The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-08-16
Details Are Given of Crime
 That Caused Race War
WORK DONE BY MILITARY
The Governor Declares That He Is Prepared To Meet Any Trouble That May Arise, But Great
 Unrest Prevails.

Springfield, H.. August Ex-Governor De- neen at O clock this afternoon issued the following statement:
 "The trouble at Springfield arose out of an assault upon white woman by negro named George Richardson, who. 1t is alleged, entered her home about mid- night of August IS, choked her, carried her to the back yard and assaulted her during the absence of her husband, who was a conductor of the street railway here, about six weeks ago.
 Another colored man named Joe James was found in the daughter5s bedroom of the home of another conductor of the street railway company on the return of the family from social engagemest, and after discovery, in the struggle to escape, killed the father.
 Fearing trouble, the sheriff yesterday. afternoon induced the proprietor of one of the principal restaurants, MT. Loper, to take the prisoner and the sheriff in his automobile to the outskirts of the city and to transfer Richardson and the other person referred to to Bloomington, about 50 miles north of Springfield.
 'There was some uneasy feeling among certain classes. A large crowd gathered it the jail in the evening and there learned that MT. Loper had furnished the automo- bile with which the prisoners were trans iferred. They went over to his restaurant and demolished 1t, turned the automobile upside down and set it afire. The crowd then moved east on Washington street to the quarter of the city which is largely populated by colored people. Here they sacked the stores owned by colored per- Il. a number of houses, estimated at between 20 and 20. Only such buildings were burned as were occupied by colored peo- pie. Negroes who were found on the streets were assaulted and one was beaten and was later hanged to a lamppost. The negro was killed while endeavoring to pro- tect his home from incendiaries. As re- ported in the newspapers, the killed num- Der three, the injured 53."
 The governor then tells of the action of the militia and their assistance last night and continues:
 'The sheriff ordered the crowd to dis perse and on their failing to do so, three volleys were fired by the militia over the heads of the crowd. This having no eff feet, foruth volley was fired and sev- eral citizens were injured, the exact num- Der not known. The crowd at once dis persed.
 This morning 1 issued a public state ment to the effect that the colored fami- lies who had been driven from their homes would be cared for at Camp Lincoln.
 We are prepared to meet any trouble that may arise.
 "A few assaults have been made during the day, but were not serious. The com- munity, however, is in state of unrest" --------------~------- flee from the city during the day time.
 After they had so brutally treated the old men the crowd triumphantly marched through the capitol grounds sh hooting at the electric lights sur rounding the grounds.
 The soldiers in the armory across the street crept out under cover of the shadows of the building and waited for the mob to change it's course and ap- proach them. This the mob failed to do and then the soldiers dash ed out and broke through the ranks of the mob. Instead of arresting every mem- Der of the mob the soldiers started part of them up the street and corralled the other part near the armory. After holding them there for a while they permitted them to go away in a direc- tion opposite to that taken by the other men.
 Intense Excitement.
 Intense excitement was created by the Dunnigan lynching and the whole city is now in a panic of fear.
 On proclamation by Mayor Reece and Sheriff Werner, Springfield closed up tight at 6 o'clock this evening.
 Not in 20 years has the city been as dark as 1t is now.
 A barber shop here and there is open, and restaurants and hotels are the only places where one may stop. Even the cars stopped early. Mayor Reece, in his proclamation, asked that business houses suspend at D. m. and that people re- main at their homes. Sheriff Werner made the same request, and they have been fairly well obeyed.
 Hotel clerks and managers are doing the work of negro porters about their ho- tels All the hotels employed colored help ; in these capacities This morning when they showed up for work the proprietors sent them home.
 Homeless negroes of this city tonight are sleeping In peace in Camp Lincoln, under protection of the state militia and 1, under the shadow of the monument of : Lincoln, as Governor Deneen issued mo- tice that the tents of the state guards should be erected in the camp grounds of the state on the northwest corner of the city.
 Those burned out were of the poorest | class, and among them were disreputa- !, bles of all ages, living in abject poverty ] and disorder All they had has been I A..~-