AMERICAN RACIAL REFORM

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 248, 13 October 1908, Page 4

AMERICAN RACIAL REFORM

THE LOT OF TIIE XECiKO IN AMEKICA. The American correspondent of the Loudon Daily Telegraph 'forwards lo that paper a sensational account of the recent racial riots in Illinois, incidents in connection with which he compares lo Turkish atrocities. "It is not the number of persons killed and houses iired by the torch that signifies so. much as the fact that thousands of people in a northern city of 40.000 inhabitants were capable of joining in these crimes against law, reason, and humanity. The capital of the State of Illinois, the home oi Abraham Lincoln, in a few short hours passed under the rule of a bloodcrazed 1110b, and the constituted authorities were swept aside like dummies of straw." Springfield was dominated by a mob "turned into beasts by liquor and blood lust," and became an inferno, ill which riot, incendiarism, and murder held sway. Fearing trouble, the sheriff had induced a restaurant proprietor to lend his laotor ear fur the transfer of the prisoners whose crimes were expected to cause trouble, to another gaol. When the 1110b heard ot this they went to the restaurant, wrecked the furniture and the windows, cleared the place of liquor, and turned the owner's motor upside down and net it on lire. The police and troops were treated with contempt. The rioters laughed at them, stripped them of their arms, heat them, ' and even spat in their laces. But at length a company arrived 011 the scene in charge of an ollieer made of sterner stuff. To the jeer* of the crowd the soldiers replied with three volleys fired, high. These had no effect, so a fourth volley was fired, this time into Hie crowd. Several people fell, and the others gradually dispersed. To what lengths such people will go in their rage was ..liowii by the callous murder of an old negro named Donegati, who had lived the city for fifty years, and bore the best of reputations. When the mob halted before his shop on their way t" the liegro quarter Uonegan wis sitting at his door, "I.iood evening, gentlemen; wliat can I do for you?" he |

asked, aecorilin;; to one net-omit. Someone threw a brick, which struck liim on tliii forehead and felled liim to the jjround. Another cried, "Kill tlie nigger," and tlie old man was seized. a clothes line was tied round liis neck, and lie was handed to a neijildiorinu' tree. The molt passed 011 after selling fire to his house.