The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-08-15

| iouS form. Shots were nred ana the
air was filled with missiles. Many
| fell in the melee and il was here that
4 Louis johnson met his death. After
/ the mob had moved to other scenes
Johnson's body was picked up in the
rear of Loper's place. After nothing
| furiated crowd. a rush was made Tor
| the levee which Is usually populated
with negroes. But most of them had
disappeared. Attacks were made upon
| several buildings in which 1t was be-
lieved negroes had been secreted. En-
| trance was forced to these places and
stocks of merchandise turned topsy
! turvy in the search for refugees.
Shortly before midnight the mob
broke into Fishman's pawn shop and
secured quantity of rifles, shot guns
revolvers and ammunition. With these
| they armed themselves and started to
march the streets in absolute control
| of the situation.
"Stand back. gentlemen. or I'll shoot
every one of you who touches this
man." were the words of Eugene w.
Chain. prohibition candidate for
president, who faced a mob that had
attacked negro while Mr.. Chain
was delivering a public address on the
east side OF the square last night.
Chafin Hit With q Brick.
For this act Chain was struck on
the left side of the face with a brick
bat hurled at him by a member of
the mob. Chain was well along in
his speech when negro pursued by
a mob came toward the speaker s
stand from Fifth and Washington
from a street car.
The crowd closed in on the negro,
beating him with their fists and
clubs. He finally got away and
jumped on the platform.
1t was at this point that Mr.. Chain
stepped to the front of the mob put
his hand to his hip pocket and
threatened to shoot any one who
touched the negro. Mr.. Chains s
threat had the desired effect although
he had no weapon.
During the fight the negro pulled
a knife from his pocket and slashed
several white men. Mr.. Chain was
not seriously injured. James Scott
was struck by stray bullet and al
most instantly killed. After burning
many houses in. the negro quarters.
the mob, which became more and
more desperate as the night passed.
finally gratified its thirst for blood
this morning at o'clock when a
ner of Twelfth and Madison streets,
right in the heart of the district called
bad lands.
Troops arrived at the scene too late
to prevent the lynching. Some of the
members of the mob declare that the
When retreat was cut off. the negro is
said to have opened fire. wounding two.
Negro Shot and Hanged.
Then came the cry Get the rope"
All the members of the mob eagerly
took up the cry. The negro was caught
and dragged to the street. Here he was
shot five times and a rope thrown
around his neck and the other end of
the rope thrown over limb of a tree
in front of store. With a cry of sat
isfaction the negro was swung high off
the ground. He was dead in a few
moments. ---
After riddling the body with bullets
the mob commenced to dance around
the ,tree.- AT this- point a company of
troops from Decatur, arrived and COM
menced firing. causing the rioters to
disperse in a hurry. By daylight the
streets had practically been cleared
and the troops were in control of the
situation.
Governor Deneen was at his Office all
night personally directing the calling
out of the militia
Harry T. Loper, owner of the rest
aurant destroyed, said:
Il have been through one riot in
Cincinnati, in 's3. the greatest in this
country, when 100 men were killed. 1t
was to avoid loss of life that I took
those men out of town. I did not favor
the men; I have no interest in them
whatever. and would go just as far to
punish them as anybody, but after go
ing through the Cincinnati riot and
knowing this sheriff as 1 do, 1 knew he
would be killed first before he would let
the Jail be taken. 1 thought 1 would
save lives by removing the colored
men.
protect my place and I only shot into
the crowd when in personal danger
myself. I would not kill single man
to save my place"
Troops i'm the Field.
The following are the companies of
state troops called to suppress further
rioting:
Companies G and L. First infantry
and Company L. Fifth infantry, all Of
Peoria, Company c, Fifth infantry,
Troop d, First cavalry and the Cat
ling section, all of Springfield; Com
pany c. Fifth infantry: Troop p, First
cavalry and the Gatling section Of
Springfield; Company F, Third infant
ry, Pontiac; Troop G, First cavalry,
Peoria; and the following companies
from the Fifth infantry; Company B,
Taylorville: A, Pekin, c, Bloomington;
F, Quincy; H, Decatur; /, Danville and
L. Peoria. Bloomington, Peoria, Pekin
and Decatur companies arrived here at
o'clock this morning.
The lynching of Hunter took place
when the big fire. which destroyed
the homes of about 35 negro families
in the negro section of the bad lands"
was at it's height and just preceding
the arrival of the Pekin and Peoria and
Bloomington and Decatur companies
of state troops. Hunter is accused of
having fired first upon the whites and
seeking protection by lodging in and
out of boxcars along the right of way
Of the Illinois Central railway The
negro was cornered in stairway and
shot several times and then hanged to
a tree which was convenient and his
body riddled. The lynching was the
first which ever took place in this city.
After the attack on Loper's restaurant,
the crowd did not leave the place until
early this morning. The destruction
by fire of all the contents of the rest
aurant was enacted only half a block
from the public square in the heart
of the business district. The number
of In i,,rad Tot als cInse 70 Ih Tha riot