Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1917-07-07

GHsnry NJ. Hyde in Chicago Trtbune]
East st. Louis. Mo-, July This
WAS more than q race riot-tho never
ut ono time in the south were so many
lblack men and women deliberately
murdered in cold blood.
It was more than an economic war
between whites and blacks-tho white
Mnion workmen and black immigrants
Nvere aroused to savage antagonism by
qcorrupt and cunning men who made
victims Of them both.
It was the inevitable, perhaps at
rfhe end, even the arranged and de-
isired result of a long continued course
of vicious politics which has made
East st. Louis probably the worst
governed city in the United States.
All the facts which are presented
here-and more-are In the hands of
Governor Lowden, who may be trusted
ito bring the whole story into the light.
fWhen that story is finally printed 1t
lshould serve as a flaming warning TO
.all the cities Of the country, particu-
llarly to those which have recently
'been inundated by hordes Of ignorant
negroes from the south.
Facts hitherto Conceateo.
First of all, to correct and make
complete the story Of what happened
on Sunday night, when this last hor-
ror of East St. Louis first burst into
flame:
One has read that the bell Of a
negro church suddenly rang out its
rallying cry; that 200 armed negro
men, marching two abreast started a
raid on the heart of the city; that they
. were met BY motor car filed with
police officers, two of whom were shot
and killed by the black rioters.
So far the story tells the truth. But
1t does not tell the whole truth, nor
does it begin at the beginning of what
happened on Sunday night-to say
nothing Of the long and shameful rec
ord of the previous months
Four Men in a Car.
Perhaps an hour before the fatefui
tolling of the church bell-it was long
after dark on Sunday night-a Ford
automobile occupied by four men was
driven rapidly thru some Of the more
respectable negro districts The four
men yelled and cursed, and fired re-
volvers right and left. Some of the
shots are said to have entered ada
cent dwellings, and even the church
whose bell was rung later.
At the ringing of the bell-evidently
a preconcerted signal-the armed ne
groes assembled and started their
march downtown. Then the police au-
tomobile appeared. 1t was also Ford
car-note the make-there were also
four men in it, police officers in plain
clothes, citizens clothes.
The negroes refused to listen to ex-
plantations and when the car turned
:; fired a volley at the fleeing officers
Detective Coppedge was instantly
u killed and the other three men were
X shot in the back, one Of them dying
last night.
- A Terrible Revenge.
BY way Of evening the score the
4 savage white men Of East st. Louis
have butchered probably more than a
hundred negroes-haye burned scores
of negro houses, and have driven
I probably 5000 black men, women, and
children into terrified and-to large
extent piteous exile.
a Z 90 true that so far only thirty
seven bodies have been identif1ed at
the remains Of human beings But ir
the black embers of a single dwelling
no less than five bundles of bones
have been discovered, and one Of the
& city detectives boasts that he know.
Of one hole in Cahokia creek which
hides half dozen black corpses.
Long Time Negro Citizens.
It will not do to lay the blame for al
z that has happened this week on the
4 sudden influx OF negroes from tbs
/ Mouth. Black men and women are ole
i citizens In and about East st. Louis
i Only two miles north of the city limits
has stood Tor dozen years the sepa