Daily union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1865-1866, 1866-04-29
THE NORFOLK RIOT AND MURDERS

From the Richmond Imes.l
Though extended extracts from the Nor
folk papers, purporting to give the details
of the riot growing out of the procession in
honor of the passage of the civil rights bill,
has been published here, we doubt whether
any of our citizens have a clear idea of the
origin of that great outrage, which resulted
in the murder of three unotfending citizens.
\ succinct statement of the facts may be
found acceptable. 1t appeared from the
testimony elected by the coroners inquest
on the body of Robert Whitehurst, one Of
the victims of the fury of the negro rioters,
that the procession being en- route for por-
ton of the suburbs where addresses were to
be delivered, drunken negro, lying in the
street, was approached by two other negroes
and admonished to get out Of the way. This
infuriated the drunken negro, and he cursed
and threatened to shoot his advisers, who
thcreupon turned and left him. Instantly
afterwards pistol was fired, and one of the
negroes just mentioned aprang into the air,
CRYING, 'Oh Lord, Pm shot, No one saw
the pistol fired; but all the witnesses believe
it was fired by the drunken negro.
The head of the negro procession was by
this time within a few PAGES Of the spot
the pistol and the cries Of the wounded ne
gro caused great excitement and cOmmotiOn,
and, without waiting &c inquire the facts,
the negroes chose TO conclude that they had
been fired on by citizens, and the cry was
raised kill the d-d secessionists,' and
the few white persons in the neighborhood,
some of whom were in their own houses,
were seized and butchered. -Four of the
! =. IL. Il. III .,g.4
rage have been brought to this city, and, it
is said are TO he tried by the military.
| 1t will be recollected that pistol was also
| fired during the negro procession in this
! city On the Sd instant which but for the
| prompt interposition of our Incompatible
| police might have led to bloody results.
| The facts of that affair have been variously
stated, the New York T,1b,mGs valuable
correspondent wrote to his paper that when
the procession was near the Old Market a
pistol was fired by soccsSi0uid at the leader
/ Of the column, Sc. We will give the facts
,as they came under our personal observa-
| tion:
As the negroes with their band, banners,
! ribbons and jimcracks, were passing up
! Main. between Fourteenth and Thirteenth
streets, a youth, apparently Of sixteen OF
| eighteen years Of age, who was standing on
the southern sidewalk, fired pistol. Two
or more negroes left the ranks, one with &
drawn cavalry sword and rushedtowards th'
youth, who alarmed by the demonstration
ran into a house and tried to make IN
escape Captain Poe and others Of the police
ordering the negroes back to their proces
sion, pursued the Ascending youth up
flight of steps, arrested him and carried hin
20 the watch honse. We have forgotten In
name, but he prorod 10 Be a eitisca Of Ne
York, who had just arrived in this city. Il
explanation Of his conduct he said he ha'
fired the pistol as a salute in honor of tn
procession, according 10 a custom in vogu
in the city of New York. He was detaine
in the watch house until that night or th
next morning, and then discharged.