Omaha daily bee., 1884-03-31
NOT A SHOT ERRED

up to this time by the forces within the
jail.
The stairway was again taken possession of
by the sheriff with his united forces and n
struggle began for the iron gate. Thu colored
ring leader was seized by Lieut.. Dunn, struck
on the head and dragged inside. Then the
gate was closed, several Others being arrested
about the same time. The battering ram
broken in two served as q brace for the gate.
The mob seemed repulsed and the story
went out Speeding through the outside crowd
only to infiame to more serious eff
fort. Efforts were redoubled at
all entrances and the southern gate to the
jall yard was broken down. Meantime Sheriff
Hawkins sent an order to Col. Hunt, COM
manding the 1st regiment of militia, to repcrt
to him in the jail with all tho men possible.
Only about forty men were on duty and these
went to the Jail, passing through the court
house and tunnel already mentioned. There
o occurred
THE FIRST BLooB SHED.
The farther end of the tunnel was guarded
by Officers Phil. Mum and Vanseggern. As
the soldiers approached by threes, with guns
pointed, Officer Vsnseggern threw up his
hands and shouted, 'Fur Gods sake don't
shoot here, you'll kill your friends" Without
needing the warning the command, Fire
was given, and the volley went rolling through
the tunnel. Officer Mum fell, pierced with
four balls. Vanseggern was shot on the side
of the head. Several of the militia were ehot
by their own guns. This volley had the effect
to clear the Jail, but for two hours there
after efforts were made ON the outside
TO DESTROY THE WHOLE BUILDING.
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 81 tinguish 1t.
The carpenters office furnished some wood aud
l NhaN nIaA x.fan E.AI but No flA aAh =. r.
stone and iron this effort was futile. The
crowd threw boulders and fired pistols promis-
%cuously at tie windows, and the militia mean
time fired from the windows. Sheriff Haw-
kins tried TO control this firing by ordering
not more than one man should fire at a time
and then only to frighten, not to kill, but the
men were uncomfortable, and fired at the
crowd doing deadly work.
Later-the crowd broke into the Veteran
armory and Kittredge's gun store and got
arms, but by the time this was done the crowd
had thinned out SO that no further serious at.
tempt was made, and at 3:3e this morning
! quiet was restored.
BRRNER's CRIME.
was assisting Joe Palmer, colored, In a cold
biooded murder OF his employer, VIM. H.
Kirk, Christmas eve, for tbs purpose
of robbery. Both he and Palmer
confessed the murder, but the jury found him
tuhsJ VI mahhlehPnteT. ln5 VIII Ao law
that about twenty other untried murderers are
In Jail Is what inf Ames the public mind.
The feeling has by noHneans been allayed by
last nights tragedy and Is growing not only
against the mpTferers, but against the militia,
upon WHOM the whole responsibility Of the
loss os 3fe Is placed. Sheriff Hawkins had
~repulsed tho mob without blood shed and was
holding the mob at bay when the militia en-
tered and the fire by the soldiers was la direct
| opposition to the protest Of officer Vanssggern.
The people do not rest easy under the fact