Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1884-04-03

W dOMh hOOl VI
the cell, but the small space pre-
vented the use with effect. Besides,
the Deputy Sheriffs caught hold of the
plank and prevented its being used ef-
fectively.
Reilly, hearing that the men were in
Jail, entered through the Court House
and through the tunnel from it to the
interior of the Jail. With this COM
bined force, the men were put out of the
corridors about the cells, and the mob
seemed to be repulsed. Not a shot
had been fired up to this time by the
forces within the Jail. The stairway
was again in possession of the Sheriff7s
forces, and the struggle began for the
iron gate. The cOlored ringleader
was seized by Lieut.. Dunn, struck
on the head and dragged inside.
Then the gate was closed, several
others being arrested at the same
time. The battering ram was broken
in two, and served as brace for the
gate. The mob seemed repulsed, and
the story went out, spreading through
the outside crowd, only to inflame them
to a more serious effort. Efforts were
redoubled at all the entrances, and the
southern gate to the Jail yard was bro
ken down.
In the meantime Sheriff Haw-
kins sent an order to Col. Hunt,
commanding the First regiment militia,
to report to him in the Jail with all the
men possible. Only about forty men were
on duty and these went to the tunnel
already mentioned. Here occurred the
first bloodshed. The farther end of the
tunnel was guarded by officers Phil
Num- and Won Segern. AS the soldiers
appeared by threes, with their guns
pointed, officer Won Segern threw up
his hand and shouted, sFOr Gods sake,
don't shoot here! You'll kill your
friends?" Without needing the warn
ing, the commad "firew was given, and
a volley went rattling through the tun-
mel. Officer Num- fell pierced by four
balls. Won Segern was shot on the
side of the head. Several of the militia
were shot by their own guns.
This volley had the effect of clearing
the Jail, but for two hours thereafter
efforts were made on the outside to de-
stroy the whole building. A barrel OF
coal oil waSpoured down into the lower
. part of the Jail and set on fire, but the
officers within managed to eXtinguish
: it. The carpenters office furnished
some wood and that was also fired, but
as the Jail is mainly stone and iron, this
effort was futile. The crowd threw
, boulders and fired pistols promiscuously
at the windows, and the militia, in the
meantime, fired from the windows al
: the crowd. Sheriff Hawkins tried to
control the firing by ordering that not
, more than one man should fire at a time
and then only to frighten not to kill
) but the men were uncomfortable anG
fired at the crowd, doing dreadful work
J Later the crowd broke into the Vet
eran armory and Kitteredge's gun store
) done the crowd had so thinned out tina
7 no further serious attempt was mad,
| and at half-past three this morning
. quiet was restored.
From the Enquirer's Sunday morn
< ing issue we CLEAN the following from
Saturday nights scenes of slaughter ant
= distinctions:
3 BURNING OF THE COURT HOUSE.
4 The crowd was full of deep rag
3 against the military for the Staying o
, some of the citizens the night before
3 They were disappointed that they hat
not succeeded in getting the twenty
/ three murderers out and hanging them
l The rage against the jury that had al
lowed Berner to escape the gallows, ant
= the cumbersome criminal law whicl
had allowed the Jail to become populated
< with murderers, was now turned ais,
F. against the citizen soldiery, officered b,
inexperienced officers, which had killel
S and wounded SO many of their fellow
= citizens the night before. The enraget
. citizens, feeling that they were not abl
: to cope with the militia, expressed thei
r feelings in wanton destruction of tn
, county seat of law and justice. At frs
: there were some powders thrown int,
. the windows from Main street. Thi
9 soon grew general, and many of tn
=, crowd fired revOlvers and shot-guns a
the windows. The militia took no no
Q tice of this and the crowd was encour
| aged. They broke into the Treasurer
office, gathered furniture, piled it VI
and set it on fire. The incendiary feve
: grew, and one after another of the off
! ces were treated in the same way
t Finally the crowd reached the Sheriff
= office. After they had treated this to
: fire-brand they rushed up to Soutl
: Court street to break in the doors OF
: that side. This was the signal for
massacre. The troops drawn up benin,
E the barricade at Sycamore street begal
l firing. One crash after another Q
= musketry made the air shiver, and me-
l dropped by scores in every direction
l Meanwhile the Court House burned OF
: without hindrance, for the Fire Depart
f ment were not allowed to interfere.
BROKE DOWN THE GATES.
!, After demolishing the doors and win
e dows work was commenced on the irol
s gates at the front of the building. L
!. an incredible short time they wer
= broke open but the crowd standing bac
1 cheered on those at work ON the build
t ing. A constant firing of revolvers wa
: kept up in the crowd, which served t
e encourage them.
Having gained access through to tn
D Treasurer's office, the prepared work G
Y FIRING THE BUILDING
e was commenced. A number of me
S went inside, and, tearing up the carpe
;. and oil-cloth, piled it up, put ON top {
S it chairs and desks and applied tn
j. torch. Then they broke up all the raj
t ing running around the long desks Ell
circling the Office. This wood-wor
n being heavily vanished, it burned lik
0 tinder, and in very few minutes th
Y office was ablaze across the entire from
e For awhile the flames made slow pre-
\ gress. But the crowd was not idl
n while the fire in this Office was gainin
e headway. They moved south on Mai
!. street, taking each office in turn, an
fvnntInU