Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1909-02-22
Riot to Avenge Murder of Lowery by
John Masauredis.
THOUSANDS IN THE MAD BAND
Fired by Jerry Howard, J. P. Kraus
and H. G. Murphy in Speeches.
MASS MEETING AT CITY HALL
Legislators and Former City Attorney
Make Impsssioned Addresses.
MOB GOES FROM THERE TO WORK
Two Youths and One Man Are Shot
by Flying Lead.
BUILDINGS FIRED AND WRECKED
Legislators and Former City Attorney
Make Impsssioned Addresses.
MOB GOES FROM THERE TO WORK
Two Youths and One Man Are Shot
by Flying Lead.
BUILDINGS FIRED AND WRECKED
sheriff and Police Do valiant Service
In Effort TO Enforce Law
Against the Rage of
the Mob.

Seeking to avenge the murder of Police
man Edward Lowery by John Masauredis
Friday night, several hundred men any
boys. fired by the oratory Of two legisa-
tors and other speakers. swept from the
South omaha city hall down inte the Greek
colony yesterday afternoon. demolished
every Greek house or store they could.
setting fire to some, shot two boys and
one man and began riot which extended
on into the night with menacing aspects.
The crowd that attended the city hall
meeting, which began at p. M, numbered
about 1000. 1t listened to impassioned
speeches by Representatives Jerry Howard
and j. p. Kraus, and by ii. G. Murphy,
former city attorney; Frank Dolezal and
others.
1--WE must avenge the murder of this
man." and "it is time we were ridding
our city of such people," We're typical ut
terances OF the speakers.
Wildly cheering the speeches the crowd
went directly from the city hall to the
Greek settlement and bagan getting rid
Of these people," The number in attend
ance at the mass meeting was soon aug
mented to several times 1000. Streets were
congested, street cars had difficulty In
threading their way through and women
and children were warned to keep In
doors.
Passions Are UnBridled.
Passions were unbfidled and, driven on
by some shout OF xiii the Greeks" or
Remember poor Lowery," the crowd went
from place to place demolishing property
and knocking down occupants. Greeks and
Roumanians looked alike. Wherever found
they were attacked. Many fled at once,
all as soon as possible. Hundreds made
their way to Omaha. An unidentified man.
said to be Gleek. fired pistol into the
crowd and hit Frank Sweeney, son OF
Mike Sweeney, 2SO5 q street Four bird
shot pierced his abdomen and one struck
over the eye, while three or four took
effect in each hand. Joseph g. Gamble.
another youth, was struck by the same
discharge in the leg. Neither was seriously
injured, but the incident served to intensity
the determination for vengeance. An uni
Identified man was shot in the wrist.
Out at Thirty-third and Q street, shortly
after o'clock. the first building was fired.
1t was Greek boarding house, and as
soon as the fire brand had been applied
the rioters set to woik to cut off the water
supply and defeat the flremens efforts at
extinguishing the blaze.
Chief John Briggs of the South Omaha
police force and Sheriff Bradley OF Douglas
county had anticipated trouble all day Sun
day, since the mass meeting had been pre-
viously advertised. They had their men in
readiness and when the crowd assembled
at the city hall they began their prepara-
tons for suppressing a riot
But the tide of passion swept on In its
irresistible course past them. Police and
deputy sheriffs stood their ground, but the
stream of mad men flowed with unconquer-
able force and, for a time, defied the
majesty OF law. Chief Briggs had his full
force at work. Sheriff Bradley took fifteen
deputies and stayed in the vortex OF the
storm from start to finish.
Early In the evening demand was made
upon the police OF Omaha for help, but
Chief Donahue, sick In bed at his home,
took the view that the public safety would
be better subserved by him keeping out
OF it," After considering the matter thor
oughly he decided best not to comply with
the request and no Omaha policemen were
sent down. The chiefs action was en-
dorsed by Mayor Dahlman. who said:
II think it would be unwlse for us to
take hand in it now"
There was feeling that police sent down
from Omaha would have disconcerting
effect upon the South Omaha police and
would tend to incite new fury among the
crowd.
State troops were not called for.
The murderer is still secluded by the
sheriff. Where. no one outside the sherlff's
office knows. Lillian Breese. the girl with
whom Mausaredes persisted In keeping
company, which led to the tragedy, was
placed in the county Jail early In the evens
ing for safety.
The focal point OF the violence which
swept through the Greek localities leaving
nothing untouched and many men suffering
from personal violence, was the mass meet
ing at the city hall at 2 D. m. At this
meeting the violent feeling burst out under
the speeches Of the several citizens.
OF these speeches the one which fired the
passions most was that of ii. c. Murphy,
former city attorney. He was a personal
friend OF officer Lowery who was MUIR
dered Friday evening by John Masourides,
Greek.
Mr.. Murphy eulogized the life OF the de-
ceased officer I'm the most unstinted terms
and at the very climax he turned the at
tention OF the men on the Greek and his
countrymen by saying;
'It is about time for the citizens TO take
steps to rid the city OF this menace. We
should use means 10 get the corporations
hiring this class OF labor to desist. We
should immediately lay this matter. with