The Indianapolis leader. (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1879-1890, 1882-01-14
A BLOODLESS RIOT.
A Witness Ordered to Jail by "a Judge Ends
in n Disgraceful Fight.

"A witness Ordereu TO jan DY Ju1Ee tnds
in a Disgraceful Fight.
LOUISVILLE, Jan. IA special from
Mount Vernon says: This little village.
usually so quiet, was to-day the scene of
wild, tumultuous but bloOdless riot. Circuit
Court was in session, Hon. w. 0. Bradley
sitting as special Judge. The cause of the
Commonwealth against Robert Randall. a
murder case, was on trial. and the witnesses
were testifying. John Mullins. a witness
in the case, who had been placed under the
rule, came into the Court room in an intoxi-
Gated condition. aud was leaning against the
bar. Judge Bradley sp Ike to him, asking
him if he was not witness, and upon his
replying in the affirmative. asked him what
he was doing in the Court room. Mullins
responded, "he was standing there he reck-
Oned." Fine him So Mr.. Clerk said the
Judge. Mullins made another insulting re-
mark, and another fine of $40 was entered
against him. Another insulting remark was
followed by an order from the Court to the
Jailer to take Mullins into custody. Mullins
than ran out of the Court room followed by
the Jailer and two Deputy Sheriffs
who pursued him some little distance
out of town, when he turned and fired
two shots at them. The two Sheriffs
returned the fire. but no one was
hit. After short chase Mullins was cap
tured and brought back to the Court room
by the posse. He was accompanied by his
father, Champ Mullins who was also intox-
icated. John Mullins was ordered to Jail
by Judge Bradley, whereupOn he and his
father both arose and declared he should
not be taken to Jail. Champ Mullins is one
of the most powerful men, physically, in
the County, and It takes a half-dozen or
binary men to hold him. When the Jailer
aud posse started with John. to Jail. the
prisoner and his father resisted The
scene which followed beggers descrip-
ton. The large crowd in the Court room
broke into the widest disorder. Men were
knocked down. pistols drawn, guards rushed
in with .shot-guns, and the rush for the doors
and windows was tremendous. The two
Mullins and the officers fought their way
out of the Court room and down the stairs
into the street. When they reached the
street some one gave john Mullins pistol,
with which he fired two shots, IN what di-
rection is not known. Both men were finally
arrested and placed IN Jail, where they now
are.
The excitement was at fever heat for a
while, and every body breathed freely when
quiet was restored and the closet search
failed ID discover any corpses The officers
were either powerless or inefficient. AS soon
as the disorder began Judge Bradley left the
bench and shouted: ''l call on every man in
this house to help arrest these men, and
will assist myself" and he did lend such
assistance as he could The Jury in the
Randall case were scattered in the confused
crowd, and after the restoration of quiet, by
agreement of both sides they were discharged
from further consideration of the case and
the trial was continued till the next term.
The day was disgraceful in our country s
history, and the good citizens should now
rally to the support of the Jaw and see that
nothing like III occurS again