The Vermont watchman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1883-1911, 1884-04-02
A Reign OF Terror.


cause Of these bloody demonstrations Ia thus
given: One William Berner had been tried for
q dastardly murder. After confessing the
crime, and In the face OF the judges charge,
he was found guilty of manslaughter only. by
a Jury which 1t was plain had been bribed to
bring In such verdict In connection with
other similar failures of justice in the Cincin-
natl courts this verdict produced intense popu-
lar excitement. Berner was quietly brought
before Judge Matthews
FRIDAY AFTERNOON
and sentenced to the penitentiary for twenty
years, the full limit OF the law. Ten thousand
persons gathered at Music hall in response to
call by reputable citizens to take action on the
Berner verdict Many could not get inside the
building. Strong resolutions were adopted
condemning the verdict, and committee on
legislation was appointed AS the meeting ad-
journed man shouted, To the Jail To the
Jail! and about two hundred men who seemed
TO be organized followed him, as did the crowd,
shouting for the death, not only OF Berner, but
OF other prisoners confined in the jail. Thus
the riot was started The attack upon the
jail WAS led by negio Under his direction
heavy scantling was used as a battering-ram
against the north outside door OF the jail, and
hole was broken large enough to admit of
the passage of mans body. Meantime the
jailer's house had been entered, and through
the two passages the mob finally forced its way
into the Jail. Here they were met by body
n
tunnel leading from the courthouse, and sew
enteen of the rioters we're seized and locked
up in the cells. While the police and the
rioters were struggling a company OF militia
entered the Jail through the tunnel. Two po-
lice officers guarded the Jail end of the tunnel,
and they threw up their hands as the militia
entered, crying, For Gods sake, don't shoot;
you'll kill your friends!' But the warning
came too late storm of bullets ratified
through the tunnel, and Officer Num- fell
pierced with four balls and Officer Won Seggern
was hit In the head. The soldiers then rushed
into the Jail and helped to clear the rest Of the
building and to guard the doors. The lynchers
seemed to be all the more furious by their de-
feat, and, rallying on the outside, spent fully
two hours in attempting to fire the jail. First,
a barrel Of coal-oil was poured into the base.
ment and set on fire, but the police extinguished
it. Another fire was lighted by some means
in the keepers Office but the jail, being Of
stone and iron, was proof against the flames.
The next outrage OF the furious mob was to
bolt the windows with stones, and even to use
pistols promscuously The militia, not hsv-
ing the scruples nor the discretion Of the po-
lice, at this late moment when the Jail was
really safe, began returning the fire from the
windows. While many OF the attacking party
had gone home frightened, the more desperate
rushed to the Veterans armory and Kittredge's
gun store completely cutting the latter place,
and carrying off arms and doing damage to
the extent Of over 5000. With daylight the
crowd dispersed from the vicinity OF the Jail.
As soon as it was light enough the soldiers
marched out, and formed dead line"
across the various streets leading to the Jail,
and through the day the authorities in antici-
patton Of another attack at night, were making
ready for defence OF the jail.
SATURDAY NIGHT
the mob assembled again. While the sheriff
was guarding the Jail the crowd was permitted
to 20 to the very windows of the courthouse
and break them without resistance, and when
an opportunity offered, some reckless CON-
munist suggested to cast some light on the sub
ject. "This will be the Paris OF America, sure
enough" said another. With this leadership.
and with such motives, chairs, carpets and
desks were broken and piled in heaps in the
treasurers office and match applied. One Of
the most melancholy events of the night was
the killing of Captain J. Desmond. He had
been advised of the purpose to burn the court
house, and was sent with squad Of militia to
try to put out the fire. The mob fred on him
and ball crashed through his head. At the
same time Private Mcclure was shot through
the breast and fatally hurt There was no use
now trying to stop the incendiaries. They went
from office to office starting fires, and in few
minutes the inside of the courthouse glowed
like furnace The fire department was pow
erless, first, because the firemen refu to go
out without an escort of troops and second,
because the crowd could easily cut the hose
and prevent the use of the engines Office
after Office was reached by the flames, and as
the floors fell the crowd cheered. While the
beleaguered troops and police in the jail and
courthouse were keeping the mob at bay they
were anxiously waiting for the promised troops
from Columbus and Dayton. The delay of an
hour seemed an age, while the flames were
raging and the wild mob now wholly beyond
any control or reason, filled the streets, ready
to kill all who came in their way. 1t was
nearly midnight when the fourteenth regiment
had 4
pluck aud skill, formed for the fearful work OF
clearing the streets which they accomplished
with bloodshed. While hand to hand fights
were in progress, the police made occasional
sOrties and arrested many of the rioters, taking
them to jail The prisoners in every instance
refused to give their names. They, were, in
many cases, we'll dressed and respectable in APP
pearance. The fourth regiment arrived at the
other side OF the city, and, after marching part
way to the scene OF the riot, turned and went
back to the depot The mob obtained posses
sion of several cannon, which they stationed a,
the corner of South and Walnut streets, but
they had no powder. They were trying to So
cure some and had some kegs Of iron, to be used
instead of canister-shOt. They were moving uI
Fourth street when squad Of thirty policemen
emerged from Hammond-street station-house
half a square south OF Fourth street, which
by gallant charge and without firing shot
captured the guns and dispersed the rioters
The management of Sheriff Hawkins has beer
adversely commented on with reference to the
loss of the courthouse. An immense veranda
with huge stone columns from the top of the
first story to the roof commanding Main ant
Court streets, formed place where twenty
men in safety could have cleared the whole
space with two volleys and could have made i
certain death to any man coming in range. Il
was the gallant work of Colonel Freeman,
fourteenth regiment that finally cleared thu
Streets and gave the authorities control of tn,
entire space about the courthouse and Jail
Sheriff Hawkins had evidently misunderstood
the motives of the mob. He thought the pris
Oners in the Jail were their objective point
whereas II they had any purpose at all it wa,
nights reckless firing. He had, therefore
given his whole attention to the protection Of
the Jail and prisoners. His opportunities 70
knowing the exact situation were not good
and he had reason to expect assistance earle
from outside troops. The fourteenth regimen
was expected at nine clock, but 1t was nearl,
twelve when 1t reached the courthouse. Tn
fourth regiment was total failure. When or
dered the second time TO march to join tn
other troops at the Jail, the colonel stated hi
men had scattered and he could not get then
together. 1t was after all possibility of dom,
any good had passed when these troops joine,
the rest Of the command. The united testi
mony Of men who had opportunities for OF
servation was that from two to three hundre
men composed the bulk Of the violent activ
rioters, and that they were not fully armed
They were stimulated by the cheers and pres
ence OF Others but the opinion is that yer
little generalship would have been sufficient {
put them to flight. This was strikingly show
when an attack was made on Powell's GU
1--Ia a