The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1872-04-01
MOb-IsaWa An Nashville. Tenn..--The Riot
In the Observation-Disclosures OF the Kim.
iur IF Daytte LOs1rsla 1s

Murray, III NASHVILLE, Ienfs, on SUNDAY last
The Banner Of that city gives q graphic &C
count of the scenes in the city during the riot
from which we take the following extract:
Between : and S O'Clock Monday night q
crowd Of men collected OH the sidewalks In
front Of the Maxwell House, which within
the space OF about thirty minutes was swellcd
ny the arrival OF other squads from different
directions until there were some two hun.
drcd persons collected on both sides of the
street. a reporter, who was soon on the
spot. received intimntions that a riot was i'm.
penang and that n movement in force upon
the county Jail was contemplated, for the
purpose of taking therefrom n negro burglar
named David Jones, who had been incarcc.
rated Sunday night for the murder of a wor.
thy citizen in his W house OH Sunday
morning. by Q O'Clock the crowd had in.
creased to some four or five hundred. many
of them. II" doubt, having been attracted
thithcr Ivy the report which was spread rela.
tive to the proposed lyncliug.
1t appears that the leaders of the mob,
whoever they were, had determined to aci
speedily. ana before steps could be taken by
The authorities to prevent them. The crowd
rushed down Church street without much
noise to Market street, where they divided
and literally poured pell-mcll through every
avenue leading toward the Jail from Church
street Is far north rs the Public Square. The
space in front OF the Jail was soon filed by a
dense crowd, which rapidly increased to
about five hundred persons. In the mean
time the City Hall bell had repeatedly and
crcrGetically rung out the alarm for a riot.
This gave a new impetus to the gathering
crowd. and many who were not aware that
there was anything unusual going on ran
into the Square from every quarter. They
had only to observe that everybody was run.
ming toward Front street in order to take
the same direction, and away they went.
joStliNg and running against every person
slow OF foot, or who happened TO get in their
WAY
The ringing of the bell, while it served as a
signal to call the police together, had a ten
drrcy to accelerate the movement of the mob,
and to increase the excitement.
ohm Shelton, the colorcd jailor, having got
news that an attempt would he made to break
open the Jail and take David Jones ont. had
sent William VauNhall, clerk Of the Jail, at
hait-paSt s O'Clock, poSt-haste after Sheriff
Donaldson, who had not yet received infor-
nation relative to the proposed attack.
shelton had in the mean time takencare to
firmly bolt the front outside yard doors.
Whcnthc crowdappcarcd in Front street he
WAS in his office with Boncy Aiken, night
| Waterman of the Jail, and Constable John
| MCGOWAN. AS the crowd made no noise
When they came up to the Jail. the jailor was
not aware Of their arrival until he heard
the banging at the front door. he sup
posed that it was Nauxhall, the messenger,
who had returned with the sheriff and posse.
He and his watchman went to the door,
-1 -l-l -. t1t y ntn nSrn
outside responded, a friend.' Aiken
then opened the door, but had hardly
done 80 before half Il dozen men rushed
into the hall aud demanded the keys of
Aiken. who said that liz did not have them.
The leader of the mob then told him II
he WAS not the ,jailor he wanted to know
where the iailor was. There he is" Aiken
said. pointing in the direction of Shelton
The leader of the band now peremptorily dc
mandcd the keys of Shelton, accompanied hy
an oath and a threat that unless he compiled
he would kill him. Shelton attempted t
avoidtellin@ him where the keys were, whcl
one of the mob clappcd his hands upon Shell
tons coat-pocket and ratified the keys whicl
it contained, and took them out. The mol
now rushed through the hall to the iail-yard
where they boltcd the outer door and went il
the mS<agc-way between the wall and villa
is known rs the curtains. To prevent rCcog
nition their first act was to put out the gas
They were about to break OIL the lock upon
the curtain, when Shelton, seeing they wer,
bound TO cntcE unlocked it.. When they 90
inside the curtain and next to the cells, 4 hal
dozen or more threatened TO shoot prnlniS
cuotlSlv into The cells. This SO alarmed TIN
prisulicrS, who expected TO be KILLED ut ran
dom. that they ut one accord directed th'
mob to cell mo. =" at the south end of th'
;;il. where tie said Jones was imprisoned
with seven other lmCn. The men who wCr'
inside the curtains went at once to cell "No
:" but being unable TO tit the night-key t.
the lock to the first door, they called 0,
Shelton in 40 very gentle manner TO open it
Shelton hcSitated. and was about to max
some excuse, when Il half-dozCn cooked ris
tolls were placed at his head, and he wa
threatened il he did not do as bid the,
would kill him.
Several of the mob cried out, "Shoot him
shoot him" while Il few Of the more sober
minded urged them not to shoot the jalior
| The mcnaceS Were Of such Il character, how
ever, rs to compel Shelton to yield to the dc
mand, and he unlocked both doors, and tn
keys were immediately thereafter taken from
him. and not again given into his possession
until they had dragged their victim out o
the iail-vard. To have heard the prayers o
Caleb Jones. brother of David, and the fran
tic cries of other prisoners of the cells 10
fear they might be taken out by mistake
would lave chilled every heart but thos
who, maddencd with excitement, were dea
to any appeal except those clamorS in tn
crowd without for the summary execution o
the negro.
so much did fear take possession Of all tin
inmates of the cell that when the candle WI
lighted they all eXcitedly pointed out tn,
prisoner for whom the mob was in search
Jones made some resistance. but wa
pcnncd up in the southeastern corner Of th
cell and there twice shot. The reports of TIL
pistols produced Il shock even among the pr
soncrs, but raised Il yell Of eXultation fror
the mob outside. The wounded negro wa
now dragged out Of the cell, none Of the pri>
oners apparently desiring to make thci
escape under such precarious circumstance
When Jones was dragged out before the mo
they cave another e~Xultant yell, and he wa
hurried on toward the Square, the mob TO
lowing like IL rcsistiess, impctuous tide, cry
ing out. "Take him to the trcstlewOrk!
:. lang him." "Shoot him :" Stab him !!
and such other expressions. When the
reached the Square they heSitated for a III
mcnt, but, as If directed by some one i'll CON
mand, debouched into the Square and pre-
cecded west toward College street. While the,
were hurrying the negro along he gave ven
TO such cXclamations rs 80 God! God say
mc!""OLord! and all the time toutly pre-
testing his innocence of having killed Murra.
or of having been present at the killing
When they had arrived opposite the polio
station the mob joined in Il general cry o
Hang him to the lamr-post )" and after the.
had got a short distance past Marke
street they halted some distance bcyon'
the lamp-post immediately fronting tn