Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1919-11-12

Four Killed and Six Wounded
BY Ambushed Gang While
BIaring Band Prevents
Sound Of Shots Being Heard.
NATIONAL GUARD TROOPS
ORDERED TO RIOT SCENE
One Red Taken From Jail and
Lynched by Armed Posse,
Who Effect Coup by Shut
ting Off Street Lights.
BY The Associated Press.

AelltTdlld, wash, NOV. ll.-FOuf
members of the American Legion
are dead, one other service man is
in a critical condition and several
others were wounded when persons
said to be members of the |. w. w.
fred on an ArnAistice day parade
here this afternoon. Another man,
said to have been one of those who
fired on the marchers is believed to
have been lynched, but confirmation
was lacking.
At least eight supposed I. w. w.
are in the local Jail, guarded from a
mob of several hundred former COM
rades of the men shot down today.
The firing started when the pa
rade, proceeding down Centralia's
main street passed the corner :
where the l. w. w. hall is located.
Fire Into Ranks.
Arthur McElfresh was killed in
stantly.
Warren Grimm, formerly a lieu
tenant, was leading platoon in the
parade, and fell at the second burst
of fire, mortally- wounded.
George Stevens of Centralia at
tempted to disarm an alleged l. w.
W., and was wounded in the struR-
gle which ensued.
Dale Hubbard sustained his death
wound in pursuing a supposed /.
W. W., who fired as he ran from the
group of men headed by Hubbard.
1t was this man, according to re-
ports, who was hanged by mob to-
night.
Hubbard Died at II o'clock.
Ben Casagranda was in the ranks
and rifle bullet struck him in the
body. "They got me this time" he
said, as he doubled up and fell in
the street.
Removed From Jail.
Early tonight meeting to discuss
the situation was held at local club,
and soon afterward the city's cleo
trio lights failed. In the darkness
one man was removed from the jail.
The best available account said
the man was placed in an automo-
bile, which was waiting in readiness,
flanked by six other cars filled with
men, and hurried into wood near
the town.
This man, reports say later, was
hanged to a bridge. 1t generally
was believed tonight that the lynch
ing had taken place.
Rumors of additional violence
here were current late tonight. More
than one citizen declared: There
will not be any I. w. WIS left in
the Jail by morning" Governor
Hart has ordered one company OF
the state guard, numbering about IS
men here from Tacoma.
Soldiers Wreck Hall.
Immediately after the shooting,
a crowd of spectators and merchants
seized man they believed to be the
ringleader of the I. w. w. They
put a rope around his neck, threw
the rope over the cross arm of a
telephone pole and started to haul
him up. He was in the air only a
brief period before the chief of police
prevailed upon the crowd to let him
down. Tonight the man was in Jail
here. nearly dead
With the dash shown in going over
the top in Europe the service men
soon stripped the hall of all furniture
and documents and arrested six men.
These we're thrown in Jail and
guarded by former soldiers to pre-
vent their escape and at the same
time to protect them from lynching
until gull, could be established.
Soldiers Guard Prisoners
A mob seeking vengeance on the
prisoners was fought back by the
overseas men Who stood guard at the
Jail to see that officials made no ef-
fort to take the suspects away.
A quantity of arm and ammunition
were seized when the mob ran
sacked the I. w. w. headquarters,
near which the shooting occurred,
trampled down the building front
and threw into the street and
burned all the organization liter
ature and property which could be
found. Posses secured the timber
camps and searched feverishly
among the towns 5000 inhabitants
for other radicals.
The whole city had turned out
to celebrate the anniversary of the
suspension of hostilities and farge
parade was formed, headed My the
city's boys who had helped bring
about the glad day year ago.
Wearing the uniforms that shell
Continued on Page Two. Column Three)