Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1884-04-03

Vi tno IiVters anu comparative quiet wa
r,stored for the time
| II was then about 3 a. m. The night
work had been = aeries of bloody contest
between the soldiers and police and tn
rioters, and there were from 80 to Z
dead bodies lying In the streets. Duriu
the attack on Powell's gun store, NJ
Powell defended his property and kille,
at least three men.
THE COURT HoUsR BURNED.
at 9.45 p m, fire alarm was sounded
for fire in the treasurer's office, on tn
first floor of the court house. The squar
was surrounded by thousands of excited
men, firing revolvers, throwing stone
and yelling. The militia had fired lrt
the mob from the court house, but 1t wa
supposed they had used blank osrtridges
The Dire was started by rolling in
barrel Of coal oil, setting it on fire an,
keeping every body out. The fire depart
ment refused to respond to the alarm un
I'll an escort of troops was ssnt. Whsr
the fret ergine appeared the mob, will
drawn revolvers, warned them to go Ii,
further. They obaysd, while hand Il
hand fight was In progress. The police nov
and then made dash for the crowd ant
arrested a number OF the rioters, takinI
them into the Jail, They refused to Civ,
their names in every instance. Many o
them were we'll dressed respectable. look
ing men.
The burning OF the court house Wal
wholly simless aud malicious except thai
one might find an excuse in the fact thai
the crowd was angered at the sight Of tbs
place, where, as they believed, the failure
to do justice had been go marked. The
destruction Of the building did not aid
the mob at all In getting at the prisoners
or In doing harm to the militia. II wa;
purely wanton nor was there any ex.
cuse for the failure to protect this prop.
erty.
The crowd was permitted to go to the
very Windows and break them in without
resistance, and when an opportunity y
offered some reckless Communist, who
gloried in pure destruction, suggested Ia
cast come light on the subject. This was
the trivial manner In which he talked.
" This will be the Paris of America, sure
enough" said another. With thia
leadership and with such motives, ohairs,
carpets and desks were broken aud piled
in heaps in the tressurer's office and a
match applied. AS this was done th q
devil-may-care hoodlums in the crowd
cheereu and yelled to burn the - militia
out.
Just here occurred one of the most
melRncholy events of tine night-the kill
ing of Captain John ]. Desmond. He
had been advised of the purpose to burn
the court house and was sent with a
squad Of militia to try to put out the fire..
The mob fired on him and bail crushed
through mis- head. At the same time Private
Mcclure WAS shot through the breast and
fatally hurt. Captain Desmond was q
lawyer Of much promise. He was ne
looking soldier and the pride OF his iegi-
melt. His loss on every account is
deeply deplored.
There was no use now trying to stop
the inoeDdieries. They wsnt from office
u offi9e starting fires, and iu isw
minutes the court house giowed Ike a
furnace The IRE department was power
lees, first bscause the fremen refused TO
80 out without troops, and second, be-
oause the crowd could essily cut the hose
aud prevent the use Of the engines Office
at.sr ohiIe was reached by the fismes, aud
SIS The floors tsll the crowd che-Fed.
An immense verandah, with huge stone
columns from the top of the frat story to
lh1 roof, commanding Main and Court
streets, formed place where 20 men in
safety could have cleared the whole space
with two volleys, and oould have made it
certain death to rny man coming within
range. Moreover, after the attack OH the
Ieasurei's otfice was made II would have
b-en the work Of minute to have sent
three times 20 men to the front windows
Of the court houss building and driven
the mob away Instead, poor Desmond,
with mere squad, was sent to the first
floor to put out the fire, and he was sac
rifced.
1t WAS the gallant work OF Col. Free
mans Fourteenth regiment that finally
cleared the streets and gave the authort-
ties control OF the entire space sbout the
court house and jail Col. Hawkins had
evidently misunderstood the motives OF
the mob. He thought the prisoners ip
the jail we're their objective point,
whereas, il thay had any purpose al all
1t was to tsKe revenge on the militia for
the previous nights reckless firing. Col
Hawkins, therefore, had given his whole
attention to the protection of the Jail apd
prisoners.
dis opportunities FOR knowing the exact
situation were not good, AID he had
reason 10 expsot assistance earlier ftom
outside troop5. The Fourteenth Regi-
ment was expected ct 3 O'Clock, but it
II when It reached the court bonsp. 1t
then marched to Eighth and Walnut
streets, and then marched back to the
depot 1t was subsequently ordered to
march to jpin the other troops aud the
jsil, but the colonel stated THAI theElme n
had soattsrcd, and ne oonld not get them
together. 1t was after all possibility of
doing any good hsd passed when these
troops Joined the rest of the @ nmaad.
Inside the Jail the scenes were spirit
less. The mob at no time made sn i'm
preston on my part OF the building.
The troops were lying on their arms TAX
ing suoh rest as they could get when not
called for especial duty. The police, worn
ont, were also lounging about inside in
such manner as was most comfortable,
although they had frequent oalls for
special duty. The prisoners, locked in
their cells, were trembling with fear; not
one slept through the nlght.
The united testimony Of men, who had
opportunities tor observation, was that
from 200 to 300 hundred men composed
the bulk Of the violent active rioters, and
that they were not fully armed. They
were stimulated by the cheers and pres
ence of others but the general opinion ia
very little generalship would have been
sufficient to put them to flight. Thia
was strikingly shown when the attack
was made on Powell's gun stors about
midnight. The first man who entered
was shot dead the second shared the
same fate, and the third was severely
wounded. An effort WAS then made tc
burn the building, but the proprietor
from an upper window, fired we'll
directed shot, and the effort was given
up.
THE SITUATION SUNDAY.
CINCINNATI, March 3O.-To day tn,
gravity OF the situation impressed every
one. Everywhere solemnity prevailed
Tho appalling loss of property and fright
ful destruction Of life brought people Il
the realization of an awial calamity.
anything could intensity the honest in
dignation against the first cause OF thii
outbreak the revelations this morning
w0uld do it. There WAS noticeable
absence OF mere curiosity seekers flookins
to the scene to-day. The place seeme3
to be regarded with dread and at noon
when the weather was delightfully."-
pleasant, there was not so much trsve
on the streets in that vicinity as is usua
on ordinary Sundays. True, Colone
| Hawkins had extended his lines by bar
ricading sll the streets leading to th'
court house for the distance Of squar'