Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1870-05-05
AWFUL ACCIDENT IN RlcMMonp.
The Floor Of q Crowded Court Room Falls
900 Persons Killed and
Wounded.

Man, Distinguished Cisixcn. Aussns rArm.
RICHMOND, April 27.-A terrible calamity
occurred here this morning. The floor OF
the Court Of Appeals in the State Capitol
gave way, and precipitated the hundreds
gathered there - hear the decision in the
mayoralty case OF Ellyson and Cahoon,
upon the conservative caucns then sitting
In the hall Of the House of Delegates he
low. IL Is impossible 10 ascertain the ex-
tent of the injuries at this hour. Among
the killed are Z. II. Azlett distinguished
lawyer; DIR. J. b. Brock. reporter OF
the Enquirer and Examiner; Samuel
Eaton. clerk to Mayor Chahoon; Captain
William \. Charters. chief of the fire de-
partment: n. T.. Howard. lawyer; Asa
Levy, a Richmond merchant; Charles Wat
son. ofthe Danville Railroad; Hugh Hutch
inson and Lewis n. Webb. of this city:
Mr.. Schoficld. brother Of General Scho-
field: X. II. Maury, jr., Senator Bland
(colored); and Powhatan Roberts. 1t Is
supposed that 20 members of the State
legislature are killed and wounded The
Judges Of the Court OF Appeals all escaped
uuhurt: Ex-Governor Wells was badly In
urcd; l.. II. Chandler. counsel Tor Cha
hoon in the mayoralty case. was injured:
James Mason and Judge Meredith. counsel
for Ellyson. were also badly hurt. About
200 persons were hurs by the accident
The greatest excitement prevails. Hun
drcds of persons are on the Capitol square.
weeping and waiting rs the dead and dying
are brought from the building. Governor
Walker escaped unhnrt, though on the
courtroom floor at the time.
PARTIAL LIST or TnE KILLED.
The following persons were killed Pat
rick II. Aylett; Captain Charters. chic Of
the fire brigade T.. NJ. Schofeld. city as
SCISSOR and brother OF General Schohcld;
. DIR. J. Il. Brock. editor OF the Richmond
Enquirer; Julius 4. iiohson. city collector;
;. Dngger member OF the House OF Del
| egates: +. A. Brcwis Of Alexandria; sam
uel Eaton Of Boston. Mass, and formerly
theatrical manager OF the Boston Theatre
Powhatan Roberts, commissioner In chan
Gerry of the court of common pleas James
\. Blamiere of Berlin, Prussia: : T..
Burnham of New York. y. T. Howard,
lawyer: A. :. Ashby. merchant; !. W. ID.
Bland (colorcd), senator from Prince Ed
ward: j. Watson OF Danvillc: Thomas II
Wilcox. eN-confcieraic general: Samuel
/ ii. Hayiston. a wealthy landholicr of Hen
~ County; Charles J. Grinnan of Wash
| ineton. ID. {. Robert II. Maury. jr.. land
sgent: Edward Ward Of England; William
| II. Davis. coal merchant. John Robertson
| (colored), Baptist minister; Colonel Pich-
/ ignew of Woolfork; +. II. Foley Deputy
United States Marshal; A. T.. Bradshaw.
! grocer; and % Others. among whom were
4 one captain, one sergeant, aud nine priv
ate> of police who were on duty In the
I building, total -.
/ Among the wounded were Ex-Governor
4 Wells. ribs broken and otherwise internally
! injured: Mayor ii. X. Ellyson. slightly .
1 Mayor Chahoon. slightly l.. III. Chandler
Judge John 4. Meredith. James Nelson
| John Howard. Rush Burgess. collector OF
the district: William {. Durham, agent OF
the Virginia and New York steamship line /:
| Thomas S. Bocock, eX->pcaker of the Unit
ed States House OF Representatives, leg
amputated; General ". ID. CDr>e, ex-major
| general OF the confederate army Colonel
George W. Brent. Of Alexandria; Capt. e..
W. Allen. port warden; w &. Eiarm. news
paper correspondent and broker; Thomas
T.. Baldwin, merchant from Newark, \. J. .
| ". ID. Chcsterman Of the Petersburg In
dex: William II. Sopher, merchant OF Balti-
| more. and about one hundred others.
Directly after the disaster occurred the
| fire ,darm was used to give the alarm. aud
| the hook and ladder companies repaired NJ
once To the scene. For three hours the
place was iull of horror. Almost every
minute there appeared swung out by rope
tIyti bot. >pfiI,.
popular favorit- who. after being swung
| on the shoulders OF one Of the fire brigade
| nan.lcd and dead. was brought down the
! ladder and land on the green grass OF the
public park, where IL was instantly sur
/ rounded by two or three thousand OF those
/ who had gathered TO recognize the slain.
! The park was filed with weeping women
and anxious men until two o'clock. when
tn. last victim was drawn from the build
| ing. Afler this the police closed the park
and refused admittancc 10 any one. the
I bodies ofthc dead havin. been sent out.
/ All the stores In the city were closed. and
placard> put upon the doors. CLOSED in
7 consequence OF the disaster at the capitol"
/ No more business was done during the day.
Tonight meetings have been held Of
members OF the Press Association. men,
| ber> of late military organizations. mem
bers OF the bar and of citizens generally.
/ Tomorrow will be observed A. a day OF
( general mourning.
| Patrick Henry Aylett was formerly the
! Confederate States District Attorney. and
! since one Of the editors OF the Examiner
| aud Enquirer. He was great grandson Of
Patrick Henry. Edwin NJ. Schoheld is the
youngest brother Of Major-General Scho-
! field. was a United States army officer dur
ing the war, and was appointed by the mill
tary commander assessor OF Richmond.
Samuel A. Eaton, formerly OF Boston. was
| an old member of the Boston press, and
for some time attached to the Herald OF
that city. lie has been the MAYORS clerk
since the war.
The court was about to deliver its opin-
ion in favor OF Eliyson-one OF the judges
dissenting-when the floor fell.
RICHMOND April 2s.-Today all the hous-
es of business are closed, having Grape on
their doors and the inscription.