The star and Newark advertiser. [volume] (Newark, N.J.) 1908-1909, 1908-08-17
TWENTY DEAD IN
THE SPRINGFIELD
LYNCH|NG RIOTS
Member of Mob That Hanged
Aged Negro Becomes a
9a Madman.
ENTIRE ILLINOIS GUARD
PATROLS CITY'S STREETS
Attempt Made to Cut Down
Wires Leading to Military
Headquarters.

SPRINGFIELD. ILL.,, Aug. 17.-With
practically the entire force of the 1lli-
nois National Guard In control today,
something like order prevails here.
Fifty-five hundred armed soldiers patrol
the streets and the fever for blood has
abated, temporarily, at least, among
the wild element which ruled the State
capital for forty-eight hours.
The most overt act reported was an
attempt to cut the fire alarm and tele-
graph wires in the heart of the business
district. With the wires down the city
would have been at the mercy of the
tncendiaries. The man who would have
cut off the fire protection of the city
was discovered on the roof of a build
ing in the act of reaching for the wires.
A half dozen shots from troops were
aimed at him as he stealthily climbed
toward the wires.
One bullet probably hit him, for he
dropped to the roof of the building, but
made a successful escape.
To this affair IL added the attempt to
fire the negro section on the northwest
side of Springfield. Prompt action of
the fire department cooperating with
battalion of the First Infanry stopped
the impending confiagration.
Five Known and Fifteen Unknown Dead
A platoon of infantry was dispatched
hurriedly to Harvard Park, a new sub
urb Just outside the city limits to the
southeast, shortly before midnight.
Several shots had been fired, but so far
as could be learned nobody was injured.
The troops soon returned to headquar-
ters at the county jail. The suburb is
adjacent to the main shaft of the CEN
tral coal mine, where many negroes are
employed.
With the death yesterday of William
Donegan, the aged negro who was
lynched Saturday night, and Frank
Dilmore, a white man who was shot
while watching the rioting, the list of
known dead was increased to Ave.
Eight more are not expected to recover,
and the unknown list Is still figured at
fifteen.
States Attorney Hatch declares he will
have indicted for murder the 200 pris-
oners now in jail for rioting.
careful estimate places the num-
ber of negroes who have left Spring
field since the beginning of the race
war at 1000. OF this number nearly
three-fourths have gone out of the
country on railroads and interurban
lines. The rest have gone by wagon
and on foot and are located in the
rural districts.
Many VIII Never Return.
The great mass of the scurrying
ott1 I,o fa
have gone to Missouri, Kentucky. In
diana, and few to the South. Some
are known to have gone as far past
the Mason and Dixon line as Louisiana.
There are still many negroes left in
Springfield, but of these there are many
who are planning to go at the first op
portunity. Some of the departing ones
have left the capital never to return.
The awful experiences they have un-
dergone the last three days have been
too much for their nerves, and they
will not resume residence in the home
of Lincoln again.
NJ am one of those who helped to
lynch William DOnegan, and ! believe
I nm going INSANE" was the statement
of Charles Gadyyin Mt the Offce of the
superintendent of the BartOnviIIe Asy-
luni last night. "We stamped him I'm
put rope round his neck. That's what
1t took to kill him."
Gadwin said that he formerly was
member of the Thirty second U. s.
Volunteers In the Philippines and had
a sister at the asylum.
He was placed under guard.
Special Grand Jury Summoned.
A special grand jury was summoned
today by Judge James A. Creighton as
the result of a conference held be-
tween Governor Charles S. Deneen and
States Attorney Frank Hatch.
The grand jury will be held in ses-
sion so long as the mob violence Is
threatened. Evidence will be submit
ted to the body from day to day by
!, officers and soldiers and indictments
returned as soon as a case is made
against an individual.
The confidence of General Young that
his force is sufficient to render abortive
any attempt at mob violence Is partly
shared by some negroes. Several OF
them from the residence districts came
to the arsenal today, swelling the num-
ber now being sheltered by the State
to 400. None of them have left the
place since they entered. 1t is feared
that their very presence would incite
riot and they are guarded as closely as
Is the ammunition kept in the build
ing None are to be seen through the
open doors of the armory and no ne
Cf he 1xril In