Montpelier examiner. [volume] (Montpelier, Idaho) 1895-1937, 1908-08-21
NEGROES LYNCHED
BY FRENz|ED MOB
Race Riot in Capital of Illinois Re-
suits in Four Deaths and Injury
Of Many Participants.
Despite the Presence of Militia, the
Homes OF Negroes Are Burned to
the Ground and colored Men
Subjected to Torture.

Springfield, Ill.-Two white men
were killed and one negro was lynch.
ed, more than half a hundred persons
were injured and two score of houses,
mostly occupied by negroes were
burned Friday night as the result of
an attempt by mob to lynch negro
who had assaulted a white woman.
After a night Of riot, arson and
slaughter, the state troops, called out
by the governor, succeeded early Sat
urday in restoring a semblance of or.
der. One thousand militiamen, in
Guiding three companies from this city
and companies from Bloomington, De.
catur, Perkin and Pontiac, were set
patrolling the streets.
Despite the presence Of the troops
another victim was added to the list
on Saturday night, when William Don
igan, an aged negro, was killed. Doni.
gan was a cobbler and respected as
simple and inoffensive citizen. His
shop was within two blocks of the
state house. In the absence of a pa.
troll, the mob set fire to the shop and
the venerable negro was compelled by
the smoke to run into the street. His
appearance was greeted by shower
of stones and bricks, and as he stag
gered under the fusillade he was seia
ed and his throat cut. A rope was
then run through the wound and the
victim bound to tree. There he was
found later, unconscious and dying.
The rioting was precipitated by an
assault committed by negro upon
Mrs. Mabel Hallam, wife of street
car conductor While the woman
slept, alone in her home on populous
residence street, awaiting the return
of her husband, the man broke into
the house, dragged her into the rear
yard and assaulted her. Before noon
George Richardson, a young negro,
was arrested by the sheriff's force.
charged with the crime. The victim
partially identified the prisoner.
Crowds quickly gathered about the
Jail, but Richardson was spirited
away to Bloomington for safe keep
ing.
Baked of their prey, the members
of the mob wreaked vengeance upon
a restaurant keeper who had assisted
in spiriting away the suspected negro,
by completely wrecking his restaur-
ant and burning his automobile. Lewis
Johnson, a white boy, aged IL, was
killed during the rioting at the res
taurant.
After burning many houses in the
negro quarter the mob. which became
more and more despe; ate as the night
passed, finally gratified its thirst for
blood when Charley Hunter, a negro
was lynched ct the corner OF Twelfth
and Madison streets, right in the hear
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
negro lynched had shot two white
men.
George Richardson, the negro
charged with the assault which led to
the fearful rioting, denies his gull
and declares he can prove an alibi
With the arrival here on Sunday OF
the Second and Seventh infantry regi
mems, /. N. G., and two squadrons Of
the First cavalry, all from Chicago
the entire national guard OF Illinois
with the exception of the Sixth In
fantry and the Eighth infantry, col
ored, is on duty in the riot-ridden dis
tricts. In all 1900 guardsmen are II
the city.
Sunday passed without any violent
demonstrations, and although large
crowds thronged the streets, they
were mostly curiosity seekers. ant
were easily handled by the soldiers