South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1917-07-04
Demands Made of Commander
to Explain Why Troops
Were So Neg
Iigent.
Is NEGROES KILLED. rs
HURT. $40 HOMES BURNED
Soldiers and Police are Both
Charged With C-WardiCe
in Handling the
Race Riots.
Associated Press Service

1
EAST ST LOUIS, ILL.,, July g.
Thirteen companies Of national
guardsmen tonight patrolled the
streets OF East St Louis in an eff
fort 10 prevent a recurrence Of the
race riots here which since yester-
/ day morning have resulted in a
death list OF 2S persons. the injury
of 80 or more and the destruction
by fire of so Negro homes cover
ing is 1-2 acres of ground.
The entire community Of 10000
citizens is terrorized by the events
of the last two days and that they
fear the inability Of the guardsmen
10 cope with the situation was in
timated today when the chamber
OF commerce demanded to know
from Adjt. Gen. Dickson why the
troops had not displayed more
energetic activity last night Mem
bers Of the chamber were not slow
to charge the soldiers with ineffi-
cheney, bordering on cowardice. but
Adjt. Gen. Dickson explained that
his force was handicapped by the
snail number Of troops available
at that time.
Police Also Backward.
The police force. which numbers
so, also was charged with negIi-
gence in attempting to quell the
violence. OF all the incidents of the
riot related today, not one told Of
a single act Of bravery on the part
Of the police or guardsmen. Anxious
citizens who inquired Of individual
militiamen why they did not stop
the looting and murder which were
going on. in many instances under
their very eyes, received grins for
their replies Some Of the soldiers
were disarmed by the rioters.
Some Negroes Return.
Today some of the Negroes walk
ed out OF town on the railroad
tracks. more crossed to the Missouri
side where all was quiet. and still
others. assured of protection by the
augmented force Of soldiers, return
ed 10 their homes. Some. whose
homes were burned. were cared for
in a camp hastily arranged by the
chamber of commerce.
a typical group Of refugees was
seen on the Missouri side Of the
river. woman in clean Bingham
holding a small child by the hand,
another Negress with an infant in
her arms. An aged Negro with
every aspect Of poverty about him
approached.
Have you any place to go
Missile ?" he asked.
Il got a little room up to my
house"
Much obliged. but we got
friends on this side" replied one
OF the women. Then she pointed 10
the bridge and in a tone of sudden
fear asked:
Say. they won't let the men over
this side the bridge will they?"
The old Negro treasured them
and they caught car going still
farther away from East 81. Louis.
One Cold BIooded Act.
a newspaper reporter. who was
in the thick OF the trouble last
night related a particularly brutal
story. A white man, observing a
covering Negro. approached and
said:
Come with me into this alley;
you'll be safe there. there's soldier
there" The Negro followed. In the
alley the white man calmly shot
his victim through the head and
sauntered back into the street pres
emily Joining a mob intent on
rope-and-lamp post lynching.
No systematic search Of the ruins
was made today. but fear that scores
OF dead might lie beneath gradual
" disappeared. Last night brought
rumors that many bodies had been
thrown in the river. but the waters
gave up no dead today and by night
II was doubted whether the death
list would much exceed the list in
the mortuaries.
one Negro badly injured was dis
covered in a sewer manhole, where
he was thrown after being badly
beaten.
Explains Cause Of Riot.
Michael whalen. president OF the