Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1906-02-28
Section of Springfield,
Ohio, Burned and
Negroes Beaten.
TROOPS BRING ORDER
Uprising Results From Assault
on White Men Over Triv-
iaI Matter.

Springfield, Ohio, Feb. 2S.-Excite-
ment following last nights riot subs:d-
ed with the dawn and the city was quiet
this morning, no trouble is expected
The district known as ''the jungles' is
in charge of the militia No lives were
lost in the riot Two persons were
painfully hurt. six negro houses and
one saloon burned, and several others
damaged.
To Avenge Negro Attacks.
The mob was formed TO aveEge ne
gro attacks on two white men, Martin
Davis, a Big Four brakeman, and
Earl Suikins, baseball player The
latter was stabbed by two negroes,
Preston Ladd of Bellefontaine and Ed
ward Dean of this city, because he re-
fused to tell the time of the departure
of freight train. In the fight Ladd,
too, was wounded.
Two In Same Hospital
Davis was taken to the hospital
where il was discovered that his wound
was so serious that it probably would
prove fatal. Soon afterwards the
negro. Ladd. was taken to the same
hospital and cared for in an adjoining
ward.
During the early part of the day
when it became generally known that
Davis might die. a wave of general in
dignation swept through the city The
talk of lynching not only the negro
Dean in Jail but the wounded negro in
the hospital became so strong that the |
authorities as a precautionary meas |
ure took Dean out of Jail. placed him |
on board a train. and sent him TO Day
ton for safety.
Make Plans to Curb Mob
The authorities anticipated mob vio- |
lence this evening and made prepara |
tions accordingly; but no such an out !
break by the populace was expected. |
and when the crisis came at night the |
police precautions proved to- be entire |
iy inadequate.
BY dark 1900 men had assembled in /
the streets and began marching to |
the jungIes,' as the negro quarter of |
the city is known. On the way two |
negroes were encountered in Fountain |
square. They were badly beaten be- |
fore they could escape.
MILITIA Does Not Respond.
AS the people paraded the streets,
shouting and discharging firearms. the /
police sought to interfere, but they |
were swept aside. Then Mayor Todd |
called upon companies and E of the
Ohio National Guard. stationed here.
Neither company responded.
Reaching the 'Uungles" the people
began stoning the houses and driving |
the negroes, panic stricken, into the !,
country. Kempter'S saloon on East
Columbia street was the first building
attacked The interior was demolished,
and the stock of liquor was carried out
into the street. Then the structure
was set on fire, and the mob moved
across the street TO another dive,
which was also demolished.
Shouts of Burn all of them" rent
wreck other buildings. =.
general alarm of fire was sent in
and all the fire companies in the city
responded. but the firemen, like the
police, were powerless. AS fast as
stream of water was turned upon the
blaze the mob would cut the hose.
Asks Help OF Governor.
When Mayor Todd learned that the
local militia companies were not max
ing an effort to respond to his call he
called upon the company at Xenia
near here.
The mob started in a manner identi-
cal to that of the one which lynched
Richard Dixon, the negro murderer,
two years ago. 1t demolished the
buildings in the "Jungles." set them on
fire. and then battered in the Jail and
Iyn phpd Dixon