The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1917-07-03
BRUTALITY OF
MOB AT EAST ST.
LOUIS ALMOST
BEYOND BELIEF
More Than 300 Negro
Dwellings Destroyed by
Flames During Riot
EVEN WOMEN SHOW
THIRST FOR BLOOD
Most Inoffensive Negroes
Shot Down-Women
Stripped of Clothing
tBy Associated Press.)

(By Associated Press.)
East st. Louis, July g.
Three hundred and ten
dwellings, mostly negro
shacks, valued at 100000,
we're destroyed by fire in
the rioting last night, ac-
cording to a statement
made today by Fire Chief
M. j. Tobin.
Negroes who could not be
cared for in the Jail were
huddled in groups, includ-
ing some whites, in the pris-
on yard, where they had
fed during'the night. Mill
tiamen guarded them.
One brutal incident of the
night was related among
many others today. On
Fourth street, near Broad
day, three men saw a negro
apparently dead, lying in a
gutter. One flashed a pock-
ct light in his face and saw
that he still breathed.
"tWell, what do you know
about thatl" he exclaimed.
"Not dead yeti"
He and one Of his COM
panions then drew their.
pistols and each fired a bull
let into the negro's head.
The causes deeply underlying the
disturbances are said to be of in
terest to many other northern COM
munities where negroes have been
brought from the south to renlace
men enlisted in the armed force OF
the United States or who have been
tempted to other sections by the high
wages paid In munitions factories.
Race antagonism famed uplast May
combined with an attempt to obtain
a permit from the city council to
build an addition to the negro set
tlement but after q bitter, fight the
project was defeated. This served
20 intensity feeling against the
blacks. Petty crime is said to have
increased; disease likewise. The
whites began to feel they would be
saddled with an undesirable ele-
ment. Recently labor agitators are
said to have stirred up their inflam-
mable followers.
"Lst's Lynch Mayor"
An incident of the night indicated
the temper of the mob. One crowd
went about the streets Shouting
against the mayor:
Let's get Mollman," they cried.
Hes the man that brought 'em in.
Let's lynch the mayor"
The cry was raised because of the
false rurnor that Mayor Mollman
went south and advertised that negro
labor would be we'll paid here.
AS a matter OF fact he conferred
in New Orleans with a view to dis
couraging migration of the negroes
The news was published at the time
but the crowd last night indulging in
q crazed Bartholomew was not in a
mooo Tor une dlSLlncLlonS.
"Let Women Have Her."
Another Of the innumerable in
cidents OF the night was the attack
on young negress. White men and
women were among the assailants.
Let the women have her." was the
cry among the men and white wom-
en- began tearing the garments from
their victim. The /. negress' cry of
Please, please, amt done nothin'"
was stopped by blow in the mouth
with q club which woman swung
like q baseball bat Another white
woman seized the victims hands and
the blow was repeated; fingers tore
at her hair and her waist was strip
ped from her.
Now let's see how fast she can
run" suggested a bystander as the
negress broke loose. The women
were loath to leave her alone but
after following her with their blows
for q short distance they stopped and
she ran crying down the middle OF
the street. The women next tried to
get an aged negress who was guard
ed by three militia men. One of
them wrestled with the soldier for
his rife and others succeeded in get
ting in a few blows.
How Il Started.
The disorder began when
200 negroes fred on an automobile
load of policemen Sunday night kill
ing one. In this outbreak three
negro men and one white man were
killed, two white men and two negroes
were shot and wounded and twenty
three others so badly beaten and
stoned that they were taken to hos
pitals.
Monday night with the saloons
closed and street car service stop
ped by order OF the authorities. ma
uonal guardsmen began escorting
truckloads Of negroes across the
river to st. Louis, Missouri.
When the rioting was resumed
yesterday afternoon, white women
and girls joined with the men in
stopping street cars in the downtown
district and ragging out every negro |
on whom they could lay hands.
Neuressee Attacked.
Until the white women began to !
participates. negro women and girls /
had seemed immune from attack, |
but when this occurred negresses,
too, were ferrorized and attacked
As the rioting downtown progress
ed, undertakers lined their wagons
by the curbe ready for the expected |
call 10 haul away the dead.
The clashes Saturday night ap-
parently alarmed the negro quarter
81 the city Or at least gave agitators |
n chance 70 organize the blacks for
lighting. When word was telephoned
rs.,,sf~sts-4 ~, 43o~. ru-