The Topeka state journal., 1919-11-12
Details of Washington Riots
Are Given Out.
/. w. WIS Attack ON Armistice
Day Parade Cause
SILENT MOB HANGED LEADER
Working in Darkness, Crowd
Broke in JAIL
General Roundup of Radicals
Followed Disorder.

Centralia, Nov. "details of the
clash here yesterday during which the
Armistice day parade was fired upon
with fatal results were being recount
ed today by persons who witnessed the
affair.
The parade had passed thru the
crowded streets, led by Capt. David
Livingston. who served in France
with the 161st infantry. AS the head
of the. column of members of the
American Legion and other ex-service
men swung into Tower avenue, in
front of the Ind dastrial Workers hall,
the ranks marked time to permit the
rear to catch up. Then the firing
broke out. The shots seemed to come
from several directions but onlookers
believe most of them were fired from
II. W. w. headquarters and from the
Avalon hotel. across the street.
Are you hit, Warren?" asked Will
liam Schales, who was standing be-
side Warren Grimm, one of those ia
tally wounded.
Died on Way to Hospital
'I don't think so.'' replied the
automobile across the street. AS he
reached the edge of the car he
groaned. He was put in the car and
started for the hospital but died before
he reached there.
Men came running from the differ
| ent exits of the I. w. w. hall. Britt
Smith started out of the rear of the
building firing an automatic which
| jammed, witnesses said. He ran thru
a yard with a crowd following.
Christ Coleman, one of those wound
ed was in the lead. Smith fired sew
| eral times, his weapon having been re-
stored to working order. He appeared
to have plenty of ammunition. Cole
man dropped with shot thru the leg.
The fleeing I. w. w. secretary was
chased to the Skookumchuck river.
where he Ieaped down the bank with
Dale Hubbard close behind. Seeing he
could not swim the stream, Smith
| turned back and dashed up the bank
where he was confronted by Hubbard.
Then Smith fired three times into Hub
isbard's body, ,onlookers said. A moment
later Smith was overpowered by How
ard Barner. Meantime a roundup of
| other I. w. w. members had started.
led by men in uniform who had been
| in the parade. The1anger of the crowd
| became greater as the word spread
| that four men were dead. As Smith
was brought in sight an attempt was
made to hang him. He was defiant
and hitched at the khaki trousers he
wore. He had lost his hat, as he ran.
| i. w. w. Was Defiant.
you fellows can't hang me- BE
gloated. 81 was sent to do my duty
and I did it,
While the attempt to hang Smith
was being made. Captain Livingston,
utmost for the wounded men in the
hospital. Hubbard suffered internal
hemorrhages and gradually grew
weaker. Muttered threats against the
| I. W. VS. were passed about.
| Early in the evening the men who
planned to hang Smith gathered near
the Jail. AT 1880 o'clock the lights. of
the city snapped out as tho cut off
thru a giant switch. The entire city
was dark. Even the half dozen auto
mobiles gathered near the Jail by the
mob had no lights. Not a match was
struck. Motorists approaching from
bisecting streets were warned to cut
off thier lights and one pair of lenses
were kicked in when the driver did
not obey.
| No word was spoken when the men
entered tbe Jail Night PatrolmaI ma
mob's leader kicked a panel from the
outside door, reached in and turned
the key.
| Fired at Hanging Body.
/ The cell where Smith covered was
unlocked, according to all accounts
He said nothing. Silently. at least
eight men surrounded him. rushed
him from the little jail and into car
The engine was throbbing and not q
| moment was lost. The party spec
away thru the mud and water to the
county bridge over the Chehalis river
Bob Burrows, a farmer, living neal
the bridge, told this story OF the hang
ing.
| 1.-THE man was struggling between
the men who held him. said Burrows
| They worked without word ] sa v
them stop not far from the end of the
bridge nearest the city and throw q
rope over the cross beam. The body
went over with a thud and then sho'
was fired. Then more shots. I stood
a distance away while perhaps thirty
shots in all were fired close to tbs
body"
A bullet went thru Smiths neel
close to where the moose had torn tho
flesh. Burrows said the crowd weni
away in their machines without 9
word.
How or by whom Smiths body viii
be cared for is problematica1. Two
undertakers here last night refused tt
4t-sa