The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1909-02-25
ANTI GREEK RIOTS IN NEB.

f9AN Il uAAAA AAo L - AAN ANA@Os
MOBS WREAK HAVOC IN OMAHA
FOREIGN QUARTER.
Shooting of Patrolman BY Greek Pris.
oner, Together with Speeches, Pro-
duces Friction-Two Injured.
Omaha, Neb., Feb. 21.-After an
afternoon and evening of rioting by
5000 men and boys bent on driving
Greeks from South Omaha the police
late tonight quelled the disturbance
after the mob had wrecked or burned
more than 80 buildings and injured
more than score of persons, mostly
Greeks. There was no loss of life
and all the injured will probably re-
cover.
The mob consisted largely Of boys
from 16 to 20 years of age. The orig
inal cause of the trouble was the
killing on Friday night Of Policeman
Edward Lowry by ohm Masurdes, a
Greek, whom the officer had arrested.
Masurdes was taken to the Douglas
county Jail as soon as he shot Lowry
for fear an attempt might be made to
lynch him and he was taken on Sat-
urday to Lincoln and placed in the
penitentiary to await a hearing.
Gov. Shallenger tonight expressed
willingness to call out the troops If
necessary, but no such demand was
made tonight, as Sheriff Bailey be-
lieves he has the situation under con-
troll. Fifteen arrests were made to-
night in connection with riots.
Bent on avenging the murder OF
Patrolman Edward Lowry, who was
shot Friday night by Creek prison
er, some. 5000 men and boys to-day
partly wrecked 80 buildings in the
Greek quarter Of South Omaha and
created riot, during which two boys
were wounded with bird shot and q
dozen other persons were injured
with missiles of various sorts used
in smashing buildings occupied by
Greeks.
The riots followed a mass meeting
at which two State legislators and an
attorney harangued the crowd.
The police were helpless for almost
three hours to disperse the rioters
and Greek residents fed in panic
from the quarter attacked, while the
mob wrecked property.
Even after the police gained con-
troll they could not disperse the
crowd.
| The onslaught of the mob was
made in three divisions. The main
attack centered at Twenty-sixth and
@ streets, the principal Greek quar-
ter.
The maddened crowd began it's de-
struction by throwing stones and
Fbricks through the windows OF stores
occupied by Greeks. In short time
havoc was made of these places.
Saloon Attacked.
| Two blocks east another crowd
smashed the front Of saloon and
several men attempted to pillage the
interior. A squad Of police prevented
the mob from getting the liquor. AT
this place the two boys were shot and
the other persons injured.
| A third crowd rushed to Twenty
fourth and l. streets and demolished
q confectionery store kept by Demos
Bros. Mrs. Mary Demos and her aged
father narrowly escaped death at the
hands of the mob.
| The three attacks were made al
most simultaneously and the destruc-
ton was complete before CHIEF Briggs
could get his scattered forces togeth-
er. Meantime Sheriff Bailey rushed
his deputies to South Omaha to aid
the police.
The mob assaulted many Italians
and Roumanians, who were mistaken
for Greeks. -.
The riots grew out of the arrest OF
a Greek last Friday night by Ponce
man Lowry. While on the way to the
police station the Greek shot Lowry
to death and escaped. An unsuc-
cessful attempt was made later to
llynch the Greek and then a mass
meeting was called for this afternoon
to take some action with regard to
Greek residents. The mass meeting
was addressed by State Representa-
tives Jerry Howard and ]. P: krause'
Attorney B. G. Murphy and others
1.-THE blood of an American IS on
the hands of these Greeks Murphy
is said to have shouted, "and some
method should be adopted to avenge
his death and rid the city of this class
of persons"
The meeting dismissed, half OF the
audience rushed to the Greek quarter
where the destruction began. The
crowd gave little heed to opposition
one of the damaged houses, two,
story residence, being less than loo
feet from the police station.
| Another Outbreak.
At 9 o'clock tonight the mob again
began depredations and riot calls
came in from several places. Tne
mob set fire to the house of a Greek
The fire department extinguished the
blaze.
Charles Nestroyl, a member of the
mob, was trying to break into build
ing at another point and was shot IN
the forehead and taken to a hospital.
A mob smashed the front OF store
at another point, one of the Greek