Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1908-08-20
spRlNcFlELp MOB ATTEMPTS TO
RUN OUT THE NEGRO
POPULATION.
STATE TROOPS CALLED OUT
me trouble Was Caused BY an ~
sault Committed by
Negro on a White
Woman.

oninR mop, D6uI VI al
reance on the negro inhabitants OF
Springfield, because Of an assault con-
mitted Friday by q negro on white
woman. was raging through tne
streets Friday, beating negroes ana
the soldiers Of Troop 2,
Of the First cavalry, ordered out Dy
Gov. Deneen to preserve order Ing
governor Friday night BY telegraph
ordered out two companies Of militia,
and one troop Of cavalry from teoria'
4 troop Of cavalry each from Bloom
ton and Pekin. These soldiers are
rushing to Springfield on special
trains to assist the local troops ~
maintaining order.
Negroes In various parts Of town
have been attacked by the mob ana IN
two instances the negroes have turned
with considerable effect upon their az
sailants. In one mix-up trooper az
tempted to separate the combatants
and was nearly overwhelmed by those :,
in pursuit of several negroes a can
for help brought several other caVal-
rymen to the scene, but they were an
disarmed and their guns were carrleu
away by the rioters. =
Most Of the members OF Troop .
az Taylorville are on guard around the
iail. whence George Richardson, the
negro who assailed Mrs. Hallam a.
her home, was removed early In th'
evening to Bloomington. The rioters
who had gathered in front Of the jail
following the incarceration OF Hlcn
ardson were enraged by the rus
practiced by the sheriff in removlnl
| him. A company Of firemen was sen
down the street in front Of the jai
| in a spectacular run, attracting the a.
tention Of the crowd, while Richard
son and another negro, charged Wit
murder, were stealthily taken fror
the Jail, across the sangamon rive
and placed in a train bound for Bloom
ington.
Finding that the negroes were gon
the mob amused itself for time D
footing negro resorts In East Wasl
ington street. The amusement OF IN
rioters was tragedy for the negroe
many of whom were roughly handle
and beaten with pieces Of their oW
furniture. A white man and his Sol
whose names were not ascertained .
the police, were shot and injure'
. supposedly by negroes This e.
counter further enraged the member
. of the mob and they began gener'
search for negroes wherever the
. could be found.
) The situation became so serlo'
that Gov. Deneen sent hurried ordel
for extra troops. The local milit
had been called out earlier In the ev
E ming to prevent trouble that wi
' feared at the time.
The Springfield militia, after Il
shooting OF the two white men Fl
Y day night, seemed powerless to co
= troll the rioters and when the autom
:. bile which had taken the two prise
ers from the Jail to the train aero
r the river return ed to spripghel
driven by its owner Mai. Harry
9 Loper. commissary of the Second b
g gade. Illinois National Guard, a lar
Q number OF the rioters ASSEMBLE
It around the machine in fnent
Loper's restaurant.
u Despite guard Of police and me
9 bers Of the Fifth infantry with
2 Calling gun, the crowd wrecked I
u restaurant, tearing everything
uieces inside, demolishlng the au
mobile and set It afre. The fire
partment was summoned to extingul
u the burning automobile and anoth
4 struggle ensued when the milltiam
N tried to drive back the rabble to
@ low the iremen to play a hose on
u burning machine. Three members
y the gatllng gun squad were intur
j. during the melee and the rioters to
N several guns from the soldiers. The
- captured guns were used to mi
al wrecking the restaurant When
- mob reached the bottom Of the sta
q way leading to the buffet OF the :
60 taurant, they found the dead body
Louis johnson. IL years old. A doet
- oxau,lnaA the hodV said the
had been shot in the neck VIII
IL there was a wound, but another doc
m who came up later said that the DO
I'M death was due 10 . broken neck
he Al one o'clock Saturday morn
De the sky over the east end Of spri
=. sea was asioW and II was repor
n several houses Of negroes were aba
Of fred By . mob. The IRE compan