Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1917-07-04

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Today some of the Negroes walked out
of town on the railroad tracks, more
crossed to the Missouri side where all
was quiet. and still others, assured Of
projection by sthe augmented force of
soldiers, returned to their homes. Some,
whose homes were burned, were cared
for In a camp hastily arranged by the
Chamber of Commerce. A typical group
of refugees was seen on the Missouri side
of the rivera woman in clean Bingham
holding a small child by the hand-an-
other Negress with an infant in her arms.
An aged Negro with every aspect Of pow
erty about him approached.
Have you any place to go, Nisse?"
he asked. Il got little room up to my
house"
Much obliged, but we got friends On
this side" replied one of the women. Then
she pointed to the bridge and in a tone
of sudden fear asked:
Say. they won't let them men over
this side the bridge, will they?"
The old Negro treasured them and they
caught a car going still farther away
from East St. Louis.
Lured to Alley and Killed
newspaper reporter who was in the
thick of the trouble last night related a
particularly brutal story. A white man
observing a covering Negro. approa ehed
and said: Come with me into this alley,
you'll be safe there; there's a soldier
there The Negro followed. In the alley
the white man calmly shot his victim
through the head and sauntered back
into the street, presently joining a mob
intent on a rope-and-lamp post lynehing.
No systematic search of the ruins
was made today. but fear that scores
disappeared. Last night brought ru-
mors that many bodies had been
thrown in the river. but the waters
gave up no dead today and by night it
was doubted whether the death list
would much exceed the list in the NOR
tuaries.
One Negro badly injured was discov-
cred in sewer manhole. where he was
thrown after being badly beaten.
WhaIen's Statement
Michael Whalen, president of the
Central Trades and Labor Council
here and likewise city clerk, gave one
explanation of conditions which he
thought lead to the rioting.
Last summer said Whalen, "4500
white men went on strike in the pack
ing plants of Armour & Co., Morris &
Co. and Swift g. Co. Eight hundred Ne
groes from the South came into the
plants as strikebreakers. When the
strike ended the Negroes remained at
work and an equivalent number OF
white men had to get other jobs. Since
then there has been a stream of Ne
groes arriving. At least $500 Negroes
have come from the South in the last
year
Many of them failed to obtain work
or to hold Jobs once obtained. Burgla
ries. highway robberies and petty
crimes began. The people became exas-
perated and determined to drive them
out of town."
Whalen said that the chief objection
to the Negroes was that they would not
unionize and would not strike. Managers
of plants mentioned by Whalen assert
ed that not a white man had been de-
prived of work because of the Ne
groes. Even with the Negroes, 1t was
difficult to get enough labor, they said.
They explained that rosy letters writ
ten back home by the first arrival ac-
counted for the continued inflow from
the South. The Negro laborers were
particularly pleased to get the same
wages and hours as the white men
News that the governor was coming,
es well as ten additional companies OF
guardsmen, tended to restore confidence
tonight despite a few new incendiary
fires. One hundred of 1913 persons ar
rested last night were released this
evening. Some others were fined for
carrying concealed weapons.
Instead of the So cases in which melting
to riot was charged, all but three were
dismissed for lack Of evidence. Three
others accused by the witnesses OF drag
ging a Negro through the streets with a
rope around his neck were held to the
grand jury. The grand jury meets July
The leaders Of the mobs are said to be
known and the grand jury will deal with
them.
One brutal incident Of the night was
related today. On Fourth street near
Broadway, three men saw a Negro,
apparently dead, lying in gutter. One
of them flashed a pocket light in his
face and saw that he still breathed.
We'll what do you know about
that ?" he exclaimed. Not dead yet"
He and one of his companions then
drew their pistols and fired a bullet
into the Negroes head.
The police today tried to prevent the
taking of photographs of burning ruins
and bodies still lying in the street.
1T is the chiefs orders" said one
blue coat. East St. Louis doesn't want
that kind of advertising"
An incident of the night indicated
the temper of the mob. One crowd
went about the streets shouting against
the mayor. Let's get Mollman." they
shouted. Hes the man that brought
EN- in"
The cry was raised because of a
false 1umor that Mayor Mollman went
South and advertised that Negro la
Dor would be we'll paid in East st.
Louis. AS matter of fact the mayor
visited New Orleans and conferred
with railroad heads and others to
discourage the Negroes from coming.
Another of the innumerable brutal
incidents Of the night was the attack
on a young Negress. White men and
women were among the assailants.
Let the women have her" was the
cry among the men, and white women
began tearing the garments from their
victim, The \epreSs' CRY "Please