The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1917-06-02
RACE RI0TI RACES.
MOBS RENEW ATTACK ON Me-
GROES IN EAST ST. LOUIS.
One More Negro Killed and Several
Others ShOt-Negrocs With Arms
Arrested.

East st. Louis. ILL.,, May 29.-Three
negroes were shot, one probably
fatally. and three white men were
wounded in the race riot which broke
out afresh here tonight. Groups of
white men continued to form i'm the
streets but for the most part the
police and soldiers on patrol duty have
succeeded in disbanding them peace
ably. One Of the negroes shot to-
night was on his way to work when
he was accosted by a white man to
know his destination. The negro re-
fused to answer and the white man
shot him. A crowd gathered quickly
but police dispersed it by using their
clubs freely. A few minutes later
another negro was made a victim of
the mob when he said that the BLACKS
would put up a fight if trouble came"
His wound is not serious.
Six men of the First regiment,
National Guard of Missouri, were ar
rested charged with melting to riot.
negro carrying a sack contain
ing eight revolvers and ammunition
was arrested on the Illinois approach
of Eads bridge. He had come from
st. Louis, Mo-
Thomas Ritchie, a private watch
man Of the Baltimore & Ohio rail-
road. was patrOlling the tracks when
he saw a negro approaching with a
shotgun. Ritchie challenged the ne
gro, who fired, wounding Ritchie in
the shoulder. Two white men were
taken to a hospital in a serious con-
dition as a result of gunshot wounds.
Their identity has not been estab-
lished. They were unarmed.
At IL o'clock Col. E. c. Clayton,
who is in command of six companies
of militia on guard here, declared he
expected little more trouble tonight.
Col. Clayton stationed his men, each
armed with rifle with 80 rounds of
sections where trouble was feared.
Orders were issued to let no one pass
into the restricted zones" without
being challenged. Three engine COM
panies of the fire department re-
sponded to an alarm on north Third
street, heavily settled by negroes. and
were met with a volley of shot when
they arrived, but none was hit. Sew
eral other false alarms were turned
in.
The race riots began late last
night shortly after committee
from the labor unions met with men,
bers Of the city council to protest
against further importations of ne
groes from the South to work i'm the
stock yards and packing plants and
were given impetus by q report that
negroes had insulted a white woman
and had held up two white men I'm
this city.
AT that time large mobs were
formed and in the rioting which re-
suited one negro was shot, several
were badly beaten and hundreds of
negroes were driven across the river
into st. Louis, Mo.
Later the rioters attempted to de-
stroy a portion of the negro district
by fire. Three houses were razed be-
fore the blaze could be checked
Despite efforts of National Guards
men. small groups of white men per-
sisted in forming and the mere pres
ence of a negro on the street was a
signal for violence. Police estimate
that at least 1900 negroes have been
driven from the city since the rioting
began Monday night.
Scores of negroes were arrested
when arms were found i'm their pos
session as they attempted to return
from st. Louis. One Of the negroes
arrest"t , carried bomb, according to
the police. The National Guardsmen
arrested charged with melting riots
were released late tonight.
The police and militia officers de-
clared at midnight that the situation
was well in hand.