Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1917-06-01
MISSOURI MOB OF 1000
.ASSA|LS IMPORTED BLACKS
East St, Louis Scene of Fierce
Onslaught of Whites on
Negroes


mob OF perhaps 2,OO) persons went
through the negro quarter during the
night, shot one negro, seriously wound
Ing him. beat a score into unconscious
ness, drove several hundred negroes
across the Mississippi river bridge into
St Louis, Mo-, and then dispersed early
today.
The assault began after a report had
oeen circulated that white woman had
been insulted and two white men held
up by negroes. just after a committee
from the Central Trades and Labor
union had attended a meeting of the
city council to make a protest against
the Importation of any more negro la
borers into st. Louis
Shots were fired at frequent intervals,
but only one negro is known to have
been wounded. He fled to st. Louis and
was found there unconscious with a
bullet wound in his head and three ribs
fractured. All negroes we're searched
and if armed they were beaten into
unconsciousness.
Many negroes were given refuge in
the city Jail and at midnight the police
estimated that two thousand persons
surrounded the building, threatening TO
storm 1t. The mob was dissuaded, how
ever, and rushed into the business Sec
tion where street cars were stopped and
saloons searched. Several negro saloons
were wrecked and Mayor Mellman is
sued an order for all bars in the city
to close
Riot calls brought out the entire city
police force but the mob went virtually
unchecked. The Sixth Illinois infantry
was called and put under arms but took
no active part in the disturbance.
ManV WOr[men here baVa idle
on account of strikes, and it is estimated
that at least 5000 negroes have been i'm
ported from the south to take their
places.
At the meeting of the council which
was held In the main auditorium of the
city hall in order to accommodate the
crowd the mayor pleaded with the men
to restrain themselves from violence
and promised that some method of con-
trolling the ingress of negroes would be
found.
The crowd seemed peaceable enough
until a rumor was heard that a white
woman had been insulted and that two
white men had been held up by negroes.
Then the mob began attacks on negroes
who were seized and searched. If un-
armed they were punished lightly. If
they carried a weapon they were shown
no mercy. This continued intermit-
tently for more than four hours. Gov
ernor Lowden was asked to send troops,
but as the national guard has been fed
eralized 1t could not answer such a call.
report was current that members of
the Sixth Illinois were aiding the police
but this proved untrue.
The men began to disperese shortly
before 2 o'clock and at o'clock the
city appeared quiet. Police officials
said, however, that they feared another
outbreak, especially If negroes start to
wor kin plants where strikes have been
called.
Mayor Molman today directed that
the sale Of firearms and ammunition be
stopped until all danger Of rioting was
pa ssed The mayor said 5000 negroes
had come into East St Louis in six
weeks He would also ask railroads to
hauling them here from the
south. he said, and would request en-
ployers not to attempt further impor-
tation.
The city was quiet today. Assurances
were received from Springfield that two
companies of the Sixth infantry. I'LL
nois national guard. could be called
upon If necessary.
EAST ST. LOUIS. Ill, May 3O.-The
second night of anti-negro riots here
reached it's climax after three white
men and two negroes had been wound
ed BY bullets, several negroes bateh
and half dozen negro homes burned
then subsided suddenly and at midnight
the city was comparatively quiet. Riot
ing started right after meeting OF
the city council at which labor leaders
protested against the wholesale impor-
tation of negro laborers into East ST.
Louis Small mobs formed quickly last