The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1883-08-14
GREAT EXCITEMENT IN DANyILLE.
PERsIsTENT EFFORTS To LYNCH
THE MURDERERs OF
SHAPARD.
Organized Bands on the Hunt-Trains on the
Midland Rond stopped and Searched-Thc
Military Ordered Out-A Gordon or Soldiers
Around the Danville JaiI-Intcnse Feeling.
Corrc.popdence of the R,cbmond Dispatch. !

Military Ordered Out-A Gordon OF >oldters
Around the Danville JaiI-Intcnse Feeling.
fCorrespondcnce Of the Richmond Dispatcb.I
DASyIILE. VA, August IL. 1888.
The negroes Younger. Keen, and Evans
were sent on for indictment by the grand
Jury OF the county, and II was ordered that
they be turned over to the sheriff OF the
county, and confined in the Chatham jail.
Mr.. w. |. Oberbey, the sheriff, came over
Saturday evening for them, but there were
such evidences that an attempt would De
made to take them from the tram ana
lynch them that he deemed it prudent NOT
to move them, and they are still In JAIL
here.
THE MURDERED MAN.
William +. Shapard, the man who was
murdered, was good citizen and q inehi-
Der OF n large and excellent family OF peo-
pie, and the movements OF some o! lile
country people indicated on the day OF the
preliminary trial that they would take tne
law into their own hands. AS soon as u
was known that the murder had been COM
mitted the woods were secured by parties
of men on horseback, and some came 10
the place OF trial and endeavored to per-
suade the Court to have the negroes taken
out TO the place where Shapard's body was
living. using the plea that there the men
might openly confess or indirectly show
some signs Of guilt.
THE TOWN FULL OF COUNTRY PEOPLE.
During the next day Saturday the town
was full Of country people, and some OF
their movements excited suspicion. III Is
said. too, that not n few OF the Danvillc
people were in sympathy with them. Ru-
NOR SAYS that masks were bought, that an
ammunitlon-wagO came into town, that
some OF the Gr1ys were requested TO be
out OF place that night, that several OF the
Danvile men went ont that evening TO a
place Of rendezvous. that Others were
ready here to 90 of on the train as soon as
il was seen that the negroes were put on
board. The suspicion was justified by
events.
MIDLAND TRAIN SEARCHED.
When the train on which il was under
stood that the negroes would be taken TO
Chatham reached Fall-Creek depot, which
was about II O'Clock Saturday night, ii
was found that about two hundred and
fifty men were there, with fires kindled
about the grounds, and large number OF
them entered The ears and searched for the
negroes. These men had handkerchiefs or
white paper over their brOws and partly
shading their faces. but no weapons were
seen amongst them. The conductor would
have moved OH quickly. but one OF the
men notified him that he would better wait
till they were satisfied. Not finding the
negroes. they all left the ears. 4 railroad
official SAYS that the conductor was notified
10 halt the train at the depot by the eXplo-
sion OF alarm-torpedOes which some one
had put on the rails, and by fires along the
track. II is said also that the switch had
been tempered with so that the conductor
could not have moved the train without
wreckIng il, but there is no good authority
for that statement.
RINGING THE ALARM-BELL.
About O'Clock that night the alarm-bell
was rlIng here furiously, and soon Mayor
John II. Johnston, the police, and some OF
the white and col0red people appeared on
the courthouse square, and notice wa,
given that telegram had been received
from Chatham through the railroad offices
that the train had been entered and searched
at Fall Greek. and that the wOuld-be lynch
erS, two hundred and fifty in number,
MOllIU III Ill JdllN Ilit III lNO llOulNs n INV
white men and about fifty negroes answered
the summons. and the Douglas Guards, the
colored military company, according to or
ders previously given, appeared. The bell
was rung again, and notice was sent to the
Mayor that some OF the Grays, the white
company, were at the arsenal. The bell
was rung third time, and Lieut.. Cobb,
with about ten OF the Grays, came from the
arsenal to the Jail, but no more OF the citi-
zens, white or colored. In the mean time
it was reported that buggies loaded with
men and men on horseback were crossing
the bridges, and that men were riding
about like scouts in the city.
THREE HUNDRED MEN FROM THE COUNTRY.
At daybreak a report came that about
three hundred men from the country were
in North Danyille; that some Of the men
had come INTO Danville; and that the men
in North Danyille, on finding that the
Grays were at the Jail. said that they did
not wish to hurt any innocent citizen nor
any or those boys. and that they were going
home. Officers of North Danvile say that
there were a. least three hundred men
there; that some Of those esteemed the best
citizens in the county were the leaders.
One North Danville man says that $50 OF
the men rode by his window, one aiteI the
other, and that the horses were all covered
with white cloth.
THE MILITARY on GUARD.
The ears that went out on the Midland
road yesterday morning were entered and
searched by about seventy-fiye men. Last
night the military companies were on guard
at the Jail. All quiet this morning, when
! the negroes were taken TO Chatham under
protection Of the Danyille Grays.
THE MURDERERs.
These negroes are from near South Dos
ton, and ore quite young. Sawney Younger,
though only about twenty-five, is accused
OF having killed a man near Roanoke some
time ago, and few days ago attempted to
rob house in the country, and to shoot
one OF the inmates.
Shapard was shot at four times-the me-
groes who scared them off from killing
young Shaplrd, and the robbery. say five
times. One ball went into the right side,
and was cut ont near the le!t nipple. An
other went down INTO the top OF the skull.
and came out about half an inch from
where it entered the skull. There is no
accounting for such movement OF the
bali, and it is rather supposed that two
balls entered the skull near each other. No
ball could be found in the skull, after care
full probing.
AN AFFECTING SCENE.
A citizen of DanviIe was at the house
7 ~ Al....a y