Morris tribune., 1884-04-09
REIGN OF TERROR.
Three Nights OF Riot and Ruin at
Cincinnati.
The Mob, the Militia and the P0.
lice---PetrOleum and the
Gatling--.Quiet Re.
stored at Last.


twenty years, and to pay the costs of the
prosecution. This is the extreme penalty or
the law for manslaughter. Berner was in
dicted for murder i'll the first degree, for kill
ing William H. Kirk, Dec. "a, 1888, but es-
capped through the stupidity or duplicity
of the jury. The outrageous verdict rem
dered last Monday by these jurymen,
caused intense excitement, and q call for
mass meeting of our citizens in the Music
hall signed by prominent business men
brought out an immense crowd, which liter
ally packed the house until there was not
even standing room. Among those who ad-
dressed the meeting were Judge Carter and
ex Lieutenant Governor Hickenlooper. The
speakers denounced the jury in unmeasured
terms, and referred to the fact that there are
upwards of forty murderers in the county
jail awaiting trial The crowd was
greatly worked up and made all
sorts of outcries and demonstrations.
After the meeting was over, a surging,
bowling mob started at once for the Jail,
where they forced an entrance, and are now
trying to batter down the doors.
The First regiment of the Ohio national
guards were drilling in their armory. a couple
of squares away from the Jail. Sheriff
Hawkins brought over detachment, and in
troduced them into the Jail through the Gel
lar The mob filled the corridor. They
were ordered to withdraw, but refused, and
the militia opened fire on the crowds,
shooting perhaps sixty rounds. The corridors
were filed with smoke and the gas went
out. Pandemonium reigned, but the mob
was driven out What the effect of the shoot
ing on the mob was is not known. Two
policemen were shot by the rioters. One
militiaman, one civilian, and one boy were
also wounded, the latter seriously.
CINCINNATI, March 29.-At 10 o'clock the
riot alarm was again sounded. There had
been indiscriminate firing on the part of the
mob for an hour. The militia returned the
fire, but aimed their guns over the tops of
the buildings. Their effort to frighten the
mob had no effect at all. just before the
riot alarm was sounded several dynamite
bombs were thrown into the jail-yard They
burst with terrific force.
An attack was made upon the treasurer's
office in the court house. The doors were
battered down and an entrance effected. 1t
is supposed coal-oil was poured about the
room. At any rate, fire was started soon
afterward. 1t burned fercely, although the
building is fire-proof. The fire
department was called out, but the
mob refused to permit the firemen to
get near the court house. The flames
lit up the sky, and the fire spread through
the building. The fire was started by rolling
in barrels of coal. oil, setting it on fire, and
keeping everybody out. Lieut. Desmond
entered to subdue the flames and was in
stantly killed. The flames went their own
way, because the mob would not let the fire.
men use the engines.
At 1890 the militia charged the mob on
Court street. Sergt. Malone and Private
Mcclure were killed in the charge. Many
were wounded. The mob fell back but fol-
lowed the militia when they returned to the
Jail. Two drug stores on Vine street. near
Court were full of wounded men. Physi-
clans were called and dressed their wounds
The Gatling gun was brought into play.
Six of the mob went down on the first fire.
At 4 a. M the crowds were rapidly
dispensing, and all becoming quiet.
CINCINNATI, March 30.-The fighting be-
gan about $50, and is as severe as it was last
night. The mob seems to be determined to
be annihilated. The excitement is intense,
and there has been no respect paid whatever
to the mayors proclamation ordering every
body in off the streets. Troops are coming
in on every train from all points of the state
and the militia now number in the neighbor
hood of 5000. The city hall is filled with
soldiers, while the large park adjoining is
full of them.
About 10:30 bowling mob of men and
boys marched down Race street to Eighth
and out Eighth to Elm, down Elm to
Seventh and West on Seventh to Central
avenue, where they stopped at Mendaza &
Sugarman's pawnshop and demanded that
the doors be opened and all the the firearms
handed out. This was refused, when a bat
tering-ram was procured, and soon the doors
and windows were smashed to pieces. The
mob then helped themselves to guns
and pistols, and then marched down to Cen
tral avenue to Ben Joseph's pawnshop.
Springing inside, Josephs closed the door and
bolted it when the mob brought the battering
ram into play once more. A telephone mes
sage had reached the central station of the
mob's action, and while at work with the
battering ram, detail of police and militia
dashed down Central avenue. Arriving at
Sixth street they opened fire upon the mob,
which was returned by the latter, but the
officers did not falter an inch They dashed
among the rioters firing their pistols at every
jump The mob scattered, but nine were
captured and taken to the central station.
CINCINNATI, March 31.-1:40 a. NAT
this hour everything is quiet The mob has
dispersed and not one of the rioters can be
found upon the streets.
CINCINNATI, March 31.-It appears that
Berner, the murderer of Kirk, who escaped
at Loveland, ran several miles up the rail-
road track, spent some hours in an empty
freight car, and then took to the woods. He
was found by two bailiffs who were driving
along in search of him. He gave way to
tears like child. The officers drove to Fos-
ter's Crossing, remaining until dark, when
they proceeded to Columbus, and placed the
prisoner in the penitentiary, notwithstand-
ing determined efforts to lynch him.
Tom Campbell, the celebrated criminal
lawyer who defended Berner, and whose life
is threatened, says he will never undertake
another criminal case
1t has been ascertained with great satisfac.
tiou that nearly the entire set of records of
the recorders office, containing records of
deeds, mortgages, ETC., are saved. A person
familiar with the office says not more than
fifty volumes Of records are gone, concerning
the transactions of about three years, of
about thirty years ago.
CINCINNATI, April 1.-The situation about
the courthouse square is more reasuring
than it has been since last Friday night.
There were no crowds about the barricades.
A very careful estimate of the number
killed and wounded in the riot results as fol-
lows: Killed, 49,; wounded, 1885, There have
been many who received slight wounds
whose names have not been ascertained.
Arrests i'm Ireland.
DUBLIN, April 2.-Eleven persons have