The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-15
TORCH IS APPLIED ID
 HOUSES OF NEGROES IN
 THEIR SECTION OF CITY
Soldiers Ordered Out Fail To Restrain the Wild Mob and Many Deaths May Be the Result of the
 Nights Work of the
 Citizens.


 Springfield, H., August 15-Springfield is in the hands of a mob and enraged citi- zens who began last night to wreak ven- geance on negro residents for an assault committed yesterday by George Richard son. negro, on Mrs. Hallam, white woman. At 1 o'clock this morning the whole east end of the town burst into flames, the torch having been applied to several negro houses by some of the more desperate ones
 Two men are already dead and probably two score others are injured mostly ne- groes. The rabble is sweeping through the streets attacking every negro they meet All the local militia are on duty and half a dozen companies from other cities are rushing here on special trains. Still other companies are ordered to hold themselves in readiness. The fire depart ment Is at present helpless to combat the flames in the negro quarters on account of the threatening attitude of the mob to- ward the fremen. The dead:
 G. J. Scott
 Louis Johnson.
 Richardson and another negro wanted for murder were stealthily taken from Springfield jail last night and rushed to Bloomington, whence they were later taken to Peoria. It is thought that with the arrival of the out-of-town troops the streets will be cleared and order be re- stored.
 Soldiers Ordered Out.
 The governor tonight by telegraph or dered two companies of militia and one troop of cavalry from Peoria, troop of cavalry from Bloomington and also one from Pekin These soldiers are rushing to Springfield on special trains to assist the local troops in maintaining order.
 Negroes in various parts of the town have been attacked by the mob. and Tn two instances the negroes have turned with considerable effort on their assail- ants, In one mix-up trooper attempted to separate the combatants and was near .lv overwhelmed by the disorderly persons who were in pursuit of several negroes A call for help brought several other cav- alrymen to the scene, but they were all disarmed and their guns were carried away by the rioters.
 Most of the members of Troop B of Taylorville are on guard around the Jail whence George Richardson. the negro who assailed Mrs. Hallam at her home today. was removed early In the evening to Bloomington. The rioters who had gathered in front of the jail following the incarceration of Richardson were enraged by the ruse practiced by the sheriff in re- moving Richardson from the jail. A com pany of firemen was sent down the street in front of the Jail in a spectacular run, attracting the attention of the crowd, while Richardson and another negro, charged with murder, were stealthily taken from the jail across the Sangamon river and placed on a train bound for Bloomington
 Looting Resorts.
 Finding that the negroes were gone, the mob amused itself for time by footing negro resorts in East Washington street. The amusement of the riorrrs was trag- edy for the negroes many of whom were roughly handled and beaten with pieces of their own furniture. A white man and his son, whose names were not ascer- tained were shot and injured, supposedly by negroes This encounter further en- ragged the members of the mob and they began general search for negroes.
 The situation became serious that Governor Deneen sent hurried orders/fer extra troops. The local militia had been called out earlier in the evening to pre- vent trouble that was feared at that time. The Springfield militia, after the shoot ing of the two white men tonight, seemed poweress to control the rioters when the automobile which had taken the two prisoners from the jail to the train across the river returned to Springfield, driven by its owner, Mat. Harry T. Loper, com Inissary of the Second brigade, l. N. G.
 Auto Set on Fire.
 Despite a guard of police and members of the Fifth infantry, with Gatling gun, the crowd wrecked the restaurant tear ing everything to pieces inside, demolished Loper's automobile, and set it aire. The fire department was summoned to extin- guish the burning automobile and another struggle ensued when the militiamen tried to drive back the rabble to allow the fire men to play a hose on the tlre Three members of the Gatling gun squad were injured during the melee and the rioters took several guns from the soldiers These captured guns were used to finish wreck ing the restaurant. When the mob reached the bottom of the stairway lead ing to the buffet of the restaurant they found the dead body of Louis Johnson, IA years of age. doctor who examined the body hastily, said the boy had been shot in the neck, where there was wound. but another doctor who came up later said that the boys death was due to a broken neck.
 Cause of the Riot. Springfield, H., August 14.-Mrs. Earl ATallam wife of a conductor on the