The Washington herald., 1917-07-04
Many Arrests Made as Gov
ernor Takes Charge
vestigations Under Way
May Be Brought Before
Federal Jury.
CBy international News seryIce.)


Louis Is slowly awakening tonight to
the enormity of its crime in taking
the lives OF unknown scores OF negroes
in race riots late yesterday. The num-
ber OF dead can as yet not even be
intimated- Fifty odd known dead have
been counted in the morgues, and in
the ruined homes. More bodies are
being found continually. Eleven bodies
were taken from one home just after
dark. Tonight. following a conference
OF Chamber OF Commerceofficia Is, that
organization estimated the number OF
dead at from 100 to 800.
Rioting continued today. but ii was
only incipient Many negro homes
were burned. Hundreds of shots were
fired and two-score negroes were
wounded
Twenty-four companies Of the Ma
tional Guard. aggregatinS 1900 men,
are patrolling the streets. Gov. Low
den has personally taken charge of the
situation. He arrived on special
train from Springfield. He was accom-
panied by Troop D., Of Springfield,
and the Morris and GalesbuTg COM
panies. Later tonight six companies
OF the Second Infantry arrived from
Chicago and Cne of the Fourth.
Gov. Lowden declared he would re-
sort to most drastic measures II a
repetition of Mondays horror is
threatened.
Ninety-seven men were given pre-
liminary hearings in Police Court on
charges Of rioting. The maximum pun
ishment is twenty years imprisOn-
nent Four were accused of arson.
Six negroes and three whites were
fined 500 for carrying concealed
weapons. The grand jury will meet
Monday. 1t will be several days,
however. before it can take UP the
riot cases. a Federal grand jury in
vestigation may result.
BarbarOus Assaults.
Throughout the day and night of
bloOdshed. undertaken wagons were
kept waiting at the Curbs for emer-
gency calls that came every minute.
Two white girls. who dragged a
negrcss from a street car, took of
their shoes and beat her when she
tried to escape.
g W. Wallace. editor of a negro
publication, said a party of joy riders
returning from East St Louis famed
the ill-feeling into flames by firing
into the homes OF negroes.
The ringing of a bell in the negro
church tower. evidently a prearranged
signal. summoned 40 negroes armed
and ready to march when the burn
ing of their homes began.
The mob came upon a negro who
had become paralyzed by a shot in the
back. Men amused themselves by
jumping upon his body while a wom-
an armed with a knife, proposed to
''cut out his black heart" The ar
rival of an ambulance saved the
blacks life.
Soldiers, before they had permission
to shoot, were powerless. The mobs
took away their rifles and advised
them to 'go back home and be good
boys"
companies called to save burning
homes in the negro quarter by slash
ing the hose with knives.
Exact Toll Uncertain.
No one will ever know the exact toll
the riot has taken. All day long
black bodies were lifted from catch
basins and sewers. Babies were taken
out Of the ruins of the little shanties.
Many other bodies lie at the bottom
of the Mississippi and Cakokia rivers.
Tonight the skies are ablaze with
the reflected glow of scores of burn
ing negro tenements. The streets
are crowded, but save for an inter-
nnittent outbreak the militiamen have
fair control of the situation. From
one end Of the city to the other militia
men are on duty. And their orders
are to shoot to kill il necessary.
Gen. Dickson organized the city into
Far
to protect life and property.
Late this afternoon a negro stood
in the City Hall where thousands of
refugees have gathered under pro-
lection of the militia. Across his fore
head was a white bandage. 1t hid a
great red cash made by a gas pipe
in the hands of a member of last
nights mob. In the burned area of
the city lay the ashes of his destroyed
home. In the burned ruins of his
home lay the bodies of his wife and
two children. He had been pulled
out of the home after it had been set
afire. He pleaded for his wife and
children. The mob led him out with
the cry:
Let them stay and burn. We're here
to clear out every 'nigger' in town"
His story was a sample of tales
heard from the lips of hundreds today.
Not organized. collectively, but op-
Grating in groups which seemed de-
termined on the same end-the kill
ing OF every negro in the city-the
mob went from section to section.
burning and staying as 1t went. A
torch would be set to a shanty; the
inmates had but two choices. One
was to flee and be shot, or clubbed to
death. the other to lose their lives in
the flames.