The citizen-Republican. (Scotland, Bon Homme County, S.D.) 1???-19??, 1906-04-19
MISSOURI MOB
HANGS NEGROES
Race Feeling Intensified by an
Anti Negro Play and Mob
in Wild Rage.
SUSPECTED OF ASSAULT
SUSPECTED OF Assault
Governor Folk Rushing Troops to tn,
Scene and Is Determined That Mob
Leaders Shall Be Punished
fer the Lynching.

~ ~e~
O'Clock Sunday morning William Allen,
a young negro "a ken from the
county Jail here and iynched 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 to ashes as
had been the bodies of the other
negroes beneath the spot where they
had been lynched.
Following the dispatch OF Duncan
and Copeland someone suggested that
Allen and Bus Cain, w 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 bodies Of a third
victim lay beneath the statue OF the
goddess OF liberty. Cain escaped.
Allen and Cain We're being held upon
suspicion of having murdered O.. P.
Ruark, while Duncan and Copeland
We're accused of assaulting Mabel Ed
mondson, q white domestic. Their work
finally accomplished, the mob quietly
dispersed. Crowds augmented by hun
dreds of persons from surrounding
towns, filled the streets yesterday,
making threats of further vengeance.
Several companies of state militia, or
dered out by Governor Folk, together
Will AUU' ueDuly SlltIlllS, pdllol lAC
streets.
When the mob left the Jail at mid
night with Copeland and Duncan four
teen prisoners escaped In the excite
ment. Among them was Cain. But AL
len was there yet and the second mob
found him hiding under a cot. He was
dragged out, his hands were tied behind
his back, a rope was put around his
neck and he was marched down the
street to the tower in the square.
Hold Mock Trial.
w men climbed up the iron stair
way and stood upon the platform with
Allen between them. One of these men,
who held a lantern in his hand, faced
the crowd below and, waving his hand
toward the negro, said:
Ladies and gentlemen, this is VIII
Allen, the man who murdered old man
Ruark. What hall we do with him."
Hang him!" cried the crowd. Throw
him overheard"
Can anyone identify this nigger?"
asked h spokesman.
Hold up the lantern someone
shouted.
The man put the lantern up SO it
shone into the face of the negro and
someone in the crowd said: Yes, J
identify him; hang hint"
1t this the crowd laughed.
Are you Will Allen?" asked the ora
Yes. but 1 did not kill Ruark," he
answered.
well, who dido
Il only know what I heard, that Bus
Cain killed him the negro answered
Make him spit it out! lake him
confess.' the crowd shouted.
The man With the lantern shouted
again: is this niger guilty? Yes OF
no"
Someone shouted Yes and others
cried NO"
Tho mob was undecided. While the
crowd was debating the second man on
the platform began tying a rope to the
iron railing.
The Rope Breaks.
The negro stood directly above the
smOuldering ash heap from which the
smell of burning flesh arose. But he
stood erect While the man with the
lantern harangued the mob and the
crowd jeered at the negro. In the
meantime the rope had been placed
about Aliens neck and presently the
Aangman caught the negroes ankles
lifted him and threw him forward over
the railing. Allen turned a somersault
in the air n as the rope became taut
dis neck cracked like q pistol shot. The
rope broke and he fell into the bed o..
Goals on top Of the other two negroes
There he kicked and tloundered around
until another rope was brought, thric.
topped around the neck and he wa:
again suspended in midair.
More boxes We're brought, another
big fire was kindled and soon the
WaYing figure now dead fell into ii
sending up an arroWy spray Of livS
sparks. After that most of the mer
went home. but some men and boys
stayed by the tower all night and fec
the fire. When daylight came upon the
scene there remained only the black
encG trunks and charred remains OF
the three negroes.
Springfield, Mo. April ia moi
Saturday night took two negroes from
the county jail, hanged them to the
electric tower in the center of the pub
lie square and built Il fire under them
as they hung. The negroes were Hor-
ace Duncan and James Copeland, both
under p years OF age. They were in
jail charged with ~assaulting Mabel ID
mOldsOn. a white girl, last FRIDAY
night. Fully 5000 people went to the
county Jail about 8 o'clock and with
telephone poles II slcdge hammers
literally tore the Jail to pieces. Final
~ the two negro suspects were dragged
from the Jail and taken to the center
VI the public Quare ana hanged. II
Is fully a mile from the Jail to the
square and the mol marched down one
of the principal streets Of the town
shouting and firing pistols.
Took Girl from Escort.
Mabel Edmond5on came here recent
~ from Monet, Mo, TO obtain en-.
piOyment as a domestic servant. Las,
Friday night she was riding in a bug.
81 with Charles Cooper, a young MAJ
u Springfield. In a secluded part o!
the city the couple were held UP by
two negroes. The man was knocked
unconscious ana the girl dragged from
the buggy and into the woods by the
roadside and assaulted. The two ne
grorS !yncled Saturday night We're
Inspected n arrested. but were only
partially identified.
Sheriff Eorner tried to argue with
the mob. but it was determined and
nootcd and insulted him. Jailer King
was assaulted when he refused to give
Up the keys. He finally gave the moi
cone keys. which were rot for the
negroes cells, however, and the moi
was forced to smash in the iron bar RS
Sheriff Wilson Crane, Of Polk county
was present and tried to induce the
mo- not to hang the negroes.
The mob. besides wrecking the Jail
attacked the sheriff's house, demolished
the furniture an rendered the shpriTf,,