The Mankato free press., 1917-07-06
Staying OF NEGROES
METHOD OF revenge
Killing Of Detective Starts
Bloody War In Street
M0BS HAD FULL SWAY
National Guardsmen Rushed to
The Scene; Quiet Is Being
Restored
UNITED Press Dispatch. ]

UNITED Press Dispatch.I
East st. Louis, ILL.,, July 3.-Fright-
full rioting occurred all last night in
this city. The murder OF Detective
Sergeant Coppedge was avenged by
a most terrible massacre of negroes.
The exact number killed will prob
ably never be known. The smallest
estimate has it at about 100, while
some believe as many as ESQ lost
their lives, while at least 500 others
were badly injured. Fires were
started by the mobs of whites in the
negro quarters. There was a total
property loss of at least $1,000, 1000.
II believe the worst OF the riot
ing is over" was the message sent
this morning by Colonel Tripp, in
command of thirteen companies OF
the Illinois national guard. to the
governor. The governor has ordered
company after company to the scene
of the wholesale slaughter and In
|cendiarism. The boys have acted
very bravely. Many of them for the
first time had the experience last
night of being actually under, fire.
Mob Of 250 Whites.
One detachment about the middle
of the night marched up one of the
main thoroughfares Of the city and
captured a mob of ESQ whites, who
were beating an aged negro. The
entire mob was sent to jail. How
Leyer. this by no means solved the
Fproblem, for there were MANY other
mobs. The rioters gathered In
groups in various parts Of the city.
and thus the disorders was so scat
tered that the militia could not con-
centrate efforts on any one part OF
the city. The companies had to di-
vide, and attack the rioters in vart-
Gus places at the same time.
The scene during the main part OF
..he night, when the rioting was at its
height, beggar description. Automo-
biles rushed here and there with
supplies of ammunition, which were
handled out to the rioters at different
places. The movement, though noisy
and boisterous and scattered about in
various parts of town, seemed to be
concerted, and under the direction OF
a guiding mind. Black alley, which
is one of the principal negro quarters
of the city, was raided early in the
evening. Fire brands were quickly
applied to the negro dwellings and
these were soon in flames.
Girls Among Rioters.
The roiters were by no means all
men. Many girls and women were
engaged in the disorders. Two girls,
iaged about nineteen, dragged an old
negro woman off a street car, and
beat her into insensibility. One or
the militia boys, who had lost his
rifle and revolver, and had nothing
to fight with but his hands, burst in
to a crowd of women who had at
lacked some negro children. He
managed to rescue several of the
children. One of them, a mere baby.
was snatched from his arms by
white woman and dashed to the
ground 1t appeared to have been
killed. The rest he managed to
bring off into safety. Ia
There were many instances Of aged
negroes being rescued from groups OF
white rioters by militiamen SINGLE
handed. This was true Of both prf-
Yates and officers.
Body TrampIed Under Foot. &
One particularly disgusting scene
was that of a crowd of whites hold
ing to a rope which was thrown over
the top of telephone pole, and had
a negro dangling at the other end.
The crowd laughed and jeered at the
mortal struggles of the black. AT
length the body was let down. and
when it was found still 10 have life,
it was trampled under foot. 1t is
reported that the body was at length
thrown into the flames.
A United Press representative
managed to talk with one of the mob
leaders and asked what was the rea-
son that the whites were attacking
the negroes. The mob leader replied
that it was the murder Of Sergeant
Coppedge that started the trouble.
The real cause Of 1t all, however, was
the insolence of the blacks. Hun
dreds had been brought into the fac
tories and were driving the whites
out of their Jobs.
soasted of Killing Nineteen.
One of the rioters was heard to
boast that he had killed, nineteen
negroes during the night. Another
complained that he had not winged
one" for a full hour. Another no.
ticed log floating in the river and
fired on it, thinking it was one or
the negroes trying to escape to the
Missouri side and get away.
Three white men are reported to
have been killed AT one time 1t
was reported that thousand armed
negroes were coming over from the
Missouri side to attack the whites.
Continued on Page Two.