The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1884-04-05
CrNCINNArI. O. March %

CINCINNATI. o., March %.
The most exciting night ever known in
Cincinnati has just closed, and the city
this morning is in a stunned and dazed
condition, people asking each other with
Dated breath and blanched cheek, 'When
is all this to end?"
The deep feeling of indignation which
has possessed all minds at the pusillani-
nous action of our courts in
general shielding of murderers
from the penalties due to their
crimes was multiplied and intensified by
the shameless verdict of Imprisonment
for limited term of the red-handed muir
derer Berner, indicted for and clearly
proven guilty of the deliberate and brutal
murder of VIM. II. Kirk.
meeting was called by some of the
pest citizens to protest against the action
OF the juryS and by seven o'clock Music
Hall was well filed with a constantly
increasing crowd. Long before the
meeting was called to order ten thousand
people crowded in the hall and
surged about the corridors and filed
the space in front of the building. The
looks Of the people were ominous of evil.
Those who called the meeting soon saw
that they had raised a storm that might
end in whirlwind, but it was too late to
back out. They organized with a long
list OF Vice-PresidentS and the usual
officers. They intended to counsel together
and advise as to the best means of
Kidding Cincinnati of the stain that was
on her. The more moderate the better,
in the presence OF the angry element.
The people were aroused-it was not a
mob of the lower classes, but an angry
gathering of the best citizens, indignant
beyond control-a smouldering fire that
only needed breath to fan it into roar
ing flame.
DIR. Kemper, a respected citizen, was
made chairman, and made conservative
speech counselling moderation and dis
closing how to correct the abuses of
criminal procedure and jury trial. An
alluson to the Berner jury was met by
cries of chang them;" chang them ALL"
''lynch 'em." One man called ont: 81
thought we came here to organize vig-
lance committee; if so, let us go to
work" Shouts of eyes, yes" mingled
with few feeble noes" greeted the sug-
gestion.
Order was partially restored and the
who spoke in the same strain, with fire.
Quent Interruptions of the same sort.
Then Judge Carter comes forward and
addresses them, giving his long expert
ence on the bench, and saying
he had not heard of such an out
rage on law in all his life before
If the jury was believed to have been
dishonest in this matter they should
be allowed to leave the country, for
they were not iii to live in civilized
country.
A voice called out: 'What about Tom
Campbell, the great criminal lawyer?"
''If he is as dishonest as you seem to
think he is, let him go, too" replied the
Judge.
The answering cheers almost lifted the
roof.
A big brawny fellow in an upper gal
lery let down a rope in the sight of all.
1t was suggestive, and in minute score
more of ropes were in sight, and shouts
of Chang 'em ALI" "gut the jail;'
''shoot them down on sight," etc, wer'
heard on all sides.
Resolutions strong and sharp wer'
brought in and passed with whirl.
friend of Campbell, Benners Laymer
tried to amend them, but the GROVE
would have none of it. They becam
more and more boisterous; their bloo
was getting hotter; the tiger in men
bosoms was awakened. The leader say
they must, if possible, avert mischief an
as quickly as possible adjourned ut :45
and in five minutes the hall was empty.
Mayor Stevens was sick in bed and tn
whole duty of preserving the peace reste
upon the Sheriff.
At five minutes of ten the fire bell
struck CPL, the number of the Cour
house. Instantly the city was in commC
ton. Everybody knew what it mean
Crowds filed the Jail. Fifteen thousan
people were there in fifteen minutes
The first overt act was by some boys VIII
began to stone the Jail. Very soon
crowd gathered. 1t was soon reinforce
from the Music Hall meeting In sho
time all the windows of the Jail wei
broken.
The crowd had ropes. They broke in
carriage factory across the street al
took out huge beam sledge-hammer, &
A dozen men ran with the beam as a ba
tering ram against the jail door and force
it open.
The police upon arriving in the vicini
of the Jail commanded the crowd to NOV
not being obeyed, they fired, but as ]
one was hurt it was presumed the poll
fired in the air-they being deeply insyl
patty with the movement to conden
the outrageous Berner verdict. shot
two was fired from the jail but the croV
refused to move.
Inside the Sheriff, Jailer and Deputi
kept themselves as calm as possible.
The mob found Berner gone. Th
tried to find the Burkers and to bait
down the cell door of one of them.
this time the police were thick abo
them. They got possession of the j
and restored order in q slight degre
but they did not dare to make any ;
rests; the mob would not allow it. TIL
filed the house and roamed about U