Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1884-04-05
THE RIOT!
BLOOD FLOWS IN THE STREETS
or CINCINNATI.
FURIOUS FLAMES AND FRIGHT
FUL SLAUGHTER.
sruskets and GatIIng euns,

Muskets and Gatlfng Gumai
Cincinnati has just suffered from
one of those terrible riots that have
occurred within the experience of
many large cities. One of those
dreadful occasions when a mass
meeting is turned into a mob and
maddened men rush wildly to the
destruction of life and property
without aim or definite object.
Twas repetition in character of
the No Popery riots of historic re-
membrance, which Lord George
Gordon Internationally instituted,
and of all such outburst of violence
where excited crowds are led to
believe they are carrying out some
great revolution and have grown
superior to law. Such riots are
natural phenomena and are as GER
tain to occur where the necessary
incentives and ingredients exist as
gunpowder is to explode when it
VIM. Berner was found guilty of
manslaughter on Monday of last
week for the murder of w. III.
Kirk, in the Criminal Court at Gin
cinnati. Kirk was a prominent
citizen and was killed several
months ago in a stable by blow
from sledge hammer, robbed of
about 500 and his body carted off
and thrown into a mill pond, where
it was found two days later. Ber-
ner and negro named Joe Palmer
were arrested and confessed the
crime. Berner claimed that Palmer
did the killing and he only came in
for division of the spoils.
The return of the verdict of man.
slaughter In a case where cowardly,
brutal murder was so evident crea-
ted feeling OF the deepest indigna-
ton, the Judge who tried the case
himself declaring it an outrage.
The jury on leaving the courtroom
were hooted at by the crowd, and
several suggestions that they be
hanged were made.
Since then the feeling that justice
had been outraged had grown in
intensity, and it had been evident
since Monday that trouble of seri-
Gus nature was brewing. One Of
the jurors was on Wednesday at
tackled and beaten and another
compelled to leave the city by
friends of the murdered man.
An indignation meeting was call
ed at Music Hall Friday night in
which many prominent citizens
took part and resolution were pass
ed condemning the action of the
jury. The meeting was orderly and
no talk about lynching was engaged
in. But when this assembly had
adjourned a large portion of the
crowd went as if by instinct and
without any preconcerted intention
to the county Jail. AS they got
nearer the Jail their excitement was
changed into fury and an assault on
the Jail was instituted. The Court
er-Journal's special says:
The news that lynching party
was assaultfng the Jail spread like
wild-fire, and soon the entire neigh
borhood swarmed with the thOus-
ands. The advance guard of the
would-be lynchers arrived with a
piece of jOist, rushing down the
steps leading to the basement en-
trance of the Jail Office. These were
backed up by
THE CRUSHING CROWD
behind. First window was smash
ed, and wild yell went up from
the crowd. Another shattered win
dow, and a wilder yell. Then the
thump, thump of the improvised
battering- ram, pounding against
the Office door began. Every thump
awoke responsive yell. Bricks
and stones were hurled at the Jail
windows and the shouting mob
grew wilder as success seemed near
er. The door at last gave way and
the crowd poured into the Jail Office.
Sheriff Hawkins and the few depu-
ties who were inside were powerless
to stem the fierce human tide; be-
sides the Sheriff had given orders
that his officers should not use their
weapons on the mob, believing that
such proceeding would only make
bad worse.
A terrible fight was kept up for
some time between policemen and
mob, the latter increasing in
strength and renewing its attacks.
"Most Of them were young men,
but there were some few who ev-
identity were quiet citizens who |
were drawn into the mob, crazed |
with excitement. One aged party |
with spectacles, evidently a Ger
man, rushed up the Jail stairway
and into the corridor, shouting
Give US justice! Give us justicep
He was showed down stairs by the
police, but he rushed up again with
the same cry. This performance he
repeated two or three times. A
tall man with a black mustache
pushed him from the rotunda, and
he fell oyer the railing of the stair
way to the flag pavement below.
1t was terrible fall, but he picked
himself up and started back up the
stairs again to the cell corridor.
The crowd on the outside that
had broken into a blacksmith and
carriage shop and taken away ev-
that could be used as
weapons, hurled through the Jail
windows hammers, hatchets, pieces
of iron and steel, and many of the
gang on the inside carried knives in
their hands. Some of them were
evidently shoemakers, and carried
the small knives peculiar to the
craft. Against such odds the police
were fighting with empty hands.
At about 2 O'Clock a. m. the mob
assailed Kittredge's gun store on
Main street, between Fourth and