Evening public ledger. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1914-1942, 1921-03-12
ATTACK ON GIRL
CAUSES RACE RIOT
Policeman and Negro Wounded
In Street Battle In Spring.
fled, Ohio
CITY OFFICIALS FIRED ON
by the Associated Press

Dy tttS fhbSVNs6tTu ssoo
Springfield, o.. Mnrch 12.--Sprins-
field was quiet this morning following a
night Of disorder in which Patrolman
Joseph Ryan and Negro were wound.
ed In interchanges Of shots between
police and Negroes. ."
The trouble. which started shortly
before midnight last night with the
shooting Of Patrolmnn Ryan after he
had ordered a group Of Negroes to dis
persc. was the outgrowth o5 au assault
last Monday night on eleven year old
Mnrge Ferneau by an unknown Negro,
who escaped.
Rumors that he had been arrested
caused crowd to gather at the county
tnil Wednesday night and again Thurs
day night. but these crowds were dis
persed when IL was proven the Negro
had not been caught. Crowds gathered
ngnin last night. but had been dispersed
when the shooting began.
Race Feeling High
Among the city's 60. 1000 population,
approximately one eighth Of whom are
Negroes, racial feeling Is still strong.
The National Guard companies on
duty here are Company G. Fourth Ohio,
from London, and two separate ma :
chine gun companies with hcadQuarters
company IL en- route here.
Last nights rioting apparently came
in three phases. The opening conflict
between officers and Negroes came when
Patrolman Ryan was shot three times
after he had attempted to break I'm a
crowd of Negroes at Center and fef :
ferson streets. within block and a
half Of the police station. Ryan Is ex :
pected to recover.
Oficers Barricade Themselves
Later there was another brush in
which a Negro received a slight scalp
wound and later a general pitched bat
tie In which twenty or more shots were
fired between Negroes and officers, tht
Negroes dodging behind trees and build
ifigs and the officers barricading them
selves behind u curbing.
While attempting to pursuade
Negroes to return to their homes and
desist from violence, City Manager
and Police Prosecutor Robert Flack
were fired upon, but none Of them was
wounded. The officials quickly retrested.
Between twenty and thirty arrests
were made during the night, including
that Of one Negro thought to have been
the assailant Of Patrolman Ryan. Po-
lice, however, would not confirm his
identity, nor say where he had been
taken. Most of the remaining prison
/, crs were held on charges Of ,disorderly
conduct for investigation.
Among those held was Asa Smith
white, who, police say, was found jus,
outside the quarter where the shooting
occurred with dynamite on his person
; Places OF business closed last night
when large crowds gathered downtown
] and trouble seemed imminent, were
opened for business again today.
National Guardsmen Arrive
Three companies of Ohio Nationa
Guardsmen. consisting Of $50 officers
/. and men, under command of Lieutenan,
Colonel II. D. Horncr. were on duty
today with headquarters at City Hall
Military law has not been declared, II
having been announced that the troops
would merely aid the local authoritie:
, in maintaining order.
r The entire Fourth Ohio Infantry wa,
, mobilizcd today In anticipation Of fur
ther rioting here, but Colonel Hornel
r said he did not think II necessary tt
, call other units at this time.
Although the situation was quiet ca RI,
today and no further trouble seemed
imminent, both military and civil au
!, thorities are taking all precautions t.
I avoid a recurrence tonight Of the racia
u trouble.
= Sheriff David Jones. Of Clark coun
y ty. has been placed In complete chnrg,
): Of the situation. An order was issue,
u forbidding all public gatherings afte
y q o'clock this evening and ordering
6 stoppaye Of street car service and auto
& mobile traffic after p. m.