Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1906-04-19
FOUL BLOT upon
MISSOURI SHIELD
THREE NEGROES HANGED AMI
BURNED AT SPRINGFIELD.
THE MOB SPIRIT RAMPANT
All Three of the Victims Were Ac-
cused of Foul Crimes, Hut In
Neither Case Had the Charges
Been

Seen Proven.
Springfield, Mo-, April 16.-At 2:1s
o'clock Sunday morning William Alien
q young negro, was taken from the
county Jail here and lynched in the pub
lie square by the same mob that, Two
hours earlier, had hanged Horace Dun
can and James Copeland. The body OF
Allen later was burned, as had been
those of the other negroes, beneath the
spot where they had been lynched.
Mob Thirsted For More.
Following the dispatch of Duncan and
Copeland, some one suggested that Al
len and Bus Cain, two other negroes
known to be in the Jail, should also be
lynched. The mob, now bloodthirsty
and wrought up to the highest pitch OF
excitement, readily took up the cry, and
soon the charred bones of a third vic
tim lay beneath the statue Of the God
dess Of Liberty. Cain escaped.
The Alleged Crimes.
Allen and Cain were being held upon
suspicion of having murdered O. P.
Ruark, while Duncan and Copeland
were accused of assaulting Mabel Ed
mondson, a white domestic.
Their work finally accomplished, the
mob quietly dispersed; but Sunday,
crowds augmented, by hundreds OF per-
sons from surrounding towns, filled the
streets, making threats of further ven
geance, and Sunday night several COM
parties of state militia, ordered out by
Gov. Folk, together with 200 deputy
sheriffs, patroled the streets.
Cain Made His Escape.
When the mob left the jail at mid.
night with Copeland and Duncan, IA
prisoners escaped in the excitement
Among them>was Cain. But Allen was
there yet, and the second mob found
him under a cot. He was dragged out,
his hands were tied behind his back, q
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 stair
way and stood upon the platform with
Allen between them.
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 lan'
tern harangued the mob and the crowd
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,
A Sickening Spectacle.
Allen turned a somersault in the air
and as the rope became taunt 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 floundered around until an
other rope was brought, thrice loopet
around the neck, and he was again Sus
pended in midair.
The Fire R~epIenished.
More boxes were brought, another
big fire was kindled and SOC the sway
ing figure, now dead, fell into it, send
ing up an arrowy spray of live sparks
After that most of the men went home
but some men and boys stayed by tn
tower all night and fed the fire.
:. Fiv ThOusand Witnesses.
Five thousand persons saw the tri'
hanged and burned. Among the Grove
Of spectators were hundreds of womel
and children, girls and boys.
In a hall overlooking the plaza al
!; Easter dance was in progress. Its mt
: sic stopped, while the dancers crowde'
to the windows and watched the with
ing black bodies and the flames tina
, finally consumed them.
, Morbid Relic Hunters.
Sunday souvenirs of the night, con
sisting Of a button from the trousers O
one of the negroes, a piece Of the hang
mans rope and other pieces of relic
, were eagerly bought by many anon
- the crowds that gathered at the scene.
The authorities assert that Copelan
and Duncan, two Of the victims, wer
innocent. This is the general belief. .
reaction has set in and most people ar
condemning the mob's work.
A Gov. Folk VIII Take Action.
Jefferson City, Mo-, April 16.-GoV
8 Joseph w. Folk, in a statement, Sur
day, said:
1.-THE lynching at Springfield was
most ~disgraceful occurrence. Whatevt
the offense Of the negroes may hay
Il, been, and however deserving Of deaf
they may have been, they were entitle
;, to punishment by law, and not by
- mob, and when a mob takes the law il
y, to its own hands, as this M did, an
member Of 1t is guilty Of murder.
!. will request ore Of the assistant alto
~ ney generals to aid the prosecuting a
:, torney Of Greene county to punish til
e, offenders and shall offer a reward
- $500 for any information that wou
lead to the conviction Of any memb'
of the mob"
A Big Consignment Of Specie.
~ Queenstown, April 1.-THE steam