Published by The Evansville Courier

The Evansville Courier reports told of the violence that shook the community. The way it told the story mirrored the racial hatred that permeated the times.

Many residents - white and black - were killed during riots and clashes that week after Lee Brown, a black resident, was taken into custody for shooting policeman Lewis Massey.

The incident began on July 3, 1903, when Brown argued with a black saloon porter and threatened he'd be back to settle the score. Massey was notified and located Brown on 10th Street between Oak and Canal streets. The two exchanged shots; Massey was hit in the abdomen and Brown just below the heart.

The Courier headline of July 4 read, "Negro's Bullet Plows Through Body of Patrolman Massey." The article gave a long and detailed description of the incident, stating in the first paragraph that there was no hope for Massey's recovery.

From the first day, The Courier never referred to Brown, whose wounds were dressed, as a suspect and the word "alleged" was not used. He was referred to as the murderer before any hearing or trial.

On July 5, Massey died of an infection resulting from perforated intestines. The headline read, "Mob Storms Jail to Lynch Negro." Reports said Brown pleaded guilty in court to the charge of shooting, but refused to plead guilty to any intent to kill.

That day Evansville policemen succeeded in stopping a mob that used a battering ram on the doors of the jail.

On the next night about 1,000 people gathered at the jail, confronting 100 newly arrived troopers who stood guard at the Courthouse just across the street. Some men attempted to gain entry to the jail while other groups, claiming that black gangs had threatened them, began to terrorize black neighborhoods.