The Oklahoma City times. [volume] (Oklahoma City, Okla.) 1908-1984, 1919-09-29
RACE R|0T|NG
|SST0PPEDbY
ARMY TROOPS
Great Damage Is Done il
Wild Night Of LawIeSsness,
MAYOR REPORTED BETTER
Victim Of Mob Was Near
Death; Story Of LynChing,

- ~ N''' NhN' ~ - " ~''''' =
OMAHA Ncb Sep, 29.-Regular
soldiers OF the United States army,
patfolling the streets with fixed
bAyone,s and machine guns placed at
strategic points have restored order in
Omaha today after a night OF terror.
during which a mob took William
Brown, a negro, from the county jail
and hanged hlm, attempted to lynch
MAYOR Ed 7 Smith and threatened to
precipi,ate a serious race war.
Mayor Smith was reported much im-
proved this orning and his physi
cians said at that time they believed
him ont OF danger. He was unconscious
for several hours and at 20 o'clock
this morning his heart action was SO
faint that II Was reported he had died
An immediate grand jury investiga-
tion OF the riot Of last night is u
take place Judges OF the courts
planned to meet today TO discuss plans
Tor calling a special grand jury.
Two Dead, Thirty-nine Injured.
The grim reckoning today shows
twu dead. thiry-nine persons injured
and hundreds Of thousands Of dollars
loss, including S1so0N damage to
Douglas oounty's sl,2S0WO court
house
With order restored Omaha took
immediate steps TO repair the damage
when the city commissi ners met IN
special session to discuss elan. for re-
building and to check further rioting.
| Until long after the early morning
hours il was practically impossible TO
set near the courthouse The mob
that held sway over the building for
five hours made il dangerous to 90
near the structure. Later on when .
detachment OF federal soldiers was
sent 10 the scene Gordon was at
once thrown around the building and
= nobody permitted to approach IT, When
the mob gained entrance to the Jail
and fire in the building became
rrcnacing 10 100 prisoners in jail on
the top floor, Sheriff Clark sent all
the prisoners, including Brown. TO the
roSi llc was there in the custody ot
other prisoners The sheriff and his
deputies we're guarding the entrance
10 the lail and Vere able to keep back
the mob for several hours. However,
as the heat became intense. the pri,-
oncrS themselves took action aud
delivered the negro 10 the mob.
Mayor Gets Into II.
2 The crowd that began to gather
early in the evening was augmented
from time to time until il was mum.
bered BY the thousands. II was dur.
y ing this time that the mayor came "a
nearly being himself a victim OF the
, mob
d Mayor Smith was seired by the mob
- on Seventeenth street. near the court
n house at 10 o'clock aud was threatened
/, with lynching He wa. hustled ia
n llafney street and stopped at the foot
IS OF trolley pole on the eross.zrm Of
which was Coll OF rope.
Give rs the KEY to the Jail" "If
i, We can't ge, the Niger we'll lynch
- you "He'S no better than the nis.
Al ger" "ile'' negro lover were cries
- heard in the mob.
b., A Few to His Rescue.
Al &c, that rope" someone shouted,
u It was pulled down by loose end
Ic but was not long enough to reach. A
lr man climbed the pole aud with knife
X cut the rope 1t was brought down and
y placed around the neck OF the mayos,
Throw i, up over the pole aud
y string the mayor MP, ed q dcees
IS voices The mob sufged TO and ~,
90 The mayor was the center Of 4 esu1h
? 80 grea, that II almost overthrew h,
automobile standing near
The rope was then placed around the
mayors neck Appalled, a, the possibiI.
ny oi numbering the cily's chief exeeu~
,lNc, protests began TO be heard. *tW6
wont stand lpr hanging the msyo(.
"lha, wont get rs the niger: let him
go. Tell him to get out Of here
p The police rescued him but the potrDl
wagon IN which the police came 10 IA
him was overturned and burned, Latsr
S second attempt TO lynch the msyos
was ma',c bu, he was saved by the %.
lice and taken 10 4 hospital.
Under orders from Major. Gsnesul
:. Leonard Wood commanding the cen
IS trail department OF the army. soldiers
III from For, Crook started for 0mshs q
A. o'clock this morning Before daS-
G. break q guard of federal troops kod
Sc been thrown around the oourthcuse
oi and other buildings in the downtown
nd section Troops also were sent 10 the
I, negro section Of the town where mcls
IN were reported preparing 10 Kill nespts
by and burn their homes.
W Douglas county's nes courthouse u,
day recalls shell. shattered huiidM(
& Of ihe Nar lane WindosA are shS).
v, l,srsd on every floor Of ~ buillinl