Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1906-04-21

livar. Mo. She had separated from
her husband n man named Ed
wards, rcsuming her maiden name.
and came 20 Springfield seeking
work as a domestic. She secured
position I'm the family OF Henry
Fox. mechanical superintendent of
the electric lighting plant, Friday. ar
ternoon and went TO the ST. James
Hotel for her grip about 9 O'Clock in
the evening. At the hotel she met
Charles Cooper, whom she knew
He started 20 drive her home BOtn
state that at n lonely spot on Phelps
avenue. but under an electric light.
two masked colored men stopped
them with revolvcrs. robbed them,
knocked Cooper unconscious. and
then took Miss Edmondson ont and
attacked her in turn. Coker ami
Duncan were arrested yesterday and
were identified by Cooper. but Miss
Edmondson failed TO identify them
The police believe they were not the
guilty men.
There was an air OF suppressed
excitement about tde city yesterday
afternoon. There were frequent re
ports of an indefinite character 20
the effect that men were coming
from Bolivar to lynch the colored
men. that n mob was organized TO
do the work; but the talk was not
taken seriously. The officers be
lieved that all was safe for the night
and the chief OF police so telephoned
the sheriff at $50 O'Clock.
BOY SUMMONED AND LED MOB.
A strip OF boy, not over IS years
Of age. ran out in the northwest cor
ner of the public square at 9o'clock
and shouted: Come on, follow mei''
He then started rapidly toward Col
lege street followed by about twenty
hye men and boys. This crowd
turned down College street toward
the city jail. and men at once came
from all parts Of the square, and
within the space of a block a mob
OF 1000 men had formed Proba-
bly, so per cent OF the crowd did not
know yhat was up. Cries OF Hang
the -- niggers," went up as soon
as The mob was large enough 70 con
ceal the identity of those who did
the yelling. These cries were taken
up and others let out volumes OF
objectless profanity. The great ma
jority of the crowd was made up of
hoodlums, but in the centre of this
congealing mass were the men who
were there for business. Some say
they were men from Bolivar and vi
cinity. while others believe they were
Springfield people of the working
class.
At the city Jail the leaders de-
manded the colored men, but were
tCd that they were at the county
Jail. which is a mile north OF the pub
lie square. Then the bowling mass
swung around a block, through the
square and on out TO the county
jail. It gathered numbers contin-
ually. Half way TO the Jail a street
car tried to get through the crowd,
when some one fired a half dozen
shots into the car and others threw
rocks into the car and Others threw
rocks through the windows, break
ing all the glass in the car. The pas
sengers, some of whom were women
! took refuge under the seats. The
crowd enjoyed the terror OF the pas
sengers and yelled with glee. %
the niggers!" came from hundreds
OF throats, and was answered by
Hang the d. niggtrs" from hun
dreds more. Men waved hats in eN
ultation at nothing but their own
lawlessness, and swore Justify at the
open air. Nearly all colored men
had fed from the streets at the first
shouts OF the mob.
sWELLED TO ARMY OF 5000.
When the crowd burst into the
large lot which surrounds the coun-
/ ~ jail IL numbered about 1000. ma.
ny OF whom were mere spectators
and many more mere rowdies. max.
ing use OF license to yell and swear
without Identification from the po-
lice. There were none of the bet
ter class of citizens there. except on
the outer edge OF the mob. The cor