RACE CARNAGE IN ILLINOIS.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 237, 3 October 1908, Page 15

RACE CARNAGE IN ILLINOIS.

NEGRO QUARTER DESTROYED BY WHITES. A ''Central News** New York message says that telegrams from Springfield, Illinois, report that sanguinary rioting is In progress there, nnd that the town is practically under mob law. The trouble arose on Friday, August 14, through a particularly brutal asault committed on a white woman by a negro, the news of which, quickly spreading, inflamed public opinion against the large coloured population to such an extent that the police were powerless to cope with the situation. Bodies of armed men made an organised move on the negro quarters, from which the majority of the residents fled in terror, though many re mained to offer resistance. Several of these possessed revolvers, and firing quickly be came general. Early In the affray two white men were shot dead, a circumstance which, needless to say, served to Intensify hostility against the negroes. Whenever any of the latter fell into the hands of the avengine whites, they were mercilessly beaten with sticks or clubbed with revolver butts, while, as n perfect fullisade was going on all around, wounded persons were constantly dropping. The police appear to have made repeated efforts to quell the rioting, but all were fruitless, and presently the rising of smokt and flame from several directions simultaneously indicated that the negro quartets had been fired. Before this, however, the maddened whites had practically wrecked the entire district. MOB FIRED ON BY TROOPS. Until Saturday morning the troops were powerless to check the disorders. At last Governor Dencon, of Illinois, after repeated warnings to the mob in support of what had already been said by the Mayor, ordered the troops to fire. At the first volley no one was Injured, for the rifles were aimed high, but, this not serving to disperse tne whites, the second volley, aimed at the legs of the crowd, injured scores. That for a time checked the trouble. All the saloons in the district were ordered to be closed. Until mid-day on Satur day there was a lessenging of the trouble though fighting broke out in some places. The negroes, having obtained arms, robbed and shot the assistant county treasurer. Mr. W. Bowes, who is now in hospital. The 4th Regiment having arrived, the authorities were at last able to ensure a thorough patrol of the streets and to escort the terrorised blacks to the Normal Patk. where they are now herded under military protection. FURTHER OUTBREAKS. Monday mornlnß'B newß from Springfield shows that, deaplto all tho efforts of the authorities to restore order lv the town, the race rioting continued. Four thousand two hundred troops, however, are now In the place, and are slowly, but it is believed surely, getting the upper hand of the mob. Thousands of negroes are flying from the town ou foot and by traincar and railroad. The black porters employed at the local railway stations have left their posts in (.error, and quitted the neighbourhood. Two more of the negroes wounded In Friday's fighting have died, and many still remalu vi a very serious condition. A special jury Is being empanelled for the purpose of thoroughly Investigating the whole affair, and to adjudge the responsibility for the terrible happenings -of the past few days, lioveruor Deueen now has 55u0 troops guarding the streets of Springfield, Illinois, and al. serious rioting is at an end (.says the Chicago correspondent of the "Post"), a special grand jury has been called to Investigate the lawlessness of the past two days, and two hundred arrests of alleged leaders in the riots have been made. The authorities declare that wherever the evidence warrants convictions will follow, and the accused will be so dealt with as to demonstrate that the negroes cannot be attacked with impunity. To emphasise the small foundation for the disorders, it transpired on Monday that George Richardson, the negro who was arrested on Friday and partially identified as the man who assaulted Mrs. Hallam, has been able to prove an alibi.