The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-07-04
Scene of Greatest Crime Of the
Century in America Patrolled
by 1000 Troops
INCENDIARISM IS
NOT YET WIPED OUT
Illinois Executive Threatens
Most Drastic Measures If
Repetition of Orgy Of Blood
Is Threatened

East ST Louis, Ill. July 3.--East s.
Louis is slowly awakening tonight to
the enormity of it's crime in taking
the lives OF scores of unknown ne
groes In race riots late yesterday.
The number Of dead can as yet not
even be estimated. Fifty-odd known
dead have. been counted in the
More bodies are being found continu-
ally. Eleven bodies were taken from
one home just after dark. Tonight.
following a conference Of chamber of
commerce officials, that organization
estimated the number OF dead at from
one hundred to three hundred. Riot
ing continued today. but 1t was only
incipient Many negro homes were
burned. Hundreds of shots were fred
and two score negroes were wounded.
Twenty-four companies OF the ma
tional guard, aggregating 1000 men,
Lowden has personally taken charge
of the situation. He arrived on a
special train from Springfield He
was accompanied by Troop D, OF
Springfield, and the Morris and Gales
burg company Later tonight SIX
companies OF the second infantry ar
rived from Chicago and one OF the
Fourth.
Iowden Threatens Drastic Measures
! Governor Lowden- declared he
| would resort to most drastic measures
If repetition iof Mondays horrors
| Is threatened
Ninety-seyen men were given pre-
! liminary hearings in police court on
! charges OF rioung- The maximum
/ punishment is twenty years imprtson-
/ ,nent. Four were accused OF arson.
/ SIX negroes and three whites were
fined 5000 for carrying concealed
weapons. The grand jury will meet
Monday. It will be several days, how
ever. before IL can take up the riot
cases, A federal grand jury investi-
/ cation may result No one will ever
know the exact toll the riot has TAX
en-. 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 Missis-
/ sippt and Cahokia 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 intermittent
outbreak the rilitiamen have fair
; control OF the situation From ONT
end OF the city TO the other militia
men are on duty, And their orders
are TO shoot to kill" IL necessary.
General Dickson organized the cit,
into ten districts and scattered hi
troops to protect life and property.
Tells Story OF Horror.
i Late this afternoon a negro stoo,
In the City Hall. where thousands o
refugees have gathered under pro
lection Of the militia. Across hi
forehead was a white bandage.
hid q great red cash made by q ga
pipe in the hands Of a member o
last nights mob. In the burned are
; of the city lay the ashes Of his de
stroyed home In the burned ruin
:, of his home lay the bodies Of hi
pulled out of the home after 1t ha
been set afre. He pleaded for HI
wife and children. The mob led hir
out with the cry:
IL them stay -and-baFn. We r
here to clear out every niger
town"
His story was a sample of tn
tales heard from the lips o. hur
dreds today
Grating in groups which seemed d.
itermined on the same end--the xii
ling OF every negro in the city-th
mob went from section to section
burning and Staying as 1t went.
torch would be set to shanty; tn
inmates had but two choices. Or
was to fee and be shot. or cIubbe
TO death: the other, to lose their liys
in the flames.