Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-18

late this afternoon declaring the
entire city of Springfield under =
martial law. =
Springfield. H., Aug. is. - Troops
are being rushed to this city from all
parts of the state and negroes are
leaving by trains, on trolley cars and
many on foot. The mob spirit seems
still rampant. Although the governor
and the military authorities claim
they have the situation we'll in hand,
the First infantry of Chicago was to-
day ordered to mobilize at once and
start for Springfield on the first train
that could be made up to carry them.
When this organization arrives, the
town will be protected by three full
regiments.
County Official Fatally Shot,
Despite the claim of the authorities
that the mob is iheld in subsection,
there is every chance Of another clash
between the whites and the colorad
people. The negroes are well armed and
are showing a spirit of determination.
The white people are in an ugly mood
and farmers and men from adjoining
towns are constantly arriving.
w. H. Bowe, assistant county treas
urer, was attacked by a crowd of ne.
groes early today and fatally wounded.
This has added to the excitement and
resentment which was already tense.
Fear Worse Clash Tonight.
A dispatch from Decatur says negro
men who arrived there today from
Springfield are trying to arouse the
colored people, urging them to go back
to Springfield to fight.
Several of them have been arrested
and weapons taken from them.
Unless the military succeeds during
the day in quelling the mob much
! more effectually than has been done
up to the present time, it is feared
the night will bring more serious trou-
BILE than has yet occurred.
Last Nights Rioting.
Springfield ILL.,, Aug. 15.--Two
white men were killed, che negro was
lynched, more than half a hundred
persons injured and yo scores of
houses, mostly occupied by negroes
were burned last night as the result
of an attempt by mop TO lynch a
negro who had assaulted white
woman. After night OF lot, arson
and slaughter, state troops, called out
by the governor, succeeded early to.
day in restoring semblance of order
and stopping the fires. One thousand
militia men, including three Spring
field companies, and companies from
Bloomington, Decatur, Peoria, Pekin
and Pontiac are patrolling the streets
1t is believed further disorders will
be prevented. The dead are:
HUNTER, CHARLES (colored).
JOHNSON, LEWIS, (white), aged
SCOTT, JAMES, (white) aged 70.
Assault Starts Trouble.
The rioting precipitated by an as
sault committed early yesterday
morning by negro, upon Mrs. Mabe
Hallam, the wife of street railway
conductor. While the woman SLEPT
alone in her home on populous resi-
4 dence street the man broke into the
house, dragged her into the rear yart
and assaulted her Before moor
George Richardson, young negro
was arrested by the sheriff's force
|
charged with the crime. The victim
partially identified the prisoner
/ Crowds quickly gathered about the
jail, but Sheriff Werner's force ant
the police were able to preserve ordel
until nightfall without difficulty.
One Negro Lynched.
The lynching of Hunter occurred
when big fire which destroyed the
homes of about thirty-f1ve negro fam
lilies in the negro section of the 'bat
lands" was at its height, just pre-
ceding the arrival of outside troops
Hunter was accused of having fired up
on the whites and seeking protection
: by lodging in and out of box car;
along the right of way of the Illinois
4 Central. The negro was cornered il
a stairway. shot several times ant