WAR ON NEGROES

The Cortland Democrat, Friday, August 9, 1895.

WAR ON NEGROES.

Spring Valley, Illinois, Italians Start to Exterminate Them.

SHOT RIGHT AND LEFT.

Four Negroes Waylaid an Italian and Precipitated the Trouble—Men Dragged Out and Made Targets for Rifle Practice

—Several Fatally Shot.

   PRINCETON, Ill., Aug. 4.—The Italians of Spring Valley broke out to-day in a war upon the negroes with a view of either massacring them or driving them from within the city limits.

   These negroes were seriously injured:

   Granville Lewis, aged 45, shot in the head, face and neck, may die.

   Clem Martin, aged 32, shot in the back of the head with a rifle ball, 30 buckshot in the back and shoulders; seriously injured.

   Norman Bird, aged 39, shot in the neck and head, badly bruised and internally injured.

   Mrs. Bird, aged 31, wife of former, shot in right cheek and arm.

   Maria Bird, aged 14, shot in the breast.

   William Lee, aged 34, kicked and trampled upon.

   Jube Sterrett, aged 47, trampled upon, face lacerated and internally injured.

   Oscar Prim, head bruised with stones.

   Silas Burken, bruised with clubs and shot at about 30 times.

   Jud Stuart, bad wound in head from a club.

   Jim Kelly, aged 26, flesh wounds and clothing riddled with shot.

   Will Beck, aged 30, badly bruised and internally injured.

   Frank Turner, aged 68, shot twice in back of head and struck in back and shoulders by about 40 buckshot.

   Frank Burns, head badly bruised and internal injuries.

   The Italians for many months have wished to drive the negroes out of the coal mining belt and to-day a plausible excuse for so doing presented itself.

   At one o'clock this morning an Italian was waylaid on the public highway by four negroes and robbed and shot four times, from the effects of which his physicians say he cannot live until morning.

   A mass meeting of Italians was called and at 10 o'clock a mob of 300 gathered and started out for the negro village, two miles west of Spring Valley. They were headed by a band to deceive the negroes into thinking the assembly a peaceable one. This band rendered several national anthems.

   The negroes, as a result, remained in their homes. The Italians fell on them like a lot of Apache Indians. The men were dragged out, clubbed, trampled upon and made the targets for the shotguns, rifles and small arms the mob had brought with them. The women were insulted, slapped, and two of them while begging for mercy, were shot down and fatally injured.

   Sheriff Clark, of Princeton, was telegraphed for and arrived on the ground with a posse, but came too late, as the work had long been done before he arrived. The negroes fled terror stricken over the surrounding hills, and are sleeping to-night under trees and barns, with the exception of a few whom the farmers are sheltering.

   Many of the injured are expected to die before morning. No arrests, as yet, have been attempted.

H. H. Holmes.

STAINED WITH HUMAN BLOOD.

Experts Make Some Important Discoveries in Holmes's "Castle."

   CHICAGO, Aug. 6.—Human blood was found yesterday in the Holmes castle bespattered from one room to another. Science aided Detectives Fitzpatrick and Norton where other agencies failed and uncovered more startling evidence against H. H. Holmes and "Pat" Quinlan than has heretofore been found in the "Castle.'' A trail of blood was found leading from the doorway of the dining room of Mrs. Julia Connor to the sink in the same room, from there into the dark chamber, where she and Pearl formerly slept and from there to the inside of the door opening into the bath room, where the secret trap door was; on the base-board of that room above the trap door, and down on to the secret stair case to the false elevator shaft and thence into the basement. Also from the debris in the dark chamber, where mother and child slept there was taken some child's underwear stained with blood; a pair of brown diagonal trousers, stained at the bottom with blood; the pocket of a woman's dress, blood soaked; a handkerchief which had been used to wipe up blood with and various clothes and parts of underclothing soaked with blood.

   These articles were examined microscopically at the time of their discovery and the test made then and there as to stains and blotches being human blood. With but one or two exceptions the experts say they were all marked with human blood. A rope was found in the dark chamber and in its knots blood was discovered.

Cottle's Abductor Arrested.

   BUFFALO, Aug. 2.—George Allen, one of the abductors of Lawyer O. O. Cottle, who was locked up in the cellar of a vacant house and held for $5,000 ransom, has been arrested. He is now locked up at police headquarters.

   Allen arrived in Buffalo Wednesday morning and registered at the Mansion house under the name of J. W. Mason. Yesterday afternoon he called on Mr. Cottle and presented a letter from Emery saying Allen was authorized to make a settlement. Cottle pretended to negotiate with Allen, but quietly sent word to the police and Allen's arrest was the result.

Cortland Park.

   On Monday afternoon next a band concert will be given in Cortland Park and the Traction company will run cars from Homer and Cortland direct to the park. The ladies of the Cortland Hospital will have charge of the refreshment stands. A band concert will also be given in the evening when the park will be brilliantly lighted by electricity. This will be a grand opportunity for all to see the park under very favorable circumstances. Don't miss the chance.

An Electric Car Runs to the Park.

   Last Monday afternoon electric car No. 7 passed north on Pendleton-st. to Elm, and crossing the new bridge over the Tioughnioga river ran up to the park. Officers of the company were the passengers and the trip was made without a jar, the car running as smoothly and perfectly as over any part of the road. The work of construction is being pushed rapidly and the road will be finished to McGrawville in a few days. The track is already layed to the hill and the grading on the entire route is practically completed. It would seem as if another week would nearly finish the job.

Bawl! Bawl!! Bawl!!!

   The Has-been's and Use-to-be's are not satisfied with the result of their contest with the Up-to-dates and they propose to have another base ball [sic] fight if it takes all summer to satisfy them. But this time they show considerable horse sense by confining the contest to welter weights and men of their own class. Saturday afternoon then, two nines selected from the broken down and badly winded base ball players of ye ancient days will put up such a game as they can on the fair grounds for the benefit of the Cortland Hospital. It is expected that the hospital will be filled before night with a large delegation of wounded base ball cranks with wheels in their heads and the public is cordially invited to come and see them injured. New and decidedly fanciful suits have been ordered from New York and it is confidently believed that there will be lots of fun and some gore. The object is a worthy one and we hope to see a large crowd of people in attendance.

Levi P. Morton.

PAGE FOUR—EDITORIALS.

   The Democrats of Mississippi have nominated U. S. Senator A. J. McLaurin for governor on a free silver platform.

   The Democratic State convention of Iowa declares for sound money and has nominated Judge F. W. Babb for governor.

   When Senator Stewart the great free silver advocate lends money, he requires that the obligation he takes in return shall state distinctly that the loan must be paid in gold. Evidently Senator Stewart lacks the courage of his convictions.

   Gov. Morton refuses to take action on the report of the committee appointed to investigate certain trumped up charges against superintendent of State Prisons Lathrop, on the ground that there is nothing in the charges for him to act upon. The republican senators have been urging him to throw Lathrop overboard simply because they want the office and the places under him.

What a Change in the Standard.

   On Friday, July 26 last, the Cortland Daily Standard contained the following truthful and sensible article on its editorial page:

   "Pleasant it is to read every day of industrial plants starting up, of factory and mill employees having their wages raised and of immense crops ready for harvesting and shipping in all parts of the country. The contrast between this time and a year ago is as light to darkness. Certainly good times are coming again. Certainly they are here already in many parts of the Union. Let all men believe in them and rejoice. Let no croaking or buncombe reasoning darken the perception of them. Let all mankind go to work and enjoy the fruits of their labors. Let all mankind too, keep religiously out of debt and lay up something for a rainy day. It was running into debt, doing business on a capital that did not exist, borrowing money that could not be paid and pouring so much water into stocks and bonds of all kinds that they naturally burst which caused the crash of 1893. Now let us go to work decently, soberly, carefully, to repair our damaged fortunes, paying our way, every cent, as we go and being glad that we are alive."

   We must admit that truthful and sensible articles are regarded as interlopers in the columns of the Standard, and it seems very queer that the above should have been able to slip by the sentinel who stands guard over its columns for the purpose of preventing the occurrence of such catastrophes. In fact the calamity is so unusual that it has caused much comment on all sides. Up to the date when this article appeared, the Standard had been assiduous in charging that the hard times of the past two years was brought about entirely by the election of a Democratic President and the unwise, and simple methods of administering the affairs of government by a Democratic administration.

   Have the cobwebs of prejudice and hate been removed from our neighbor's vision and the spectacles of truth, good sense and honesty fitted in place of unworthy motives and feelings? The signs are indeed hopeful when the stalwart Standard begins to tell the truth. We hope it will continue the experiment.

HERE AND THERE.

   Mr. B. L. Webb has sold his insurance business to Davis, Jenkins &  Hakes.

   W. M. Sutton of New York has opened a music school at 21 North Main-st.

   Grace church Sunday school picnicked at Gillett’s grove yesterday afternoon.

   The Cortlands beat the Ithacas on the fair grounds, Tuesday. Score 16 to14.

   Several Cortland people went to Syracuse last Monday to see Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show.

   Frank Stanton of this place was sent to the Rochester Industrial school last Monday by Justice Bull.

   The Cortland City band gave a fine open air concert at the corner of Main and Court-sts. Wednesday evening.

   The firkin factory in Truxton was discovered to be on fire last Monday noon in the kiln. The fire was extinguished. Loss about $50.

   A state law went into effect on the first of this month requiring all dentists to register their names in the office of the county clerk.

   Drs. Jewell, Dana and Bennett removed 14 quarts of water from the person of Geo. Rogers, who resides on Hubbard-st. last Monday morning.

   Dorr C. Smith, the new proprietor of the Cortland House entertained the members of the town board at dinner Monday. Mr. Smith was a member of the board for several years until he resigned to take charge of the hotel.

   The old barns in the rear of the Central House that back up on Railroad-st. are being torn down and we understand that Wickwire Bros. will erect a new business block on the site. The barns were anything but an ornament to the street.

   The firm of Nash & Head, wholesale and retail dealers in tobacco, cigars, etc., has been dissolved by mutual consent, Mr. Nash retiring. The business will be continued by L. M. Head & Co. at the same stand, No. 25 Railroad-st. Mr. Head's father, Mr. H. M. Head, takes Mr. Nash's interest. The latter will return to Binghamton.