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A NATIONAL WEEKLY NEWSPAPER DEVOTED TO THE INTERESTS OF COLORED AMERICANS.
THE REV. JOHN ALBERT WILLIAMS. Editor
$2.00 a Year. 5c a Copy OMAHA, NEBRASKA, OCTOBER 2, 1919 Vol. V. No. 13 (Whole No. 222)
Wkxje of Lawlessness Has Spread to Omaha
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Attempt to Lynch >4ayor
Defending Prisoner
Frenzied Mob Fires Magnificent
Douglas County Court House,
Lynches Man Accused of Criminal
Assault and Burns Body.
WILLIAM BROWN, accused of
criminal)' assaulting Agnes Lo
beck, a 19-year-old girl, last Thurs
day night, was taken from the county
jail, situated on the top floor of the
magnificent million dollar stone court
house, Sunday night by a mob, shot,
hanged and his body burned. He was
allowed to be given into the hands of
the mob only after the flames and
smoke imperilled the lives of all the
prisoners, numbering 130, Sheriff
Clark and his deputies, ond other of
ficials who were defending the jail.
Wajyor Ed P. Smith was hanged and
wounded and almost miraculously es
caped death at the hands of the fren
zied mob. The court house was burned,
one white man was shot and killed,
and two since have died from wounds,
and scores were wounded, including
twenty-one policemen.
Prompt, Vigorous Action Needed.
If vigorous action had been taken
when the mob, composed chiefly of
boys and youths, began to asesmble
at 2:30 in the afternoon the awful
orgy of Sunday night would not have
been. The supposed impregnable posi
tion of the county jail and the appar
ent impossibility of getting any pris-j
oner out of it, unless he were volun
tarily given up, of which no one be
lieved there was the remotest pos
sibility, may account for the apparent
leniency with which the police author
ities regarded the incipient mob. Fail
ure to stop things at the start proved
f a costly mistake.
When the Mob Started.
About 2s30 Sunday afternoon a
crowd numbering less than 100, and
composed mainly of boys and youths
ranging in age from 12 to 20, as
sembled on the south side of the court
house and boasted that they had come
"to get the nigger.” There was no
leader among them and few, if any of
them, were armed. This crowd was
gradually increased until at about 5
o’clock the mob, for it was now' as
suming this temper, approached the
door of the court house and began
to break windows. The police drove
them back. Leaders began to appear
in the crowd and direct the attack on
the county building. Securing a heavy
plank the mob surged forward and
broke down the massive doors. The(
few police opposing them turned on
the hose and they were again driven
back. Arming themselves with stones
and brick the moh charged the po
lice who took refuge within the build-!
ing, without firing a single shot in
their defense. The moh continued to
increase in numbers, while thousands i
of spectators lined the streets.
Mob Begins to Show Frenzy.
A little before 6 o’clock members
of the mob entered the building. They
were met with a fusillade of shots j
from the police. Chief of Police Eb
erstein attempted to talk to the moh
urging them to let the law take its
course. He was hooted down and a
brick whizzed near his head. The
lives of others who attempted to talk
to the irrational beast—for that is
what a mob is—nearly paid for it
with their lives. Among those who
were attacked and iniured was Com
**' missioner Harry B. Zimman. When
Eberstein pleaded that the man be
given a trial; the mob shouted:
“Hand him over to us, we’ll give
him a trial. We don’t want any talk
from you, we want that nigger."
When Zimman appealed to them,
some one shouted: “Lynch the damn
Jew; he can make Mayor Smith give
up the nigger.’ Members of the mob
pummelled him and he protesting was
hurried by friends hack into his of
fice.
As night began to fall the frenzy
of the mob increased. Mayor Smith,
Commissioner Ringer and Chief Eb
erstein, who had gained entrance to
the jail, were with Sheriff Clarke and
k his deputies and the inadequate force
of police, battling to defend the pris
oner and the county’s property.
Police Driven Back.
The mob drove the police to the
second floor of the court house. Am
monia bombs were hurled into the
mob to prevent their reaching the
floor. But while the defenders were
busy the increasing mob without was
active. Ladders were secured and
they began to scale the walls and en
tered the building through battered
in windows.
Someone suggested that Brown had
been secretly removed to the city
jail.
“Let’s go there and see,” yelled half
a dozen men.
Five Men Search City Jail.
Captain of.Police Heitfeld allowed
five members of the crowd to search
the jail. The man wanted was not
found. The men reported this to the
others. Then the men returned to the
court house.
It was not until about 8 p. m.
that the crowd started its violence.
By this time every street around
the building was literally crowded
with people. Some estimated the num
ber at 25,000.
With a few policemen stationed on
the second floor, every advance of
the crowd was met with a fusillade of
bullets.
Injured men were carried out by
their comrades.
Continual shooting on the inside,
instead of frightening the crowd,
seemed only to increase its fury.
“What we need is some weapons,”
yelled an excited man.
Guns Looted From Stores.
Almost instantly several hundred
men ran to the Walter G. Clark and
the Townsend Gun company stores.
Doors were smashed in and every
weapon in sight, from a small .22
caliber to high-powered rifles were
taken. Large quantities of ammuni
tion also were confiscated.
Court House Is Set Afire.
Another portion of the crowd had
obtained a large quantity of gasoline,
which it poured on the first floor of
the court house. It was ignited, and
a mighty shout went up from the
crowd as the blaze gained headway.
American flags were waved and the
crowd went wild.
Hundreds of shots were fired into
every window. A head seen any place
in the building brought forth a shower
of bullets.
A blaze broke out on the fourth
floor, and the crowd again yelled itself
hoarse.
None Allowed to Leave Building.
“We’ll get the nigger if we have to
burn the whole shack down,” yelled
a man as he jumped on a truck in
Harney street.
“Now let’s do this thing proper,"
he went on. "Don’t allow a soul to
leave this building until we get the
nigger."
Men with rifles, shotguns and re-^
volvers were stationed at every door.
Mayor Beaten by Crowd.
Mayor Smith, who had been up
stairs with the squad of policemer
attempted to leave through the east
entrance. One of the vigilant watch
ers spied and recognized him.
“There's Mayor Smith,” he cried.
mm t < i r i
The Hon. Kd P. Smith, Omaha's Heroic Mayor, Who Nearly Lost His Lifcf
Sunday Nij{ht Because of His Stand for Law and Order and His Firm
Refusal to Turn Over Prisoner to Mob.
executive.
“He can give us the nigger if he j
will and save the courthouse,” a man
cried.
A dozen blows landed on the may
or’s head, and he fell to the ground.
Several men jumped upon him, but
he was picked up by several friends,
who attempted to get him away.
Try to Hang Mayor.
“Don't let them get Mayor Smith
away,” yelled a husky youth.
“bet’s string him up. Shoot him.
He’s a negro-lover. They elected him.
He’s no better than they are!”
Hatless and covered with hlood, the
m or faced his attackers.
“No, I won’t give up the man,” he
cried. "I’m going to enforce the law,
;en with my own life.”
The mayor was jostled down Har
ney street until an electric light pole
was reached. The crowd dropped a
noose around his neck and threw the
end of the rope over the iron beam.
Cuts Rope and Saves Mayor.
Then an unidentified, well-dressed
man cut the rope as it was being
drawn tight. He disappeared before
the crowd had time to catch him.
Another man, a friend of Mayor
Smith’s, argued with the crowd.
“He’s a white man,” he pleaded.
"For God’s sake use a little judgment.
Don't do something you’ll be sorry for.
Don’t be bolsheviki.”
The crowd listened for a moment.
Then it started to resume its work.
The delay probably saved Mayor
Smith’s life. In the few minutes'
pause police reinforcements arrived,
and officers with drawn pistols,
formed a ring about the mayor and
he was hustled away.
It was done so quickly that the
crowd hardly realized that its intend
ed victim was gone. Then its angel
doubled.
The police car, standing near, was
(Continued on Page 2.)
MONITOR EDITOR
MAKES STATEMENT
Declares That a Determined and Seri,
ous Effort Ought to Have Been
-Made By Police to Disperse Crowd
at Beginning.
COMMENDS MAYOR SMITH’S
HEROIC STAND FOR LAW
Charges Sensational Reports of Crime
in Press Chiefly Responsible for
Lynchings and Race Riots; Time for
Cool Heads and Sane Counsel.
THE Rev. John Albert Williams,
rector of St. Philip’s Episcopal
church, president of the local branch
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People and
editor of The Monitor, was requested
by the Omaha Bee to furnish it a
statement concerning the mob violence
of Sunday. The following statement
was given that publication:
“I am humiliated almost beyond ex
pression that Omaha yesterday let slip
her opportunity of demonstrating that
here is at least one city where the
forces of law and order are supreme
over mobocracy, anarchy and vandal
ism. This opportunity passed when
the police authorities made no serious
attempt to disperse the mob at the
very beginning, and again when fail
ing here there was questionable delay
in getting the federal troops on the
ground to protect the jail. This out
break Is, unfortunately, symptomatic
and impresses many of us as being
part of a well planned propaganda to
stir up strife between American citi
zens. This spirit is fostered, encour
aged and nourished by the disposition
of the press generally to play up in
scare-crow sensational headlines the
race of alleged criminals when they
are Negroes. This is a reprehensible
thing to which can largely be traced
every lynching in this country.
“The action of Mayor Smith and j
others was heroic. The fate of these j
splendid men should be a solemn j
warning for the suppression and dis-1
persion of mobs at the beginning.'
These are times for cool heads and!
sane counsel. The Colored citizens of j
Omaha took no part in last night’s
orgy. They wisely remained at home, [
prepared to defend their homes and
loved ones to the last ditch. They will
be found on the side of law and ordei
and ask only that they be protected.
All citizens, white and black, must de
plore the awful blot that has been cast;
upon Omaha by this mob murder.”
GUARD FOR MAYOR
A detail of fifteen soldiers, under (
command of Lieutenant Thomas Chris
tian of Fort Crook, was sent at 1
o’clock Monday to the Ford hospital,
where they have been stationed as a
guard for Mayor Smith, who is being
cared for at the hospital.
. ■ ii i—hi ii i.rniT'TT'i —ruilMll
Active Mob and Spectators Numbering More Than 5,000 on North Side of Court House Late Sunday Afternoon.
RIOTERS ARRESTED
FACE SERIOUS CHARGES
Husband of Woman Assassinated
Two Years Ago, Under Arrest—
Murder and Arson Charges to Be
Filed.
BONDS ARE REFUSED BY
FEDERAL AUTHORITIES
Special Session of County Grand Jury
Called October 8 to Investigate and
Indict Persons Implicated in Riot.
Under orders of military authori
ties, police have arrested 55 men dur
ing the past two days for complicity
in Sunday night’s riot. Claude L.
Nethaway, 8013 North Thirtieth
street, whose wife was murdered in
a railroad cut north of Florence two
years ago, was arrested late Tuesday
afternoon. He was booked for inves
tigation. Nethaway is said to have
led an attack Sunday night on the
north doors of the court house.
All those arrested for complicity
in the lynching of Will Brown will
be charged with murder, according to
County Attorney Shotwell. “Arson”
will be charged against those known
to have carried gasoline to the court
house to set it afire, and “assault with
intent to commit a great bodily in
jury,” will be booked against those
known to have had complicity in at
tempting to hang Mayor Smith, the
county attorney stated.
Bonds Are Refused.
Following an order from military
authorities to arrest everyone known
to have been implicated in Sunday
night’s affair, detectives Tuesday
made total arrests of 27 men in ad
dition to 28 arrested the day before.
The youngest one taken in custody
was Sol Francis, 12 years old, 1201
Pacific street. Detectives arrested
him Tuesday afternoon when it was
learned that he was in the crowd of
vandals that climbed firemen’s ladders
into the court house, and kept up in
cessant cries of: “Lynch the Negro."
Three of those arrested Tuesday
were booked for carrying concealed
weapons. They were Negroes.
Positively no one arrested in con
nection with the riot is allowed re
lease on bonds, according to Col. J.
E. Morris, commanding the military
troops.
Find Stolen Guns.
Max Cosgrove, 2814 Pinkney street,
brother of Jimmy Cosgrove, who was
recently committed to the Iowa peni
tentiary for conspiracy, was also ar
rested for complicity in the lynching.
Many of the men now in jail for in
vestigation are from other cities.
Guns stolen from pawnshops that
were looted during the riot were found
on James Brazoc, John Yoch and Jas.
Maschek, according to detectives who
arrested them Monday night. All
three are from Chicago, they say.
One Negro Arrested for Inciting Riot.
George Harris, Negro, 922 North
Twenty-seventh street, was the only
man arrested, charged with inciting
a riot. Harris was apprehended by
police at Twenty-seventh and Cum
ing streets, Monday afternoon when
he is said to have urged fellowmen of
his race to arm themselves.
Tuesday’s Arrests.
Those arrested yesterday for in
vestigation in connection with the
lynching, burning of the court house
and attempted hanging of Mayor
Smith are:
Joseph Hoffman, optician, 1952
South Thirteenth street.
Paul Eastman, 2205 Pratt street.
Max Cosgrove, 2814 Pinkney street.
C. L. Nethaway, real estate man,
8013 North Thirtieth street.
Polk Knosko, Chicago, 111.
James Mitch, Hotel Rome.
Louis Jacobi, New York City. \
N. A. Gavin, 2332 Famam street.
M. Borsky, 2332 Famam street. I
Ernest Krause, 1914 Oak street.
Frank Johnson, Des Moines, la.
Camden Daniels, Dubuque, la.
C. P. Gemandt, 704 South Twenty
fourth street.
Frank Slater, 606 North Thirteenth
street.
C. A. Curtis, 2222 North Twenty
fourth street.
Louis Hrabovsky, Thirty-second and
Grover streets.
Anton Munch, 2618 South Eleventh
street. j
H. C. Sautter, 312 South Fifty-first \
street.