Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1908-08-18
MINOR DISTURBANCES
ACETATE SPRINGFIELD.
Several Shots Exchanged With
Pickets and Refugees and
Soldiers Are Summoned
NEGROES IN HIDING IN FIELDS
Soldiers Round Up 15o Frightened and
Starving Blacks and Convey Them to
Acknowledgement Men and Clergy
msn Meet and Pledge Support to
State and City Officials.

State and City Officials.
Springfield. ILL.,, Aug. 1s.-An attack
upon re-entering the house they retire
negroes from corn fields on the out
skirts of the city to the state arsenal.
kept the militia busy this morning.
The firing upon the sentries and their
answering shots occurred less than
two blocks from the headquarters of
General Young at the county Jail. No
one was injured in the affray, but
the shooting caused CONSERVATION in
the district.
The trouble followed an attempt to
set fire to a factory building on Eighth
street near Jefferson. A negro who
had been ordered away from the place
several times during the night was
discovered lurking in the shadow by
Private Howell, of Troop e, First cav
airy. Howell again ordered the man
to move on, but the negro's reply was
a shot from a revolver He dashed
down the street, disregarding the COM
mands of iother sentries to halt. AS he
turned into the alley he was fired upon
by two other prfvates. The shots went
wild, but aroused headquarters, two
blocks away, and Company r, First in
fantry, was sent to the place on dou
BILE quick. The alley and adjacent
houses were searched, but no fugitives
were discovered.
Piekets az Targets.
The affair happened shortly before
daybreak and was the third occasion
during the night in which an attempt
had been made to assassinate militia
pickets clearing out the corn fields
southeast of the city, and was the re-
suit of a successive nights terror In
Harvard Park.
Inspection Of the corn fields late yes
terday showed at least $50 negro refu-
gees had camped therein. The presence
of the negroes is thought to have been
responsible for the disturbed condi-
tions in the suburb. Both last night
and Sunday numerous shots We're fired
and there is now thought that minor
depredations by the starving refugees
had caused the trouble. At daybreak
today a company of soldiers was sent
to the place to herd the negroes into
the arsenal.
Business Men Support Officials.
Support to Governor Deneen's appeal
to the citizens Of Springfield to aid
the authorities in fastening response
bility for the riots upon the ringlead-
ers was given at a meeting of the
chamber of commerce and business
mems association today. Strict en-
forcement of laws was urged upon the
officials and the aid of the associations
pledged The clergymen of Springfield
took similar action, adopting resolu-
tions declaring that lax administration
of the laws was largely responsible for
the riots.
Citizens on Verge Of Mysteries.
Continued outbreaks last night and
this morning have not reassured the
timid portions of the community. It
one-tenth Of, the reports afioat in this
bewildered city were true, Springfield
would be one Of the most sanguinary
places on edTIl. DuI IllOy eA1 AAONs
General Wells had a merry time last
night dispatching rescuing squads TO
places where they were not needed and
escorting firemen to fires that dldn,
exist. Some alarms were hoaxes, the
result of nervousness on the part OF
citizens.
Out of all the rush and hurry the
Sole tangible result was the arrest OF
two befuddled negroes whose libatlons
had been indiscreet and strong.
One Of Many Rumors.
In the early evening this reported
incident, however, furnished a TYPICAL
shock. 1t was nothing less than that
troops had dispersed a mob which had
cut a, white man ITO shreds and slashed
him so horribly that the body was un-
recognizable. The rumor was traced
from private soldier to a captain OF
the militia, from him to a liveryman,
and from the latter to a travelling man
who thought he heard a shot. There 1t
was lost.
An Amusing Incident.
What really happened was this: A
few negroes at Fifteenth and Ash
streets requested the usual patrol to
include that neighborhood in its beat.
The troopers on their rounds heard
loud noises and fired two shots in the
air. AS the voices did not cease their
angry debate an investigation fol-
lowed. The "mob" was then arrested.
In another instance a whole regl-
ment of soldiers was brought into ac-
ton when can of molasses exploded,
drenching a negro who was approach
ing cautiously to make a purchase in a
grocery store. The negro was standing
at the store counter when the explo-
sion occurred. With molasses dripping
from his face, hands and clothing, he
ran from the store screaming Going
thru back yards and over fences ne
finally reached his home, where ne
cried that he had been killed. the store
blown up, and that every one was
dead. The explosion brought out sew
eral companies of infantry. and when
they arrived they found the grocer
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