The Dickinson press., 1884-04-05
BLOODY BUCKEYE RIOT.
;:sraphic Details Of the Destrucu1on
Wrought in Cincinnati by the
Infatuated Mob.
Twenty-seven Lives Sacrificed ana a
Large Number Wounded-The
Revised List.

The riot in Cincinnati, of which threatenings
were heard on Friday, broke out in earnest OH
Saturday and large number of lives were sac
fficed and all immense amount of property,
and all on account Of a verdict of mansaughter
against man named Benncr for the murder
II William Kirk, who had confessed the crime
On Friday night an attack was made on the
Jail. The military were called out and fired on
the mob from the windows. Among the
wounded wereJamcs Green, dying; Walter Fay,
dying; James Turk, mortally wounded; I.
zohner, wounded in thigh; Ed Eullcfr, shot in
leg; Jackson Todd, badly; DR.. Charles Mus
croft, police-surgeon, slight wound Finally
tho mob finding that Berncr had been
spirited away, dispersed: Benner was
taken TAX N to the State Penitoatiary at Columbus.
His escape greatly incensed The people, and tie
rioters broke out afresh. The court house is
in ruins, and all that is left of it is the great
heavy walls and vaults, which are hoped to be
fire proof, but which are not opened All re-
cords of every kind are destroyed, not one, so
is easier imagined than described. One OF the
most valuable law libraries in the worlds gone.
Taxes cannnot be collected nor titles proved
The military came only after the court
house was in flames, and Cincinnati has paid
dearly, indeed, for their folly. Shortly after
dusk few scattering militia men, upon whom
all seemed anxious to wreak revenge for the
wreck of the early morn, appeared III the
throng, intent upon joining their comrades in
the court house, "Ilill them, kill, kill" was
heard upon every side, while stones and mis-
siles of every kind flew over and about them,
crashing through the windows, battering down
doors and causing other destruction. BY
miracle those stragslers escaped, but their as
sailants, thus encouraged, pressed on the loi 6
line of police to whose protection the militia
men owed their lives. The fusilade of stones
continued, the windows Of the treasurer s Office
were demolished and the rioting began i'll ear
nest
The flames, gaining headway, created draft
through the building, and that increased their
fury so that in a short time the lower story of
the building looked like huge furnace. About
1880 O'Clock the flames appeared through the
floor of the auditors Office, and in short
time the whole Office was ablaze. The flames
were, of course fed by splendid fuel, the hun
rapidly
The crowd snrged back and forth on Court
street west of Main, as a volley was fred by
the militia. The court house square was
packed with people, as was also the street up
as far as Main. On Main street there were
very few people after the first volley, where
several were wounded and killed. Before the
building was fired the release of the men arrest
ed on Friday and imprisoned as leaders was de-
manded and refused. The crowd would there
AOlc dlloW lO Ollo 10 dppIOdCu llle lire 1Or tlle
purpose of extinguishing it. An alarm was
sent in, butwhen the engines arrived the fro
men were advised to return to the houses and
they acted on the advice.
Capt Devne and j. j. Desmond, captain of
Company c. FIRST regiment, attempted to drag
line of hose in the trcasurcrs office, and they
perished in their efforts to reach the fire. after
being warned. There was al explosion and a
flash, and Capt Desmond dropped dead, with
the top of his head shot off. This was the sig
nal for o regular fusilade There was no
further attempt to put out the flames until the
arrival of the Fourteenth regiment, which
formed in squad facing the front, when one
of the files opened fire. killing by-stander
on the sidewalk and getting series of pistol
shots in return. Col. Fred Heube, in charge
Of Gatling gun, then turned at the crowd,
and two OF three persons were wounded, tho
regiment cleared the street i'll front of the
court house.
All this while and all night there was fighting
going on between the soldiers at the barrcades
before both the Jail and court house and the
mob. The latter party were mostly armed with
pistols, some having guns They would fire
on the soldiers who would reply, and now and
then in volley they would drop half dozen.
The mob would howl and yell and charge for
ward only to be repulsed Nobody ever Sc
cured such q connected view of them as to en-
able their number to be estimated, but count
ing spectators as all rioters, there must have
been
AT LEAST TWENTY THOUSAND.
m i1-o1xy