The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1917-07-03
M0BS SLAY
NEGROES; LOOT
THEIR HOMES
=!
No Estimate Can Be Made Of
Lives Taken But Property
Loss Is 100000
C0L0RED PEOPLE SWARM
TO JA1Ls FOR PROTECTION
Labor Conditions Pour Oil on
Fires of Race Hatred Brew
ing for Many Months

Fires Of Race Hatred Brew
ing for Many Months
East St. Louis, ILL.,, July 3.-Fires
were burning in five parts of East St.
Louis at 1 o'clock this morning and
at least 20 dead negroes and crowded
hospitals testified to the terror that
reigned here last night, while mob
after mob swept the streets, seeking
negroes whom they might slay.
. At this hour 1t was impossible to
make an accurate estimate of the
number of dead. Estimates of them
run up to 100 and higher, but these
estimates are purely conjectural. The
exact number slaughtered probably
will never be known, as It is thought
that many bodies were consumed in
the flames of the burning homes. .,
Further shooting was reported by
the police, but without details as the
afternoon wore on. Ambulances were
scurrying hither and thither Chief
Of Police Payne, hearing that = crowd
of roughs from the Missouri side Of
the. river. was coming over =, each TO
get Niger" appealed to Chief Of
Police Young of St. Louis, Mo-. to
close the bridges. These, were closed
last night, but reopened this morn.
ing. A few, buildings burning kept
the tiremen busy. - .,E}.,.., -
As@@ eurn 900 Homes. 'F'' 7 TE
Three hundred and twelve dwell
ings, mostly negro shacks, valued e
100000, were destroyed by fire. In
the rioting last night, according TO- 4
statement made today by Fire Chief
M, J. Tobin. = f',E ~E...''.. -, E.~,
Negroes who could not be, cared
for in the jail were huddled in, groups,
including some whites, in the prison
yard, where they had fled during the
night. Militiamen guarded them. ,
Fire on Dying Negro.
One brutal incident of the night
was related today. On Fourth street,
near Broadway, three men saw ne
gro apparently dead, lNng in q gut.
ter. One flashed a pocket light in
his face and saw that he still breath
ed.
"Well, what do you know about
that! Not dead yeti"
He and one of his companions then
drew their pistols and each fired
bullet into the negro's head
The causes deeply underlying the
are said to be of inter.
est to many northern communities
where negroes have been brought
from the south to replace men enlist
ed in the armed forces of the Unit
ed States, or who have been tempted
to other sections by the high wages
paid in munitions factories.
Race Antagonisms.
Race antagonisms famed up last
May, combined with an attempt to
obtain permit from the city council
to build an addition to the negro set-
tlement. but the project, after bit.
ter fight, was defeated. This served
to intensity feeling against the
blacks. Petty crime is said to have
disease likewise. Tho
whites began to feel they would be
saddlcd with an undesirable element.
Recently labor agitators are said to
have stirred up their inflammable FOL-
lowers.
'Mobs Attack Neeress. a.,
Another of the innumerable incl
dents of the night was an attack on q
young negress. White men and wom-
en- were among the assailants. :
Let the women have her." was the
cry among the men, and white women
began tearing the garments from the
victim. The negress' cry of please,
please. ain't dun nothin,". was
stopped by blow in the mouth with
a club which a woman swung like
a baseball bat Another white woman
seized the victims hand and the blow
was repeated. Fingers tore ut her
hair, and her waist was stripped from
her.
Women Follow Her.
"NOw, let's see how fast she can
rum" said a bystander, as the negress
broke loose The women were loath
10 leave her alone, but after follow
ing her with their blows for short
distance they stopped and she ran
crying down the middle of the street.
The woman next tried to get an aged
negress, who was guarded by three
One of them wrestled
with the soldier for his rifle and 9th
ers succeeded in getting IN few
blows.
Accuse Mayor.
An incident of the night indicated
he temper of the mob. One crowd
vent about the streets shouting
against the mayor.
Lets get Mollman." they cried.
he's the man that brought 'em In.
let's lynch the mayor
The cry was raised because of thu
'alse rumor that Mayor Mollman WCM
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