Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1910-02-19
SON OF FORMER MAYOR KILLED
AND FOUR OTHERS WOUNDED
WHEN ATTEMPT is MADE TO
LYNCH TWO NEGROES.
GOVERNOR SENDS
MILITIA TO SCENE
ATTACK ON JAIL WAS INSPIRED
BY PURSE sNATcHlNe OF TWO
NEGROES WHO WE'RE INDICTED
YESTERDAY FOR THEFTs,

Springfield, ILL.,, Feb. 1s.-Ad-
Jutant General Dickinson recelv-
cd telephone message today
from Sheriff Nellis, stating that
ne aPPrehended trouble tonight.
Dickinson at once ordered Co. M
OF champaign to Cairo. The adju-
tant general Immediately left for
Cairo.
Cairo, ILL.,. Feb. 18.--Company X OF
this city this morning patrolled the
sidewalk in front of the court house.
where shortly before / o'clock this
morning Alexander Halliday, the
leader of mob in an attack on the
jail, was killed by deputy sheriffs, and
where four others. two not members Of
the mob. were wounded.
Halliday, who is the son of a former
mayor of Cairo, lay for three hours
| dying beside the court house steps,
with the temperature near zero. Dur
ing that entire time Sheriff Nellis,
acting on orders received by telephone
/
nit any one to remove the wounded
man, or allow physician to enter the
enclosure. The sheriff says he be.
lieved the man was dead Militiamen
who removed the body at o'clock,
say it was warm, indicating that death
had come but short time before. The
dead:
ALEXANDER HALLIDAY, aged 35,
a dairyman and the son of former
mayor Thomas w. Halliday of Cairo,
shot in head and body.
The wounded
Samuel Wessinger, former police
man, shot in head and shoulder.
John Maloney, brotherin-law of
/ Mrs. Rose Maloney, whose purse was
snatched by one Of the negro prison
ers, slight wound on the cheek.
Horton Crehan, shot in the ankle as
he stopped to see what the trouble
was.
George B. walker, Associated Press
correspondent, wounded in the leg.
Negroes Act AS Deputy sheriffs.
Eight of the twelve deputy sheriffs,
whose shots killed Halliday and
wounded the others were negroes. This
fact was not definitely known to the
crowd which stormed the court house,
but it was suspected, and the supposi-
ton helped to arouse racial feeling
that spurred on the crowd The dead.
ly volley, which the sheriff's men fired
from the windows of the court house,
? was fired in answer to scattering shots
r from the crowd, and after the deputies,
obeying the sheriff's order, had fired
one yolley in the air. One of the bull.
7 lets from the crowd grazed the
) sheriff's right hand. The other fell
) near him. 1t was after this, he says.
r his men fired directly into the crowd
!. Governor Closes Saloons.
The mob fell back to two nearby
saloons and remained there until the
, saloons were closed, shortly after 3
o'clock on an order of Mayor Parsons,
I caused by message from the COVER
!. nor at Springfield. When the men
! were turned out of the saloons it was
r too cold to remain outside and another
! attack on the jail was not ventured
At A o'clock the militia relieved Sheriff
Nellis's deputies.
Petty Crimes Inspire Attack.
The attack on the Jail was the out
: growth Of public Indignation over petty
crimes by negroes. particularly the
purse snatchings and annoyances t
women. Mrs. Rose Maloney's purse
was snatched Wednesday evening. Sh'
y drew a revolver and fred at negro
I, but he ran away with the purse. Ii
the purse was a silver dollar to whicl
g a postage stamp had become attached
e Mrs. Maloney told the police of thi
's fact, and when a negro, John Pratt, OF
fered such coin in drug store yes
terday he was arrested. Pratt con
fessed taking Mrs Maloney's purs
II and several days ago, that OF Mrs
~ Accord.
N Mayor Refuses Assistance.
N Pratt implicated Lincoln Wilson an
IS he also was arrested When tn
sheriff asked the mayor for assistanc
e, the latter said he would send the nigh