Omaha daily bee., 1908-08-18
to Cut Fire Alarm wires.

bringing about peade,
Effort to Cut Fire Alarm Wires.
An attempt was made to cut The fire
alarm wires but was not successful.
The man who would have cut off the
fire protection Of the city was discovered
IN the roof Of a building in the act Of
reaching for the wires. A half dozen
shots from troops, who were on patrol in
the court house square were aimed ct him
as he stealthily climbed toward the wires.
One bullet probably hit him. for he dropped
to the roof Of the building, but made a
successful escape.
To this affair is added the attempt to
fire the negro section on the northwest side
Of Springfield. Prompt action Of the pre-
department cooperating with a battalion
OF the First infantry stopped the impending
conflagration.
A platoon OF infantry was dispatched to
Harvard park. "a new suburb just outside
the city limits TO 1.-THE southea asst shortly be.
fore midnight. Several ST OTIS had been
fired, but &C. far as could be learned, no.
body was injured. The troops soon re-
turned to headquarters at the county Jail.
The suburb Is adjacent to the main shaft
of the Central Coal mine, where many
negroes are employed.
Throughout the night headquarters of the
two brigades had frequent calls from
frightened citizens. who requested protec-
tion from suspicious characters.
Springfield is STEPPED in the deepest sor-
row. The capital Of Illinois well and truly
realizes the sadness Of its state, but it has
determined to take the most vigorous steps
to reassert justice and order.
States Attorney Hatch. who, at the in
stance of and with the cooperation of
Governor Deneen stands in the van of this
movement, is backed by three-fourths of
the citizens Of Springfield and will he
supported by the other fourth when they
realize what he viii attempt to do. The
exceptions arc the 200 prisoners now in jail
for rioting, who stand to be charged with
murder ~ the special grand jury, which
the states attorney was TO request today.
A careful estimate places the number of
negroes, who have left Springfield since the
beginning of the race war at 1000. There
are still many negroes left in Springfield,
but of these. many are planning to go at
the first Opportunity.
Rayner's Completely Not shown.
Ruhofs that A.. Rayner. the st. Loui.
man who was arrested for alleging partici
patton in the lynching of William Donne.
gan Saturday night, had confessed to the
police, could be only partially verified to.
day tRayner denies that he was concerned
in the actual killing OF Donnegan, sayinl
that .he, was across the street when this
took place. He gave the police the names
Of several others who, he declared, wer,
guilty of participation in the outrage. Non,
of these persons is known, however, and /
is thought that Rayner has imagined tn,
identity Of hts companions in order to es
cape further experiences OF the third dc
gree" Rayner and Kate Howard, the latte
acct sed OF participating In the wrecking o
Loper's restaurant, are the only prisoner
against whom the police claim to hav,
damaging evidence. The Howard woman
has beer released on bail. The explici
charge against her is grand larceny. Sh
told the police that she entered the restau
rant merely for the purpose of securing
souvenirs OF the Friday riot. One Of he
souvenirs the police say, was a pail o
lard weighing twenty pounds.
Evidence DimcuIt to secure.
The police and states attorney are meet
ing with the usual difficulties In their at
temps to discover the leaders OF the riot
Every person arrested claims that he o
she was present merely as a spectator an
the prisoner can always produce severa
friends to substantiate this claim. The
there ~ the plea OF the patrolmen that the
couldn't recognize" any of the rioters.
States Attorney Frank Hatch succeeds /
securing the punishment of any of rio