THE LOT OF THE NEGRO IN AMERICA.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXXXIII, Issue 12585, 5 October 1908, Page 4

THE LOT OF THE NEGRO IN AMERICA.

The American correspondent of tif^>ndon Daily Telegraph forwarda to that uapcr a sensational account of the -recent • lacial riots in Illinois, incidents in connection with which he compares to ."J-Urkisn atrocities. "It is not the number of. persons killed and houses fired by the torch that signifies so much as the fact that thousands of people in a northern city or 40,000 inhabitants were capable of joining in these crimes against law, reason, and humanity. The capital of the State of Illinois, the home of Abraham Lincoln, in a - lew short hours passed under the rule of a blood-crazed mob, and the constituted authorities were swept aside like dummies - of straw." Springncld was dominated by a mob "turned into beasts by liquor and blood lust," and became an inferno, in which riot, incendiarism, and mnrdeir-neil sway. Fearing trouble, the sheriff had induced a restaurant proprietor to lend nu motor car for the transfer of the-prison-ers whose crimes were expected to cause trouble, to another gaol. When the mob heard of this they went to the restaurant. ! wrecked tlie furniture and the windows, cleared the place of liquor, and turned tu~ owner's motor car upside down and set it on fire. The police and troops Were treated with contempt. The rioters laughed at them, stripped them of their arms beat them and even spat hi their faces. But at length a company arrived on the scene n. charge of an officer made of sterner stuff. To the jeens of the crowd the soldiers replied with three volleys fired high' These had no effect, so a fourth volley was Brett, this time into the crowd. Several peoplo fell and tha others gradually disperse*. To what lengths such people will go. in their rage was shown by the. callous murder of an old negro named Donegan, who had lived in the city for fifty years, and bore the best of reputations. When the mob halted before his shop on their way the negro quarter Doncgan was sitting at his door. "Good evening, gentlemen : wjiat can I do for you?" he asked, according t. one account. Someone threw a brick, which struck him on the forehead and fell, cd him to the ground. Another cried, "Kill the nigger," and the old -man. was seized, a clothes line was tied round his. neck, and he was banged on a neighbouring tree. The mob passed on after setting fire to his house^