The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1870-05-05
The Richmond Horror.

The Richmond Horror.
We are indebted to Col. r. II.
Stanton for files of Richmond papers,
containing full particulars Of tho late
terrible calamity in that city, and
clip tho following article from the
Enquirer, as giving the most accu-
rate account Of the tragedy we have
seen
"In the midst of life we are in
death. Sorrow follows Joy as clouds
follow Sunshine. In fact, when we
arc most hopeful aud freest from care
events come upon US to remind us
that our days upon earth are as
shadow Yesterday morning, with
buoyant heart, we sat down and pre-
pared for this column . frivolous cd.
itorial, that would be now as inap-
proptiats as q wedding garment In
the chambers of iamehtation with
which this sorrowing city is this
morning filled. Scarcely was it con-
cluded when we looked towards the
State capitol and saw q crowd rush.
ing from every direction, and soon
ascertained that the courtroom of
the Court of Appeals, in the second
story Of that building, had given
way and precipitated the crowd at
tracted there to hear the decision in
the Richmond mayorality case, into
the Hall Of the House of Delegates
below.
Little was, of course, then known Of
tho extent of the catastrophe, but
tho heart sickened to contemplate
the fearful loss OF life and suffering
that had necessarily followed. The
best and wisest men Of Virginia were
there, and tho age and experience
and the flower Of the youth Of Rich
mond were there, and through the
crowd, with sorrowful faces and
fearful eyes. fathers, brothers and
friends rushed eager to hear if those
dear TO them were among the dead,
the dying, the wounded or saved
Would that during life we may never
again see such q Notwithstanding
sight. Men who had stormed Got
tysburg and seen the flower of their
country mowod down around them
by grape, and shot and shell, shook
their heads and said, as mangled
bodies and bleeding friends were
brought from tho ruins, never did we
| witness anything so sad and heart
rending as this.
And as each ono was lowered by
careful hands from the windows of
! the hall of the House of Delegates,
each spectator peered with anxious
look to see if beneath tho blood and
dust with which he was covered they
could discover the face and form of
him they feared bad been killed or
wounded. An honr passed before
it was known certainly who the
dead were, and oh, the agony all
felt, for their loss was o public calarn-
ity, when there was no LANCER room
to doubt that Patrick Henry Aylett,
DR.. Joseph B. Brock, Captain VIM.
A. Charters, Powhatan Roberts,
Nathaniel Howard, Julius Hobson,
Colonel Hairston, and other we'll
known citizens werc among the
dead; and that Judge Meredith, Mr..
Neeson, Governor Wells, Hon.
Thomas S. Bocock, Henry M. Bell,
of Augusta, W. D. Chesterman. w,
G. Elan, NJ. P. Handy, Major Kelley,
and others whose names will be
found elsewhere, we're among the
wounded.
An hour more and the dead were
laid out at homes they left few
hours before with hearts bounding
with hope, and not q thought that
ere the sun reached meridian they
would have departed to their long
homes.
The wounded had in tho mean
while been cared for, and then for
the first time did our people seem to
realize 80 its full extent the great
calamity that had befallen them
Business ceased and citizens stood on
the sidewalks in groups, and with
sorrowing countenances talked over
the circumstances of the tragedy and
gave expression to tho deep grief all
felt, not only at the loss Of beloved
fellow-citizens, but for their sorrow
ing families.
There may be pens adequate to
the task of portraying the remaining
scenes of a day which will go down
in the history of Richmond with the
burning of tho Theatre in 1911, and
the bridge catastrophe of 1859,
when poor Colonel Branch was
killed but the writer OF this,
unnerved and stricken down in
spirit by the loss offriends with whom
he has been associated so many years,
and to whom he was bound by tics
scarcely less sacred than those of
blood, finds himself utterly untitled
to write either at the lcngth or in the
detail that the mournful occasion
calls for, and can only pray, in con-
clusion, that the Father of the faith
erlcss and the friend of tho widow
may be shield and constant pro-
tector of the families of those He has,
in the wisdom of His divine provi-
dence, stricken SO suddenly and so
sadly.