Richmond times-dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1914-current, 1919-09-29
MANY SHOTS FIRED
IN BATTLE TO GET
NEGRO ASSA|LANT
Douglas County Courthouse
Is Wrecked by Violent
Mob.
DRAG PRISONER FROM CELL
AND HANG HIM TO POLE
Sheriff and Deputies Stand Guard
as Seething Flames
Roar.
ATTEMPT TO LYNCH MAYOR
crowd Objects to His Appeal for
Order and Throws Rope About
His Neck.
ATTEMPT TO LYNCH MAYOR
crowd Objects to His Appeal for
Order and Throws Rope About
His Neck.
tRy Associated Prcrr1

OMAHA, Sept. oS.-Thc city tonight
experienced the most serious riots in
It's history. resulting from tho attempt
OF mob TO lynch Il negro. William
Brown, charged with an assault few
days ago on a white girl.
Ono man was Killed and two Sc
riously wounded during exchanges OF
shots with the police: the lives OF q
hundred or more prisoners in the
county Jail were seriously threatened
by FIRE and Douglas Countys fine new
courthouse, valued at sl.500OOn WAS
Threatened with entire destruction.
brown was dragged from the county
electric pole. following struggle OF
nine hours by an Immense mob to
"Tgst NJ him from the sheriff,
sheriff Michael Clark and his depu-
Ties held the fort in tho top story OF
the courthouse, where is located the
'hn ,hi. nsiit,, %ith hundred prisoners until
OF lame. and he was forced 10 submit.
Flames Drive Out Prisoners.
After the lynching the nrenen were
for the nrst time able to get Il stream
on the namcs. Al tho Same time ad-
ditonal eX!ension ladders were sent
I" the third ana fourth floors. where
many or The occupants were standing
on the side Of the building that had
not been touched by the flames
The rioting began in the vicinity of
the courthouse late this afternoon.
Hundreds Of shots We're fired. and /.
was reported that one sailor was Sc
r!ous!y injured. The mob broke out
more than a hundred windows on the
south side OF the structure. and large
number or them succeeded in entering
the builainr.
by o'clock III the evening the sit
uaiion had got quite beyond the police
force, and request was made to the
war Department to send troops from
Fort Crook and Fort Omaha to the city
Major Weiss. comma ndant at Fort
n l,HT Ii.
into readiness to cntrain on street cars
for the city.
Mob Cuts Fire Hose.
shortly after o'clock a big fire
started on the ground noor OF the
courthouse and the entire fire depart
ment was called out. There were more
i, whcS l99 pFisoneSs SO ;Sa oi!leted in rhe
courthouse. The crowds made 1t d tf-
cult for tho fire department, to reach
the scene, or for the police to protect
the hremen in their work. Several
lines OF hose were quickly cut by the
Within ten minutes after the ire
men arrived every line of hose laid
mounted to tho fourth floor and could
be seen pouring out OF the sherir's
office. Directly above is the Jail,
where the prisoners were confined
II was learned that one man. Frank
CLANCY. aged twenty. had been killed
and two others. Frank Morasco and
At 10 p. n. two thirds Of the court
house was in flames. which had reach
ed the fourth floor.
Sack Downtown Gun Shop.
Just after dark crowd began
] nition store, the police being Ing power power
less to prevent for the time being.
1'he. crowd reached large proportions
during the ndis svening en- Fs;u every stree, street
being jammed with humanity.
Two negro policemen who were
rese es 0sf,s naay bessn nshsd bS TO the
crowd. one of them receiving dan
iserous injuries. Several other ofil-
GERS received serious but not dan
Clark, who feared for his prisoner.
massed number gGros Of deputies u, in the
police officers. Chief of Police Eber-
stein climbed on top OF box and un-
perse. but was hootcd down, and had
considerable trouble cXtrcating him
self and getting into the courthouse
Three streams of water were turned
on the crowd from windows. but this
eJ@ nrthor ard fnsaae 40 aogfr of bres shs
ana ether missiles followed: during
which more than fifty windows were
smashed
Climb Though Windows.
The door was guarded by uniformed
officers. but the rioters obtained a rope
and ladder and began pouring through
second story windows. Large num-
bers of them secured entrance before
tie police CHECKED the assault
The interior of the big building be-
came mass OF flames by 10 o'clock
and, forced by the heat, n large part Of
the rroh moved back from the building
on the north side. They gathered
again. however. on the south side,
where the heat had not become so in
tense.
Al this pn'ntt Barbara Freitch,e ap.
reared at a window at the north end
OF the builHine in the. person OF an
age, woman. who, wildly flung an
American. flag to the wind and an
pealed !" the mob to desist. There
the rioters who yelled for the pris-
oner whom they sought to lynch. It
had the effect. however. OF giving the
fremen an opportunity TO run an ex-
tension iadeer. to the fourth floor, from
which IL was hoped to tnke the sheriff
and his deputies. and his prisoners who
were about to become victims Of the
flames.
Prisoners Cry for Help.
Tho entire fire department was on
kt,n n nd anu nf ha frt,, u ox,,o