Newark evening star and Newark advertiser., 1916-01-08

J. Philip Bird.
street and Wilson avenue shared a
building with a saloon. The particu-
lar party of rioters who selected IL
for their prey made the mistake of
attacking the dry goods store first
AS they approached the door a man
appeared at window in the living
quarters above the store and fired
one shot from his revolver. A rioter.
who had not been. identified this
morning, fell dead in the street and
the rest fed. They withdrew to the
other side of Wilson avenue, and after
conference tossed a brick through
one of the plate glass windows. No
shot came from above, and, encour-
aged, they stormed the place.
At a dozen or more places in Will
son avenue barrels of whiskey, with
the heads gone, stood in the roadway,
and surrounding them were many
men and women gulping down the
raw liquor or passing 1t to friends In
the crowd who could not get close
enough to help themselves. A num-
Der of clothing stores fell a prey to
the rioters, and almost Immediately
men began exchanging their old
clothes for the loot they had seized.
This change of apparel was made in
the street, lighted almost to MONDAY
brightness by the flames from half a
hundred burning buildings.
Better Citizens Flee Town.
Once the rioters were frightened.
A passenger train, steaming along the
railroad tracks at the foot of the hill.
slowed down as it approached the
burning buildings A shout, THE MI
litia is coming!" rang out, and for
minute or two there was a pause. but
when 1t was seen the train did not
stop the orgie won't on.
BY this time SO much property had
been destroyed and the mob had be-
come so infiamed that the better citi-
zens of the town had fed. Many
families came to Youngstown. and
others took the street cars to commu-
mites farther away. as the conviction
was growing that II the disorder
spread to Youngstown nothing could
save the city. Finally a dozen or more
citizens, led by Oscar Diser. city so
licitor of East Youngstown and for
mer member of the Ohio Legislature,
gathered at the police station. the
fire had not been carried closer than
a block to that structure. and pleaded
with police and other city officials to
attack the rioters. 1t was almost mid
night before a force of some forty
armed men had been gathered in Will
son avenue. Then with Diser to lead
them they moved down the street.
Only q block away the rioters were
looting the last building in the block,
and the citizens fired over their heads.
They broke and ran. but finding no
one had been killed, they turned and
sent shot after shot toward the posse
No one WAS hurt and the posse fired
again. This time half dozen or
more rioters went down and the mob
tore down the street. The panic gath
cred strength and scores of men.
their pockets bulging with loot,
stumbled over each other In a mad
rush to get away. The posse followed
closely, and wherever possible chased
the rioters into side streets, men
being detached from among the citi-
sens to round them up. In half an
hour Wilson avenue had been almost
cleared of the mob. but small squads
were scattered about the hill
were driven by main force to the
police station, and automobiles took
them to Youngstown. Some were
taken to the Mahoning county Jail and
others to the city prison. BY 2 o'clock
this morning moro than hundred
had been rounded up and brought
here, while the little police station
in East Youngstown was filled to
overflowing. The majority of the men
taken were armed. and many of then,
were under the influence of the liquor
they had stolen from the looted sa-
looms.
Clearing the streets gave the
Youngstown fire department an op-
portunity to get into East Youngs-
town and men and equipment made
the run Of three miles as quickly as
possible. There was still some work
for them to do, and water was thrown
on the ruins the rest OF the night. but
most complete. BY daybreak all the
walls of many of the brick buildings
burned began to fall. and the prin-
cipal streets were roped off and sight
seers excluded.
What became Of the mob when II
fed before the bullets of the posse
has not yet been determined, although
II Ia known that hundreds of men
streamed along country roads leading
out of East Youngstown, while many
others made their way into Youngs-
town. At 1 o'clock II was reported
that the mob was reforming on the
hills back Of the village, determined
TO attack again, and the posse which
had been helping the fire department.
was reassembled, this time with re-
inforcements, and guards we're set
until the soldiers could arrive.