Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-07-21
HOW EAST SAINT LOUIS
WAS TURNED INTO
A SHAMELESS
New York Sun-July 10.)

JuSIluCallOn LOT the slaughter OIL
thirty black people by rioitous whites
in East ST. Louis, ILL.,, on Monday,
July 2. 1t was the most wanton
crime OF which community was
ever guilty, and it cannot be denied
that it was the crime of the COM
munity, since had right action been
taken, prompted by consideration for
the responsibilities of citizenship, the
community could have prevented the
vicious outbreak, having had ample
warning.
Commonly spoken of as mob work,
it was not like any mob violence
with which in thirty years of news
paper work / have ever come in con-
tact. The killers of the blacks were
not moved by any spirit CT frenzy.
There was vengeance in II, but not
the vengeance excited by an imme-
date precipitating cause, Lynchings
are as q rule passionate expressions
OF viciousness. Mobs that execute the
law Of Judge Lynch are usually
formed suddenly and act with haste
Always there must be a leader, ana
always passion must be inflamed. In
Last st. Louis the rioting was not
suddenly started. The action was not
that of maddened men and women
There does not seem to have been
any one particular leader. Every
man and woman-yes, there were
women in the very midst Of the
bloody carnival-was his own cap
tain. and there was but single
idea: coop COON" / use the ex.
preston that was heard thousands
OF times while the slaughter was in
progress.
Never have I witnessed anything
Just like the. tragedy that converted
practically the entire city of East
st. Louis, H., a city with a populs.-
tion OF al proximately 10000, one OF
the largest industrial centres Of the
Mississippi Valley, into a SHAMELESS
The destruction of property was
not so great as It would have been
md not there ugen dWnDefation in
the work Oh tho burners, prompting
them to confine the fires to tho spe-
cially selected centres OF Negro pop.
ulation. Probably 1926 houses, small
and large, were burned. Far tho
larger number Of these were shacks
ana shantles CT two or three rooms.
The rest, with tho exception Of the
broadway Theatre, afairly preten-
tious structure, were old two story
or white people, but long ago aban-
doned to the h'""Es and the horde
or undesirable female harpies that
have from time immemorial Infested
East st. Louis. The actual property
lass will approximate 100000, in
Guiding number of freight cars
loaded with merchandise.
East st. Louis, or perhaps 1t is
n fni1 NJ -
population of East ST. Louis, several
months ago determined to get rid OF
the Negroes. First it was thought to
discourage the incoming blacks, but
efforts were useless in this direction.
Labor WAS needed and the black la
Dor OF the South was especially
wanted because OF the decreasing
danger of labor troubles due to tho
we'll known indisposition of the blacks
to "unioniZe.'
Labor agents honeycombed the
South and shipped in the Negroes.
This is denied by some Of the re-
sponsible heads Of the industries In
East st. Louis, but it is truo. Right
here is where one Of the vilest and
most iniquitous features of the af-
hair comes in. have it from sew
eral persons who are we'll posted
that one Of The arguments put forth
by men hiring black labor for East
St. Louis was that in coming to the
State Of Abe Lincoln the Negro was
sure vastly to benefit himself That
state Of Lincoln" phrase was played
for all that could be got out of it.
Something near 10000 blacks have
been brought from different sections
Of the South to East st. Louis. Some
employers put the number at $500.
Labor leaders say that many stuck in
East st. Louis, but many others re-
turned South or went elsewhere, not
taking kindly to the heavy labor in
the steel mills, foundries and other
iron manufacturing concerns. Twenty
seven hundred are said to have
found employment. For each Of
these four dependents, women and
children, are reckoned. There were
many among them who were far
from desirable as residents, regard
less of employment considerations.
Organized labor repudiates all re-
sponsibility fer anything connected
with the butchery, yet it Is a fact
that several labor leaders have come
out with long and strong explana-
tons OF how the Negroes we're
brought in as strike breakers and
took the places of white men in the
great industries.
When the Negroes came in despite
the efforts to discourage them from
invading the East st. Louis territory
attempts were made to drive them
out by intimidation Of one kind and
another. It cannot be denied that
there was marked increase Of
crimes of vicious character as the
influx Of Negroes grew. The streets
and low resorts were filled with idle
and more or less vicious blacks;
holdups and robberies were frequent,
and there were many brothel and