The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1908-08-21
SPRINGFIELD MOB ATTEMPTS TO
RUN OUT THE NEGRO
POPULATION.
STATE TROOPS CALLED OUT
The Trouble Was Caused by an As
saut Committed by
Negro on White
Woman.

Springfield, because of an assault COM
mitted Friday by a negro on white
woman, was raging through the
streets Friday, beating negroes and
disregarding the soldiers of Troop Il,
of the First cavalry, ordered out by
Gov. Deneen to preserve order. Inc
governor Friday night by telegraph
ordered out two companies of militia,
and one troop of cavalry from reoria,
troop of cavalry each from Bloom
ton and Pekin., These soldiers are
rushing to Springfield on special
trains to assist the local troops in
maintaining order.
Negroes in various parts of town
have been attacked by the mob and in
two instances the negroes have turned
with considerable effect upon their as
sailaSts. In one miX-up trooper at
tempted to separate the combatants
and was nearly overwhelmed by those
in pursuit of several negroes. A call
for help brought several other caval-
rymen to the scene, but they were all
disarmed and their guns were carried
away by the rioters.
Most of the members Of Troop B
of Taylorville are on guard around the
Jail, whence George Richardson, the
negro who assailed Mrs. Hallam at
her home, was removed early in the
evening to Bloomington. The rioters
who had gathered in front of the jail
following the incarceration of Rich
ardson were enraged by the ruSe
practiced by the sheriff in removing
him. A company Of firemen was sent
down the street in front of the Jail
in spectacular run, attracting the at
tention of the crowd, while Richard
son and another negro, charged with
murder, were stealthily taken from
the Jail, across the Sangamon river
and placed in train bound for Bloom
ington.
Finding that the negroes were gone
the mob amused itself for time by
looting negro resorts in East Wash
ington street. The amusement Of the
rioters was tragedy for the negroes.
many of whom were roughly handled
and beaten with pieces of their own
furniture. A white man and his son,
whose names were not ascertained by
the police, were shot and injured,
supposedly by negroes. This en-
counter further enraged the members
of the mob and they began a general
search for negroes wherever they
could be found.
The situation became so serious
that Gov. Deneen sent hurried orders
for extra troops. The local militia
had been called out earlier in the eve
ming to prevent trouble that was
feared at the time.
The Springfield militia, after the
shooting of the two white men Fri
day night, seemed powerless to con-
troll the rioters and when the automo-
bile which had taken the two prison.
ers from the Jail to the train across
the river return ed to Springfield,
driven by it's owner, Maj. Harry T.
Lopez, commissary of the Second bri'
gade, Illinois National Guard, a large
number of the rioters assembled
around the machine in front of
Loper's restaurant.
Despite guard of police and mem
bers of the Fifth infantry with a
gatling gun, the crowd wrecked the
restaurant, tearing everything to
pieces inside, demolishing the auto
mobile and set it afire. The fire de-
partment was summoned to eXtinguish
the burning automobile and another
struggle ensued when the militiamen
tried to drive back the Tabble to al
low the firemen to play hose on the
burning machine. Three members of
the gatling gun squad were injured
during the melee and the rioters took
several guns from the soldiers. These /,
captured guns were used to finish |
wrecking the restaurant. When the
mob reached the bottom of the stair
way leading to the buffet of the res
taurant, they found the dead body of |
Louis Johnson, IA years old. A doctor, |
who examined the body, said the boy !
had been shot in the neck where !
there was a wound, but another doctor |
who came up later said that the boys |
death was due to a. broken neck.
At one o'clock Saturday morning
the sky over the east end of Spring |
field was aglow and it was reported |
several houses of negroes were ablaze.
fired by a mob. The fire companies |
were helpless to fight the blaze, for
the rioters refused to allow the fire
apparatus to approach the burning
oouses. Outside troops have not yet
arrived, but are expected soon. No
property belonging to whites is in
danger, it is said.
Among the injured are Eugene w.
Chain, candidate for president Of the
United States on the Prohibition party /
ticket, who was struck on the head
with brick.
American Schooner Seized.