Jasper County Democrat, Volume 3, Number 20, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 August 1900 — MOB RULE IN AKRON. [ARTICLE]

MOB RULE IN AKRON.

ATTEMPT TO LYNCH A NEGRO IN AN OHIO TOWN. Lockup, County Jail and City Building Successively Stormed by the CrowdScenes of Hidt and Bloodshed in Which Two Persons Are Killed. A mob of several thousand frenzied persons in 'Akrou. Ohio, infuriated over an assault upon the little daughter of Mr. and. Mrs. Theodore Mog !»y Louis Peck,_ _ a"col'6re3’lnan, searelimT the city prison, the county jail and the ohi court house fur the. negro, engaged in a battle of bullets with officers of the law, set tire ColtniibiailftTl,; adjoiinifg”l;ie eny building, and threatened to destroy the latter structure. Peck was ayrested Wednesday and murmurs of gathering trouble caused the sheriff secretly to transfer the prisoner to Cleveland. The report that he had confessed spread rapidly and the mob gathered soon after dnr k. > It was-about Silt) o’clock wlien the mob surged down the street to prison. With a shout from the leaders the doors were battered down, and a rush made for the prisoner. The officers offered no resistance and to satisfy the mob that Peck had been removed piloted a committee in a search of the ceils ami building. The search was fruitless and with a yell, "Now for the county jail: give us the nigger and we wi)l deal witli him!” a rush was mode for tin* latter building and it was soon i» the hands of the frenzied crowd. After a thorough search of the private apartments the mob started to batter down the big iron doors. Deputy Sheriff Stone mounted a chair in front of the prison doors and implored the crowd to disperse, giving his word that Peck--Was mot within, lie offered to. allow a committee to make a search from tup to bottom. and this satisfied the crowd that the negro had been -nnigeled away. Then the mob rushed across the street ami forced open the doors of the county court house. The building was sooii packed and all rooms searched except those of tiie treasury department. A start was made to tear off the iron doors of the latter department, but this was soon abaudoneiU and the mob rushed back to tlitr city prison, crying for the blood of Peek.

Hundreds forced their way into the juil for the second time, insisting that the negro was there somewhere. Mayor W. E. Young hastened to the building, and motintiiig the steps called upon the crowd to disperse, pledging his word That t lie-prisoner h:f (T t>Ccn eseo r t oil out'of town’. Cries of indignation greeted tiie executive’s announcement and lie was denounced on all sides for allowing tiie colored man to escape tiie clutches of the mob.' At 10 o’clock the mob began to attack the city prison for the third time. In the exeitenutrt someone fired a shot, which was followed by a fusillade. Tiie officers in the building appeared at the window., ami began to shoot over tiie heads of the people. A man armed witli a shotgun leveled his weapon at the officers and they were soon made the target for tiie mob's fire. An indescribable scene followed. Several of the policemen fell wounded, others were struck by bricks and other missiles hurled by the mol> and the return tire of the law’s officers wrought havoc in tiie ranks of the mob. It is certain that thirty or forty persons were wounded in the melee and two are known to be dead. following the shooting, Columbia Hail was set on tire and within a short time had burned to (he ground. This building adjoined the city prison and the flames wore soon communicated to the jail. Not' content with firing tiie buildings, the mob determined to prevent the firemen from attempting to stay the progress of the flames. Tiie hose was cut -at every opportunity and oho tircnian was shot.