Daily Richmond Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1865-1869, 1866-04-21
THE RIOT AT NORFOLK.
Martial Law Reyived-The COrOner's Inyestiga-
tion-verdict of the Jury, &c.

| The riot in Norfolk Va, on Monday, growing out
of the celebration by the colOred population oil the
passage of the civil rights bill, has created much
excitement in that city, and fears have been enter
tanned for the last day or two of renewal oil the
disturbances. By an order of Major General turner
issued at Richmond, martial law has been re-estab
Iisbed throughout his military department IN
cludinU Norfolk During Tuesday night the city was
patrolled by guards.
The Norfolk papers contain the evidence taken
before the coroners inquest held over the remains of
Mr.. Robert B. whitehurst, who was murdered by
the mob. The jury assembled at the house of Mr.
John Whitehurst, on Nicholson street. The Day
Book says:
The scene at the house was most horrible. In one
room lay the deceased, his head split open by sa-
bre cut and shot through the body; in another the
mother at her dying gasp, shot in the jaw and head
another son, supposed to be MORALLY wounded, IN
another place, and the unhappy husband and father
on the floor utterly Frustrated by the terrible and I'M
| Ooked-for calamity. ..
| THE VERDICT.
The Jury returned a verdict that Robert B. White
hurst came TO his death on Monday from pistol shots
| fred by person or persons unknown to the jury
| The same verdict was rendered IN the case OF MIS-
| Charlotte Whitehurst.
! 1.-THE coroner's Jury" says the Day Book, "felt
confident of the fact that both Mrs. Whitehurst and
her son were killed by colored persons who had par
! ticpated in the celebration of that day, and dis
cussed the proprety of inserting that in the verdict
It is very evident from the testimony adduced, that
the Wbitehurst brothers were shot by persons en-
gagged in the procession, deliberately and wlltu!ly
but there is no testimony adduced to show how Mrs
| Whitehurst was shot, as it occurred inside oil the
house."
SUSPECTED PARTIES ARRESTED.
William Sales was arrested on Wednesday, He is
CHARGED with the murder of Robert B. Whtehurst
Robert Read, a colored boy, who turned out with
the society he belonged to- testified before the Mayor
that he distinctly saw Sales shoot Whitehurst while
| he was between two horsemen. Several other per-
sons are in Jail charged with being concerned IN the
murders.
The Norfolk Virginian, of Thursday, noticing the
arrival of troops there, asks:
| "What are these United States forces forl Those
already here failed to interfere in the prevention of
the outrages and murders on Monday by the me-
| rroes who engaged in the procession on that day
| and allowed a squad of negroes, in United States
| uniform armed with muskets and fixed bayonets, to
march through our streets in that memorable cele-
| braton whose finale was of so bloody a character
IL is fact patent and ndsputable, that the whites
who were outraged and slain, were not protected by
| the military The blacks were not prevented from
committing the outrages and murders which we have
| recorded. Then for what purpose is the military
| herel
awe do not hesitate to proclaim to the country
that there has been tremendous and fatal blunder
and more than a blunder, cupable negligence,
from the beginning to the ending, of the Mondays
| celebration.
"In the beginning, in suffering the armed and
| uniformed negroes to march in the procession. In
the ending in not having promptly interfered to
prevent the bloodshed.
{" This is the verdict of reason and prudence, and
we do not hesitate to record it.
In another article the same journal says:
"The fact cannot be too often repeated, that the
procession which resulted in these brutal murders,
done by the armed ruhfans at its head passed un-
noleSted through the length and breadth Of the
torn.
There is no doubt as to the utter rant of prOvoca
ton in this case and ask ourselves if this is the
beginning of civil rights-if citizenship so.caled, Is
to imbrue its hands in innocent blood Mt this early
day-what are we to expect in the end I"