The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1867-05-25
THE RIOT OF THE 9TH INSTANT.
EXAMINATION BEFORE THE MAYOR

The cases of William A. Charters,
Henry Vance, Dennis Brophy, and John
r. Lawrence; and Joseph, John, and How
ard Irving and Carter Robinson, John
Williams, Joseph Cox, and cambridge Gil
let, colored, charged with participating in
the riot on the 9th instant, was called up
before the Mayor yesterday.
A large number of witnesses were ex-
amined, and we give below the principal
portion of the evidence taken:
William J. Clarke, colored, sworn, testi-
fed: | was down on basin on evening OF
trial of engines, and while the Delaware
engine was being tried, | started to get out
of the way of stream, and in doing so
butt against fireman of Company " Is y;
not certain that butt against him; think
| did. Some one struck me, and as he
did so, turned, with my fist doubled, and
asked the man why he strhck me. Couldn't
recognize the man. When l turned
around and advanced on the man who
struck me, that man there pointing to
Lawrence) raised his whip and beat me
with it. Examined by Mayor.) | don't
know how many blows he struck me.
Don't remember seeing a face like Captain
Charters's there. | don't know whether
Brophy struck me or not. | don't know
who struck me first. Lawrence struck
me with the whip as l advanced on the
man who first struck me, and a great many
other persons struck me. | was struck
with rocks on Ninth street, when Captain
jenkins and Brophy had hold of me.
Cross-cxamined by Colonel August
cannot recognize the man who first struck
me. No one said "get ont of the way"
| asked, when struck, "What did you do
that for!" with my fist doubled. was
on the man who first struck me,
when crowd closed in on me. The first
lick got when the crowd closed in on me
was from the whip in Lawrencc's hand.
He struck me. | am certain that Lawrence
was the man. | live on the same street
with him. | don't think struck anybody.
/ was walking backwards, and was struck
in the back by some person do not know.
/ do not know that in walking backwards
trod on somebody's toes or brushed against
any one. don't remember having heard
any one say "don't strike him." Irushed
in the doorway Of a house, and tried
to get in. Some one inside said Let
him in," and some one else said !:
" No, it's niger; let 'em kill him."
The police then arrested me, and started
off with me. Don't know who arrested
me. | couldn't tell who was on me
at the time. When got on Cary street
heard the people say that the white man
had not been arrested, and | shouldn't be
a
lceman, and started to run up to Seventh
street. was then caught by man in
his shirt sleeves on Seventh street, who
held me until the police came up. | was
struck with slunGshot and rock on
Seventh street near DR.. Woodbridge'S. |
begged the people to let me go to the cage.
Don't know who got me away from the
police.
Henry Clarke, colored, sworn: | was
down on the basin on the evening OF the
trial. When ! first saw Clarke he was
going towards the pavement, and q man
was advancing towards him with a whip.
| saw crowd gather, and left. was on
Seventh street near Main, and saw a
crowd gathered around house there. |
was told by some one that there was a
white boy in the house who had struck n
colored man with slungshot, and the
crowd was insisting on his arrest.
Questioned by Colonel August: When
first saw Clarke he was crossing Eighth
street towards the pavement, and the man
with the whip was behind him. | saw
Clark's face, and recognized him when
he was struck. did not see Clark strike
any one, nor did see any one strike him
except the man who struck him with a
whip. | did not hear any one say 1" don't
strike him."
Questioned by Mayor Mayo: When |
saw Clarke he was on the left side of Eighth
street, near the basin, crossing over to-
wards the pavement. He was trying to
get in house after he was struck with the
whip. | heard some one in the crowd say,
after Clarke was arrested, "Why don't they
take the white man too?"
George Lathrop testified: When | first
saw Clarke he was on the pavement on
Eighth street; and about five or six mer
were beating him. | don't know who the
men were. | afterwards went up tc
Seventh and Main, and saw large crowd
Saw young Irving in the hands OF police
man.
Cross. examined by Colonel August:
did not see the beginning. The first
knew of the disturbance was seeing the
five or six men around Clarke, striking
him. Did not see Clarke strike any one.
Robert Somervile testified | was neal
the basin on the evening of the disturbance
| saw a crowd gather around Clarke, which
was the first | knew of it. One man StrucR
him several blows over the head with
whip. Don't know who the man was
Clarke did not strike any one.
Andrew Morton, colored, testified: Wa
present at the trial of the engines, and re-
NAMED in the crowd until the fuss com
menced. | saw Clarke turn around anc
ask a man what he struck him for. | thel
saw a man run up to him and strike him
He had nothing in his hand. | then saw
man strike him with whip. A young
man also ran in the crowd. | did not know
him at the time, but | saw him afterward
in the hands of policeman, and it wa
said that he was young Irving, and that NJ
had struck Clarke with aslungshot. Don
know which one of these (pointing to tn
two elder Irvings) it was, but it was Ger
tainly one of them. Didn't see Twins
strike any one. He had not known tn
Irvings long enough to distinguish them.
Policeman William S. Snooks testified
On the evening of the trial of the engines
on Eighth street near the basin, MIR. South
all and myself were standing together.
saw the rush of the crowd, and went to
wards it. He found Clarke in the hand
of George Eppes. He arrested him, AM
Southall went after the white man VIII
had struck him. | started off with tn
colored boy Clarke. The crowd said
Don't let him take him; he must TAX
the white man too" told them that MI
Coutbau had gone after the other man. an,