The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1908-08-20

and he was put aboard, with a heavy
guard and conveyed to Bloomington,
where he is now locked up in the Nc
Lean county Jail.
Along with Richardson was taken
Joe James, another negro prisoner in
the county Jail, who four weeks ago
killed Clergy Ballard, state mine in
lspector residing in this city, after at
tempting an assault upon Billiards.
daughter.
Ballard went to his daughters res.
cue and was stabbed to death.
Mob Surrounds Jail.
Immediately after darkness had
gathered crowds assembled in the vi
entity of the county Jail. The mood
of the masses was ugly, and appeals
by Sheriff Werner were without eff
feet. The sheriff offered to let COM
mittee from the crowd search the Jail,
assuring them that both negroes were
gone.
"We will all go through" shouted
some one in the crowd, and the cry
was taken up by hundreds.
Then some one in the crowd hap
lpened to think that Harry Lopez, the
restaurant man, had furnished the au-
tomobile in which the escape of the
prisoners had been effected.
"On to Loper's,' he shouted, and by
this time the maddened mob was
ready for anything.
A rush was made upon Lopers res
taurant, five blocks away. The pro
prietor was warned, but, failing to
appreciate the seriousness of the situa
ton, did not attempt to escape until
the mob was upon the place.
He was pushed by employees of the
place, together with his wife, into a
basement room in temporary safety.
| Restaurant is Wrecked ...
Short work was made of the restaur
| ant. The mob began by breaking out
| the plate glass front of the building
stripping the entire forty feet of botf
glass and castings. The automobile In
| which the rescue had been effected
had been left in front of the place
1t was quickly turned upside -owr
and fire was set to the machine.
While the machine blaZed frenzied
hundreds poured into the cafe, tore fix
lures and decorations from their pla
ces and piled them upon the blaze
Even the sideboards and kitchen were
| stripped and all the tableware and
dishes piled upon the blaze.
Flremen Called Out.
The fire department, which had beer
| called out half dozen times in abor
tive efforts to dispense the crowds
again made run to the restaurant
but was powerless. Every line of hose
stretched was cut before a stream OF
water could be forced into it. The
restaurant was stripped clean by the
mob, which workd without hindrance
until its work was nearly completed
| The local companies of militia, con
sisting of a company of infantry,
| troop of cavalry and, gatling gun sec
| ton, which had been ordered out b!
! Governor Deneen early in the after
noon, was busy with the situation II
the vicinity of the Jail, and the loca
| authorities had no men to spare a
the scene of the Lopez rioting. Fin
| ally, in a desperate effort to restore
order, the cavalry troop was dispatch
ed to the restaurant. -.
Fierce Fight Begins.
Then the rioting broke loose in Sc
rious FORM Shots were fired and the
air was filled with missiles. Man!
| fell in the melee, and it was here tina
| Johnson met his death. After the moi
had moved to other scenes Johnson''
body was. picked up in the rear o
Loper's place.
| He had met instant death.
After nothing of Loper's place re
manned for the Infatuated mob, a rusl
was made for the leyee, which is usu
| ally populated with negroes. Blu
most of the blacks had taken warning
and disappeared. Those that remain
ed broke for cover when they espiet
the mob approaching, and all escaped
although they were pursued all ovel
the levee district.
Attacks were made upon severa
store buildings in which it was be
lieved negroes had been secreted
Entrance was forced to these places
and stocks of merchandise turned top
sy turvy in the search for the refugees
Shortly before midnight the moi
broke into Fishman's pawnshop ano
secured a quantity of rifles, shotguns
revolvers and ammunition. Witt
| these they armed themselves ano
started to march the streets in abso
lutte control of the situation.
Chain Protects Negro.
Stand back, gentlemen, or III shoot
every one of you who touches this
man." were the words of Eugene W
Chain, prohibition candidate for pres
ident, who faced mob that had at
tackled a negro while Mr.. Chain was
delivering his campaign address or
the east side of the square this even
ing.
The words, coming as they did from
Chain, with all the determination OF
one who would really shoot saved tue
life of the negro.
For his act Chain was struck in the
left side of the face with a brickbat