The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-04-03
THREE NIGHTS OF HORROR.
Cincinnati Convulsed by Scenes of
Popular Fury.
The Wild Disorders Created hy 4 ra.
matte Mob.
The Court House Burned-Oycr 200
People Killed and Wounded.

VIZ SNHbtc ny lne DlOW OF hammer ana
robbed OF SOD IN money, put into n wagon,
hauled of toward Cnmminsville, and dumped
into Mill Creek, where his body was found
two days later. Joe Palmer and William Ser.
ncr confessed that they dh the murder and
robbery. Tn triai. nw days AFRO, Icrncr
testified that Palmer did the actual kiluhr
whic he only looked on and got his share OF
the money. Much to tho su, prise aud indig-
nation OF tho community. the Jury rendered
verdict OF Mansiaughter aca.nst Uerner,
and assessed his punishment at twenty
years IN tho rcntentiary. The verdict was
ueclarcd privately. by tho Judge who tried
the case, to be an outragsa aud the jury, ntter
leaving tic court ioo,n, were hootci at by
the crowd, with suggestions that they should
be haagra. There was furious indignation
annng nll classes In Cincinnati. One 0f the
jury was driven from the city and another
severely bca.cn. A call for Il mass meeting
OF CITIZENS, signed BY prominent business
men, brought out an immense crowd. who
literaay packed the large Music Hal until
shcfe was not even standing room,
Tho meeting. held Friday evening, the
2sth uit.. was presided over by DIR.
A. G. kemper and species were
made by two or three leading citizens de-
nouneiatory of the prevalence of crime and
the lax administration of justice. After the
ado rnment OF the meeting a snrsing. howl.
ing mob started mt once for the Jail. Tho
bloody and exciting scenes that I, llowed are
with appended
The news that a lynching party was assaults
ing the jail spr nd like wild-firc, md soon the
entire neighborhood swarincd with thousands
The advance guard OF the would-bc-lync l,rs
arrived with piece OF joist and rushed down
the steps leading to the basement entrance of
crushing G., owd behind. First. a window was
smashed and wild yell went mp from the
crowd. Another shattered window and a
wilder yell. Then the thnmp, thump OF the inn
Office door, began, and every thump awoke a re-
sponsive veil, Bricks and stones were hurled
Mt the jail windows, and the shouting mob
grew wilder as success seemed nearer. The
door at last gave way and the crowd poured
into the Jail office.
Sheriff Hawkins and the few deputies who
were inside were roweress to stem the fierce
human tide besides the s eriff had given orders
that his officers sh nld not use their weapons ON
the mob. believing that such proceeding would
only make bad worse. Wild with excitement in
hndinU themse elves In possession of the Jail
office, 1t was short work to force the door t. the
cell noor. Socn the stairs and corridors, indeed
the entire interior OF the JAIL was alive with the
mob Yelling aud hunting Tor the mnrierIrs they
came to hang. They soon found their work had
been for naught 80 far as Bernnr was concerned.
Disappointed and disgusted, the arior OF some
OF them .an To cool.
About this time squad of fifteen policemen
who had been stationed In the tunnel that leads
from the jail to he court house, were brought
into the Jail corridors and began to clear the
mob from the second floor, or the rotnn,la
AT 9:aa the fire bells struck the eminous GAL
the riot alarm, and followed by regu ar alarm
a. Tor nre. giving the Number of the box loca,ed
AZ the court-houss corner. Just back cf the
county jail. The alarm started thousands oil peo-
PIE all over the city, and from all directions they
~ nocaea by scores, by hundreds. toward the
or forty were hurried to the scene in patrol
wagons
| Bricks and stones were hurled through the
JAN WINDOWS, anu down at the jail door
| gang II men with axes or sledgcs, heavily poana-
ing on the Jail door. The crowd in the IN AN
time every few minutes broke out in hloodthirsty
chcers, groans, hisses, and maledleti, rs on the
mmideie ers and Hamilton County justice.
Ihere were no less than 500 men i'll the crowd
for every officer. and the mob show cd the moss
uoSged determination and terccness from the
nrss. Once a li1ht was struck in an upstairs
| room OF the Sheiili's residence. and men were
seen CARRYING pictures and furniture out of the
room. One man attempted to close the inside
shutters. but instantly the mob hoosed a. him
anu shower OF bricks and stones riad'ed the
glass and broke the shutters To splinters, aud
| efectualy cleared the room. But for self-pro-
lection the & ng of men with the axes, a, the
| doors below these windows. called ont to the
| they accomplished nothing except 10 scatter the
broken glass down on the heads Of those at work
| = At 1l:3o o'clock the sound Of axes at the
Court street cnt,anc. announced that fresh
\ attack Was heing made from another direction.
ana cheer af er cheer rent the air.
When the wagon stared through the crowd
| OF people who were densely packed around il
the greatest CONSERVATION and excitement was
created. Col Reilly arrived shortly alter the
riot alarm was sounted. and after taking iii TIE
situation entered the Jail through the Court
| House and tunnel.
| At just about midnight the mob on Sycamore
street succeeded in altering open the en- rance
| asecond time, and swellnd into the ia l-otlics.
~ re they were staIned by the heavy iron gate
shutting on tn office fr m tho jail lpopr. BE
\ hint this We're the policemen awaiting the
| attack. WI ich was not long in being made, The
| mob had heavy piece OF timber n loot squSre
| and eighteen feet long. III ty men swung this
4 no sslfN md i'm,
very little tim they broke it squarely in two in
\ IN. middle. lnen followed a hand-to- hand
| fight between the police under the leadership oG
1 Col. Reilly. the Chief OF Police. and the mob
The first man to enter through the breach
was nearo who was instantly seized by half a
dozen policemen, who hustled him mp stairs
and locked him up Other rioters. to the num-
Der in all Of taenty five, were similarly tr, a Cd.
and were all locked up In NJ per cells. Under
fred dn ing all this melee, although several Of
the lighters, both riosers and othcers, were
| Knocked down and more OK less injured. Ali
sorts OF weapons, knives. and revolvers We're
| captured with tn prisoners. 1t was impossible
TO ascertain any OF the names Of the riot n at
the time Of the arrest The oihs r. did not stop
| cells as rapidly as possible.
The mob was too much for the ofiiserS, how
ever. and while few hundred We're lett down
stairs to hight the POLICEMEN, hundreds of Others
| carried the heavy hattering-iam upstairs To
| where the murderers' cells We're. Tie mob con-
tinued determined. At exactly II o'clock a
| heavy beam borne by strong men Mas applied
| to the south Sycamore entrance, and after three
or four vigorous blows the door gave
Almost maea as N hpsea mse ,hss a
way into the corridor. -Whcreis is Eerner' celle"
was the cry. Some one answered; No, A."
and that number was soon found and vigorous
battery began. AT this time the military 0esan
| firing from above, and the mob were at once
arrested in their mad career, and forced to re-
the militia shot reckl, IS. :. aud some Of their
number We're wounded Corporal Cook, vi
Company /, was shot in tho chest. anu another
private was shot through the ear, and ano. her
| In the mouth.
| Oiiicer Adam Mechley was struck ON the head
with brick and knocked senseless. He was
| Segcern was shot in the hea / near the ear, bur
not fatally. The shot came from me one ON
| the inside. The crowd haa forced Its way into
the jail yard and soon learned the way 10 the
underground passage. Some OF these started
into the tunnel while the few poiiee at tha, time
at hand attempted to stay them. Anoth Y man.
| a citizen, WAS shot in the arm above the elbow
| All the windows Of the basement and first aud
| second stories OF the Jail residence broken
| In, the sash torn out. the doors hraNcn down,
iron gratines torn out or bent into all sorts ut
strange shapes from the f,rse OF hewlle and
| heavy beams applied to them. and there Is
general destruction. The s:ar ways. some OF
| them, are considerably demolished even though
broken.
OF the lower rccepti,n-room OF the iail for the
second tine A hiaMny fellow, a blacks mil h.
they said-was at work with a sleage- hammer
| upon the iron barred gate leadiag to the cell
room. IL gave gradually but surely before what
seemed herculean strength. As bar hy bar wAs
shattered, cheers a. ose from the crowd back In
the recspsion-room and lail-yard anu were taken
up by the crowds out Idle.
Slowly but surely the iron gate gave way. and
finally went down far enough TO admit VI two
or three men entering abreast. Just before.this
| Sheriff Hawkins, perhaps because he found the
resistance OF the police almost passive, sent for
the party Of abon, forty eitisen soldiers.
who were under arms In their ma
| ory hard by. These men were ma ched over
and We're taken into the jail through the tunnel
flom Main street, just as the p rty working at
| the gates were about TO take possession OF the
ccll-roem the order VAS given To nre, or at least
friag comm, nerd. TIE result was beside the
distressing casualties. 10 give the police for the
| moment at least, moral control They took al
| vantage of this and cleared the Jail throagh the
Sycamore street entrances, while the wounded
| were taken out by the Main street way.
A PORTION OF the mob broke into the arnto-
| ry OF the State Guard and captured all the
| guns and ammunition OF the tfooi =, and