Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1884-04-05

llncilluall, OltO, tuCi0 W.
scenes of bloodshcd and riot such as have
rarely occurred in these latter times. A
mob of thousands of wild and excited men
had possession of the city, and the destruc-
ton of life and property was appalling.
The cause of the outbreak was the YER
diet i'm the case of William Berner. He
and Joe Palmer were indicted for the MUIR
der OF their employer, William IL. Kirk,
for the purpose of robbery. Both Of them
confessed their guilt; but, in spite of this,
and of the clearcst evidence produced ut
the trial, the jury found Bcrner guilty of
manslaughter only. This, with the fact
that about twenty other untried murder
ers are in the Jail, is what inhamed the
public mind.
On Friday night meeting was held in
Music Hall to express Indignation over
the Berner verdict. The meeting did not
contemplate violence. The best men III
the city signed the call for it. Speeches
were made and resolutions passed de-
nouncing the verdict and the inetiiciency
of the criminal laws. Just as the audi
ence was about to leave the hall, a young
man whose name is unknown cried out in
a sharp shrill voice, $50 the Jail! TO the
iail. Come men, follow me, and hang
Berner." The cry was taken up, repeated
again and again, echoed through the
streets as the bowling mob rushed along
toward the Jail, its strength in numbers
being increased ut every street corner. 1t
can, therefore, readily be imagined how
in less time than it takes to tell it nearly
ten thousand people had gathered about
the Jail. Although the mob was not aware
of it. Bcrner had been removed from the
iail to Columbus, in anticipation OF an at
tempt to lynch him. The Jail is very
strong and substantial structure of stone
and iron, but the angry, bowling mass OF
men battered down the heavy iron doors
and got inside. They soon discovered that
Berner was not there. At this moment
the soldiers arrived, and in order TO clear
the jail, they fired upon the crowd, killing
and wounding number of persons. This
vollcv had the effect of clearing the Jail,
but for two hours thereafter efforts were
made on the outside to destroy the build
ing. A barrel of coal oil was poured down
into the lower part of the Jail and set on
fire, but the officers within managed to
extinguish the flames. The crowd threw
nj al
the windows, and the militia fired from
the windows ut the crowd, doing deadly
work. Later the crowd broke into the
Veterans armory and Kittrcdge'S gun
store and procured arms. BY the time this
was done, however, the crowd had so
thinncd out that no further attempt was
made, and at half-past three O'Clock in
the morning quiet was restored.
At 10 O'Clock Saturday night the first
genuine appearance of renewed troubles
was indicated by the crowd which at that
time began to force down OH the platoons
of police at Court and Main streets. They
were repealed by volley of blank cart
ridges, which were discharged from the
patrolmen's navy skies. Some of the more
timid took flight, but the greater number
only wavered, and i'm few moments
pressed forward again, when a second
volley was discharged. Confusion reigned
supreme. A few scattering mlitiamen APP
peared in the thrOnS intent upon joining
their comrades in the courthouse rotunda,
when the cries of "Kill them Kill them"
came up from the mob, followed by a vol
lev of stones and other missiles, which
were hurled at them rs they passed in.
No attempt thus far had been made to
keep the crowd out of Main street, the
purpose only being to keep them from
passing east on Court street, us it was not
suspected that any attack was contemplate
ed on the courthouse. Suddenly crash
Of glass was heard in the vicinity Of the
treasnrer's Office, to the left of the main
entrance to the courthouse on Main street,
and moment later flames began to roll
out through the broken doors and win
dows, lighting up the streets around.
incendiaries. They went from office to
Office starting fires, and in few minutes
the inside of the courthouse glowed like Il
furnace. AS the flames of the courthouse
spread the crowd in the street grew denser
and dcnscr, and as the flames went leap
ing into the second floor a terrific vollcy
of muskctry was heard from South Court
street, where barricadc had been built,
and behind which the militia had laid on
their arms. The crowd had forced its way
past the police, and was approaching the
musketS Of the militia, when the deadly
storm of lead put the crowd to flight, and
they ran toward Main street for their lives.
AS the crow Il rctrcatcd twelve men were
shot, six fatally, and imprecationsand de-
nunciations were cried out in wild confu-
sion, ''Set the armory OH fire." BURN
the town." "Kill the soldiers" The
cool and collected portion of the crowd
was constantly carrying away the dead
and dying to drug stores in the neighbour
hood, 10 private houses and to patrol
wagons that were kept busy running back
and forth to the dead-house and the vari
Gus hospitals. Records thrown from the
burning courthouse were picked up by the
infatuated people and hurled back into
the flames to be consumed. Meantime the
delayed Fourteenth regiment came up
Sycamore street on double-qmck, charged
OF the crowd and soon cleared the space
I'm front of the burning courthouse. But