up on bad whisky.
The Xenia company of the Third
regiment was ordered to come here
Several houses in the Jungles were
on fire and the efforts of the fire de-
partment were thwarted by the mob
who repeatedly cut the hose.
At 10:45 p. m. all the fires had been
eXtinguished. Just as it looked as II
the riot had been queIled an assault
was made on the police front, in Co.
lumbia street. Sergeant Creager was
hit in the head with brick and seri.
ously wounded. While the police were
repelling this attack on their front
several members of the mob Slipped
through the lines in the rear of one Of
the Jungle houses and fired it.
At 11:45 p. m. six dwelling houses
on the south side of Columbia street
were burning fiercely and the mob was
making desperate efforts to get in the
rear of the buildings on the north
side of the street. The police were
"up in the air" and in individual in.
stances fred wildly into the mob, but
were not able to hold it in check
The authorities succeeded at 12:1E
a. m. in assembling parts of companies
B and E, of the Third regiment, o. N
G., which are stationed here. The
total force numbers about rs men
They went to the fire and pushed the
mob back. Just as the troops arrived
another building was fired and no eff
forts were made to save it.
Sheriff Almoney wired Gov. Pattisor
the following:
"Send all possible troops tonight
and hold others in readiness"
The mob stoned and jeered the
militia, but show of bayonets suf
feed to kept the rioters on the move
At 1 o'clock the local militia ant
one company from Xenia had the stu
alton in control
Dayton, o. = Companies G an(
X of the Third regiment, this city
have been ordered to Springfield ant
will leave by the first train.
Mado Ne,., Recor1