The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-07-07
BLOODY RACE RIOT.
NEGROES MD WHITES HtTIIiI
IN EAST 81. LOUIS.
Negroes Chased by BiOGd-thir>ty Nohe
National Guard Called ont Hut
TOWcric~S 60 Restore Ordcr-trhp
Torch Applied 20 Many Buildings
Loss So 900 900.


men. ;
buildings were burning at four
different points
The property was estimated -
City Attorney F,S at $3,ooo,ooo.
Forty injured ,grOcs and six in
iurod white men were in one hospital
and almost an equal number in anoth-
er
Vast clouds of smoke rolled aero .
the Sky tonight from the burning dis
trict. The flames made some of the
down town streets as light as day ant
now and then yelling mob rushrl
down n street i'm pursuit Of - negro or
m search Of new excitement Nation
al Guardsmon loaded IN automobile
trucks dashed after the mob. Tho
shouting died down occasionally rs hc.
wildcrcd people walked up and down
the streets wondering where the last
outbreak occurred
The fires started about 6 o'clock
this evening and spread rapidly. soon
flames visible for miles We're shooting
into the sky. Hundreds of negro wo-
men. most of them carrying bundles
that held their most precious belong.
ingS and leading small children. fled
across tho bridge to shelter and
safety with friends on the Missouri.
side.
Tolcphore wires were cut carly in
the evening. y. telegraph and tolc-
phone poles caught fire other wires
went down.
tn" mobs i'm East St. Louis were
Swcllcd ~ hundreds of people who
early i'm the evening crossed the river
from st. Louis Mo. These added sucn
n menace to the situation that at
$50 o'clock the bridges were closed
This forced hundreds Of residents OF
suburban towns to stay in st. Louis
for the night. As soon as street traf-
nc ended at y. m. crowds walked
across the bridge into East -. Louis
by the thousands. The molS got mro
l\nching mood tonight. one ncgrp
WAS strung up on a pole but Was res
cucd Just in time To save his life. Sol
d:erS rescued still another negro who
was being dragged through the
streets. After military rule had been
proclaimed, the soldiers put moro VIC
or into their attempt to ouch the
mob.
S"N"ntE-fvo white men attacked 4
negro in front of drug store down
town and shot him twice and attcmp;-
ed to drag him to a pole The troops
charged with fixed hayonots and the
mob scattered
With this show of force the riotcr..
in part uuict"d down. Troops stood
guard at all corners ana kept crowds
moving. Al $50 O'Clock fire broke out
i'm the district known as the "Anoy."
This fire cam" pcrllously near the hi2
railroad wards of East St I.ouis. ~
o'clock four more nc"roos were shot
At 10 o'clock ii appeared as if the
"All"y' district was doomed TO de-
strurti"n. This is the third large arol
To b" burned. The property dama@c
VIII reach many thousands.
NJ ! =. IN. another fire had broken
out in tn" extreme n, he n portion
of the city. This brought tLc burning
sections up to four.
Col. Trpp. assistant adiutant ocn-
"ral, stated shortly before nidnight
that TIA" ri"ting crowds had for tho
most part di~prrsca
Nearly 500 more mon. women ana
children ar" puartcrcd i'm the city
hall ana the police station.
NJ fr"uucu' intervals all evening
ana until lat" tonight trucks brnlI,,n,
n"&r" refugees from hurning section.
I" augment the groups NJ these refuge
BUILDINGS. where a strong &uard ..
tr""pN WAS S,atiuurd
When ? r"r"rt came 10 military aI
th"wti"s that ur'r" inhabitants q,
IT""klNu. M. a city cntircly poImiai-
"d 10y u,arocs were moving on E1~,
- Louis. "a truck ull of auarl:mc,.
was sent (" the 'Enrk hrld.r" go
mo"t any attack that m,rht rr at
tempted