Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1884-03-29
A RIOT AT CINCINNATI.
BERNER's ESCAPE FROM THE
GIBBET NIADDENS THE CITY.

4
/ a Mob, 10000 Strong, Rushes from an
Indignation Meeting to Attack the
Jail-POlice and Military Almost Pow
erless' but the Crowd Finally Held In
Cheek After One Man was Killed and
Several njured-Seventy Murderera
Threatened with Being Burned Alive.
CINCINNATI, March 2s.-Wilnam Ber.
ner was quietly brought before Judge
Matthews at 2 o'clock this afternoon aud
sentenced to the penItentiary for twenty
years, the full limit of the law. He will
probably be taken to Columbus by the
first train. Threats Of lynching are free
ly expressed among the German popula-
tion against Berner and his jury.
AN INDIGNATION MEETING.
CINCINNATI, March 2S l. p. M.-Ten
thousand persons gathered at Music Hall
IN response to call issued by reputable
citizens. to take action on the Berner YER
dict. Many could not get inside the
building. Strong resolutions were adopted
condemning the verdict, and a Committee
on Legislation was appointed.
MARCHING on THE JAIL.
Upon adjournment, the vast crowd
moved directly to the Jail, where they be-
gan an attack on the front door. At 9;4O
O'Clock, the riot alarm was sounded
summoning the entire police force to the
jail. vast crowds of people were gather
ing in that vicinity.
BERNER REMOVED.
Berner had been removed after his SEN
tence this afternoon and started for Col
umbus, but if the mob succeeds In getting
into the Jail other murderers will be
lynched.
N0LLEY FIRED BY THE POLICE.
The police upon arriving in the vicinity
of the jail commanded the crowd to move
on, and not being Obeyed fired, but as no
one was hurt it was presumed that they
fired in the air. 1t is said that that was
the intention of the police, they being
deeply in sympathy with the movement
to condemn the outrageous Berner ver-
dict. A shot or two has been fired from
the jail, but the crowd refuses to move.
They have good leader and were still at
10 O'Clock at work at the Jail door.
BERNER INTERCEPTED AT LOVELAND.
1t is reported that when the train on
which Berner was being taken TO Colum-
bus reached LOveland Station, on the Lit
tie Miami Railroad, about fifteen miles
from Cincinnati, mob boarded il and
nearly captured Berner. The officers
hurried him out Of the car aud boarded
another train bound for Cincinnati, which
was just leaving the station. They thus
escaped from the LOveland mob, but they
are now lodging about endeavOring to
find route open to Columbus. They
dare not attempt TO return their prisoner
to Jail in Cincinnati.
BERNER REPORTED To HAVE ESCAPED.
CINCINNATI, o., March %, 1880 p. NJ
1t now appears that Berner. after SEN
tence. was disguised and placed in a
buggy with Deputy Sheriff Dominick De-
vote and driven to LinwOOd, where thev
got aboard an accommodation train and
went to LOveland to await the arrival of
Criminal Deputy Job Moses with the
necessary papers for cOmmittal TO the
penitentiary. 1t became known that Ber-
ner was a. LOveland and a crowd gather
ed. When the train with Deputy Moses
came in and Deputy Devote and Berner
went to board il the crowd made a rush
for Berner, who ran through the car and
escaped and is still at large.
TROOPS ON THE SCENE.
CINCINNATI, March 2S, 1880 P. M.-The
First Ohio Regiment National Guards has
just entered the jail, having been marched
through the front entrance of the court
house and thence through a tunnel into
the Jail, where the mob is thrOnging. The
police inside the jail arrested some Of the
first members Of the mob that entered, but
this soon became impracticable and the
police refrained from using their pistols.
THE SPEECH WHICH FAMED THE
FLAME.
The meeting at Music Hall was pre-
sided over by DR.. A. G. Kemper, who
made a conservative speech, taking for
his topic the prevalence OF crime through
out the whole country. He spoke Of the
special prevalence of the crime Of murder
in this county and the necessity for more
certainty in the administration OF punish
ment for crime. His remarks were not
intended to awaken a mob spirit, but
when the meeting adjourned the people,
by common impulse, moved down
Twelfth street, where shouts began to be
uttered of ITO the jaili'' and the crowd
then moved bodily in that direction.
THE MILITIA FAIL TO RALLY.
Large numbers Of militia failed TO ap-
pear, and there is a general disposition, so
far as can be seen, not to interfere with
the mob. Mayor Stephens is confined to
his house by sickness, leaving the Sheriff
wholly responsible for the preservation Of
order, except for assistance from the
Chief of Police.
ANOTHER VERSION OF BERNFFs AL.
LEGED ESCAPE.
CINCINNATI, March %, AIfduight.-It
train on which the officers had taken re-
fuge at LOyeland, and is now at large.
About thirty shots with muskets were
fired by the militia for the purpose OF
soaring the mob. The result was that
glancing balls struck at least four per-
sons, inflicting injuries which may be
fatal in the case Of ore or two Of the
rioters. A policeman named Num- and
private named Cooke are badly hurt.
THE JAIL FIRED.
CINCINNATI, March 20, 12:45 A. NJ
The Jail has been fired by the mob, and
the crowd on the streets say that they
will cut the hose and prevent the fire de-
partment from extinguishing it. The
mob seem to think that wholesale hOlo-
caust is the only means of accomplishing
their purpose. Seventy prisoners in jail
are charged with murder.
NO FIRE-oNE OF THE MOB KILLED.
CINCINNATI, March 30, 80 A. M.-The
alarm of fire was false, being caused by q
bonfire. One Of the mob was killed by
the militia fire in the vestibule Of the Jail.
The crowd did not succeed in getting in-
side the Jail.
THE CRIME AND TRIAL.
Berner was tried for the murder OF VIII
liam II. Kirk, and on Monday last was
found guilty Of manslaughter. The YER
dict was declared privately by the Judge
who tried the case to be an outrage, and
the jury, after leaving the court room,
were hOoted at by the crowd, with sug-
gestions that they should be hanged.
Kirk, the victim Of the crime, was killed
in his stable by blow from a hammer,
robbed Of about 500 in money, his body
put into a wagon, hauled off toward
Cummingsyille and dumped into a MILL
stream, where it was foVnd two days
later. Joe Palmer and William Berner
confessed that they did the murder and
robbery. When on trial Berner testified
that Palmer did the actual murder,
while he only looked ON and got a share Of
the money.
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