The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-02-22
ALMOST A
 RACE RIOT Excitement In 0ttumwa at Fever Heat. A WHITE WOMAN ASSAULTED Hoodhounds And a Posse Are On
 the Trail. Five Suspects Arrested and Angry Mob Waite Before Jail, Until Identity of Guilty Negroes Is
 Established.
4 WHITE WOMAN ASSAULTED

Ottumwa, Iowa. Feb. 21-The citizens of Ottumwa tonight were on the verge | of adding another bloody chapter to the history of race riots in the United States. A mob of men and boys which increased from 100 to more than 1000 gathered around the city jail, thirsty for vengeance upon an unknown negro who committed an assault upon a white woman here early this morning.
 Three negroes wer taken to the city jail as suspects, and one to the county jail. A demonstration was made by the mob as the fourth man was brought in. | but there was no man daring enough to lead.
 John Junkin. a negro, suspected of the murder of Clara Rosen two weeks ago. was taken out of town secretly by the police, following the early man Hesitation of the mob spirit The re- gently organized Vigilance Committee aided the police. who declared they had the situation in control. Company G of the National Guard. under command of Captain Schamp. was held in the bar racks.
 The cause of the uprising was the same as that which started the Spring. field, H.. mob on its murderous. pill laging tour of terror last summer % Woman Fought Desperately. Mrs. Charles M. Johnston. the invalid wife of an Ottumwa travelling man, was in bed with her four year old child at o'clock this morning when she awoke | to find negro bending over her. Be- fore she could scream for help. the black seized her by the throat and be- 1 gan to choke her. Despite her weak ness as the result of a recent operation. Mrs. Johnston fought desperately. She tore herself loose from the big hands, the child screaming pitifully. There was a curtain pole an inch In diameter which was used as a window prop, within reach. The negro grabbed this and beat the woman until she became unconscious.
 The cries of the child finally aroused the neighbors who found Mrs. Johnston | lying on the floor unconscious. By her side was the curtain pole, stained with l her blood.
 The news spread rapidly. The po- lice called out the Vigilants, and. with in a half hour armed posses were on the trail of the fleeing negro. Mem- bers of the citizens guard were posted in places where riots were feared and the homes of the negroes were placed under watch. While no demonstrations occurred in these quarters, the city jail became the point of attraction for the excited men who formed the nucleus of the mob The trail of Mrs. Johnston's as- sailant was followed by bloodhounds TO l A deep ravine near the Rutledge mining camp three miles from Ottumwa, put there lost s While this work was going on, the crowd around the city jail continued to grow in size. Threats were made freely against the negro Junkin ana LII" nolice became alarmed for his safety. Toward night they took him out or the tail by a rear door. placed him Tn an au- to,nobile and took him to Chillicothe ten miIes west of the city, Here he was nut on board a Burlington passeh- ger train and taken to Albia, where ne was locked up in jail. ,.,, ,o,,- The mob contented itself with yell- l ine it's hate as the first, second an" | third suspect were brought into the 1 iaif. But, as the police had been pro l yided with a good description ol une guilty negro by Mrs Johnston. ~ an man announced to the mob that the ineh | cantured had no part in the crime. | Then the crowd Gdieted down and the nolice said they expected to get im- | portant information concerning tne suilty man from the negroes held m the jai. When the fourth man was brought through the line, the moD l again showed us spirit
 Come on, boys let's get some one l The police are fooling us, crled man in the center of the crowd.
 There was a rush toward the Jal.
 No Leader to Mob.
 Cries came from all parts or the | crowd It was the moment Tor tne leader and the battering ram. but the | leader was not there.
 The recent mysterious staying oi AO6x xx-ag fnnnd an abandoned excavation, re-klndieo the mob spirit, which spread over this city with this latest crime
 There have been a number of as saults on white women by negroes within the last two years, which con tributed towards arousng the people
 The first was the case of Mrs. George Mcbride. A negro man was tried foi the cline but was acquitted.
 Mrs. Mahoney. the next victim, died in a hospital and oscar Hogan. a ne ] gro, is serving a life term In the peni' tentiary as a penalty.
 Agnes Yates, a telephone operator was followed Aome from work and at tackled negro was arrested but the Jury acquitted htm.
 Mrs. John Irwin was assaulted by LeRoy Edwards. negro. who was con yIcted and given a life sentence.
 The murder of Clara Ro5en and tho assault upon Mrs. Johnston brough the crimes to climax John Junkin A negro, the only suspect now held 1T the Rosen case, Is booked on charg, of larceny, Thus far there has devel oped little evidence to connect hin with the murder and many believe thu Rosen murder and the Johnston assaul were committed by the same person.
 Late tonight two more negroes wer' brought to the city jail through crowd which blocked the streets There were cries of lynch them" bu the threats were made mostly by boys The main body of the mob seemed willing to await definite news that th' police and posses have arrested tn, right man. Tonight the physicians at tending Mrs. Johnston say she vii 1 probably recover.
 They say the fendish attack with tn, curtain pole did not injure her internal ly, although there Is danger of blood poison from lacerated wounds.
 Commercial travellers tonight sub. scribed purse of $l.20O as reward for the arrest and conviction of hel assailant.
 In addition to the reward offered by travelling men. $500 was subscribed as A nucleus of fund to employ detect. ives to work on the case. News of this action and the spreading of the an nouncement tonight of a mass meeting tomorrow. when it Is expected to raise A large sum to employ a sufficient force of detectives to work on all of the recent Ottumwa crimes, resulted in the quieting of the mob
 MAsQUERADE PARTY AT TROY.