Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1908-08-18
then hanged to a tree and his body
The Attack on Loper's.

The Attack on Loper's.
Last night q mob raided Loper's
cafe, and completely wrecked the
house and furniture and large tour
ing car owned by the proprietor.
Lopez had taken Joe James, negro
accused of the murder of Clergy A.
Ballard, and Geo. Richardson, accused
of assault upon Mrs. Hallam, from the
county Jail, in company with two dep
uties and two police officers, and raced
eight miles across the country to
within mile of Sherman, where a
Chicago and Alton passenger train
was overtaken. A special car had been
provided and the negroes were taken
to Bloomington and later transferred
to Peoria. The attack upon Loper's
commenced about o'clock last even
ing and ~'-~-l did not leave the
place un;l cary this morning, after
taking all the furniture from the
rooms and burning 1t on the sidewalk.
The number of injured totals close
to seventy-five. Troops have the situ-
alton well in hand, and although trou-
BILE may break out at any time, it
looks like peace.
Public prejudice had been aroused
against the negroes about month
ago, when Clergy A. Ballard was muir
dered in his own home by a negro,
who is under indictment for murder,
the Indictment being found by spec
ial grand jury convened by Judge
Creighton of the circuit court.
Lynching of Negro Planned.
| Early yesterday morning George
Richardson was arrested for the as
Ho11 OF
| " there began to be mutterings Of
trouble.
Threats were made that both ne
groes would be taken out and lynched.
Officials Prepare Ruse.
Sheriff Charles Werner made ar
engagements TO take the men to Bloom
ington and last evening the attention
of the crowd around the Jail was dis
tracted by an alarm of fire. while the
men were placed in Harry T. Loper's
automobile and whisked away to the
railroad station near the fair grounds,
where train was stopped to let the
sheriff's men and their prisoners get
| on board.
| AS soon as this was known the mob
began to gather, bowling for vengence
against the man who had assisted in
the escape of their prey The cry,
| Come on to Loper's," was raised and
few minutes later bricks were
crashing through the windows.
Lopez met the mob with rifle.
They paid no heed to him, and he was
forced into the back part of the build
ing, where he was compelled to wit
ness the complete destruction of his
property.
Restaurant is Wrecked.
The restaurant was the largest in
the city and had large trade. Within
an hour it was a complete wreck All
| of the furniture was taken out and
piled on top of the automobile, which
had been turned over on the street,
and then a match was applied to the
gasoline tank. The bonfire ragged I'M
til midnight.
The police were utterly powerless to
cope with the mob and the fire depart
ment, which had been called out. was
not allowed to extinguish the flames
Thousands of people thronged
down town to see the strange scene
and the streets were blocked with a
solid mass of humanity
Deneen Orders Out Troops,
Early last night Gov Deneen was
asked for troops and ordered out com
pany c, Fifth infantry, troop D, First
cavalry. and the gatling gun section
of this city, and also company NJ, from
Decatur, companies L and G and troop
G from Peoria and Jacksonville, and
troop B, First cavalry, and company
D, Fifth infantry, from Bloomington
| Col. R. J. Shand of the Third infantry
| "a cfof oil into, ,f
command.
! At a late hour last evening he
placed a gatling gun in Fifth street
and ordered the street cleared.
Driven from this place. the mob dis
Dersed and went through the streets
in the east part Of the city, where the
negroes mostly reside. and there has
been trouble in that district all night
Chafln Struck by Brick.
At the time the riot began, Eugene
1 w. Chain, the prohibition candidate
for president. was addressing meet
ing in the court house yard.
A negro pursued by a mob came
dashing UP the platform, and in en-
deavoring to protect the man from
his pursuers the orator was struck IL
the face with brick and madly in
jured.
However, the negro had gained
time to make his escape The mol
then proceeded to break up the meet
ing. and in the fight that ensued
number of men were hurt.
All Saloons Are Closed
At 9 o'clock the situation was Sc
serious that Mayor Reece ordered
all the saloons closed.
Shortly after IL o'clock the mayo
attempted to address the mob at Fiftl
and Monroe streets The shout wa!
raised, Throw him into the fire"
The mayor was seized and roughl,
handled. He was rescued by friends
who came to his assistance through
a shower of bricks and other missiles
and hustled him into a nearby ciga
store.
The mob showed it's animosity to
ward the mayor because of his ap
, pointment of negroes on the polio,
| force.
The Injured.
Those seriously injured in the riot