The Caucasian. (Clinton, N.C.) 188?-1913, 1908-08-20
TOWN UNDER
LYNCH LAW
Fearful Work by Mob at Spring.
field Illinois.
MANY HOMES DESTROYED

kfOe@ anu bufmsu Their Homes
Because One of Their Race Had
Assaulted q White Woman-Ths
Militia Was Called Out. HUT was
Poweriess for Time.
Springfield. Ills. Aug. 15.-Ths
city Is under martial Law today, fol.
lowing the reign OF riot, arson and
slaughter last night, which resulted
in the death OF three men, the wound
Ing of fifty more and the destruction
of hundreds of thousands of dollars
worth OF property by an infuriated
mob. Charles Hunter, a negro por-
ter. has been lynched.
Throughout the night five thous-
and men searched the negro quarters
In an attempt TO find the negro as
sailant of a white woman. The ne
gro had been spirited out of town.
the mob turned in fury upon the
other blacks of the city. The negro
quarters were fired and when the
department responded to the alarm
the rioters kept them from fighting
the flames. Police and special dep
uties were overawed, and not until
the arrival this morning of COM
panies from Peoria, Pekin and De-
catur to reinforce the local company,
which had already been called out,
was even the semblance OF order
restored.
Throughout the early hours today
additional troops reached the city by
special trains. 1t is believed the sit
uation is now under control and that
there will be no further outbreaks.
The community, however, is still at
fever heat. All the saloons are
closed today.
Taking in a long rectangular sec
ton of the city the mob burned
every home occupied by a negro.
The mob was starting to fire the
houses of the better class of negroes
when the soldiers arrived and the
first bloodshed followed The troops
ordered the mob back. Two volleys
were fired overhead, but the mad
dened crowd came on. A third vol
ley was then fired into the mass of
rioters, the soldiers aiming low SO
that they would not kill. Immedi-
ately following came the lynching of
Hunter. The negro was set upon by
the crowd and badly beaten. He
then drew revolver and fired. The
mob swept him down in a jiffy, a
rope was secured, tossed over the
limb of a dead tree and the miser-
able wretch swung into eternity.
One of those injured was Eugene
w. Chain, prohibition candidate for
the presidency, who was struck on
the side of the head trying to protect
an escaping negro.
Plans were made early today by
Governor Deneen for caring for ne
groes whose homes have been de-
stroyed. The State arsenal will be
thrown open and tents will be pitch
d for their accommodation. Guards
will be placed about them.
Negro's Brutal Crime.
The woman assaulted was Mrs.
Hallam, whose husband works at
night. She was dragged from the
house at midnight and outraged.
There had been a number of crimes
in the city by blacks, and this last
thoroughly aroused the people and
they went on the warpath at once.
The lynching of Hunter was the
most atrocious act of the night and
a finale to the maddened and infuri-
ated barbarity that grew greater as
the mob became drunker with frenzy
and liquor. Hunter was accused of
shooting a white man named Jim
Hayes. He escaped and it was short
ly after two this morning when he
was seen standing in the doorway of
his home. A bystander described
what followed:
There was no one near while a
man stood half a block away, lifted
a gun to his shoulder and fired at
the negro. Three shots rang out and
the negro fell back into the house
The shooting attracted a crowd and
they made a rush for the house.
Hunter was carried into the yard
still alive. A rope was then tied
about his neck and he. was dragged
around the block, to a new brick
two-story building in which a saloon
occupied the ground floor. In front
| was an old dead tree. A man climb
ed the tree, carrying the rope, pull
ed the body up and fastened the
rope and the the mob tried to burn
the body, but the flames would not
catch. The feet dangled within the
reach of men and boys, who played
with the corpse by swinging it back
and forth against the building te
hear the dull thud it would make
The face of the negro was covered
with blood"
| w. II. Bowe, young clerk in the
county treasurer's Office is dying
from shots fired by gang of negroes
who pursued him. After shooting
down Bowe, the negroes robbed hin
| of diamond ring, stud and his
money. The Governor has ordered
out the entire Fourth and Fifth reg
liments.
| The Caucasian in clubs OF five
from now until November 18th fol