St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-04-19
RIOT AND BLOODsHED.

9AlAACIaS resulting IN EnG hlIHnE ana
WOunding of Several Citizens-The Mob
Arming-Escape of the Murderer, Ber-
nerV
CINCINNATI, o., March 90.
The most exciting night ever known in
Cincinnati has just closed, and the city
this morning is in a stunned and dazed
condition, people asking each other with
bated breath and blanched cheek, stWhen
is all this to end2"
The deep feeling of indignation which
has possessed all minds at the pusillani-
nous action of our courts in a
general shielding of murderers
from the penalties due to their
crimes was multiplied and intensified by
the shameless verdict of imprisonment
for limited term of the red-handed MUIR
derer Berner, indicted for and clearly
proven guilty of the deliberate and brutal
murder of VIM. H. Kirk.
A meeting was called by some of the
best citizens to protest against the action
of the jury, and by seven O'Clock Music
Hall was we'll filled with constantly
increasing crowd. Long before the
meeting was called to order ten thousand
people crowded in the hall and
surged about the corridors and filed
the space in front of the building. The
looks of the people were OminOus of evil.
Those who called the meeting soon saw
that they had raised storm that might
end in q WhirlWind, but it was too late to
back out. They organized with long
list of Vice-Presidents and the usual
officers. They intended to counsel together
and advise as to the best means of
Kidding Cincinnati of the stain that was
on her. The more moderate the better,
in the presence of the angry element.
The people were aroused-it was not a
mob Of the lower classes, but an angry
gathering of the best citizens, indignant
beyond controls smouldering fire that
only needed a breath to fan it into roar
ing fame.
DR.. Kemper, q respected citizen, was
made chairman, and made conservative
speech counselling moderation and dis
closing how to correct the abuses of
criminal procedure and jury trial. An
allusion to the Berner jury was met by
cries of chang them;" Chang them all;"
sIynch 'em." One man called out: 81
thought we came here to organize Wig
lance committee; if SO, let US go to |
work" Shouts of eyes, yes" mingled |
with few feeble noes" greeted the sug-
gestion.
Order was partially restored and the |
speaker introduced General Hickenleoper, |
who spoke in the same strain, with fire.
.quent Interruptions of the same sort.
Then Judge Carter comes forward and /
addresses them, giving his long expert /
ence on the bench, and saying
he had not heard of such an out
rage on law in all his life before.
If the jury was believed to have been
dishonest in this matter they should
be allowed to leave the country, for
they were not fit to live in civilized
country.
A voice called out: tsWhat about Tom
Campbell, the great criminal lawyer"
eff he is as dishonest as you seem to |
think he is, let him 60, too,n replied the
judge.
The answering cheers almost lifted the
roof.
A big brawny fellow in an upper gal.
lery let down rope in the sight of all.
1t was suggestive, and in minute score
more of ropes were in sight, and shouts
OF Chang 'em ALI" ''gut the jail"
'ssshoot them down on sight," etc, were
heard on all sides.
Resolutions strong and sharp were
brought in and passed with whirl. A
friend of Campbell, Benners Laymer,
would have none of it. They became
more and more boisterous; their blood
was getting hotter; the tiger in mems
bosoms was awakened. The leader saw
they must, if possible, avert mischief and
as quickly as possible adjourned at 9:45,
and in FIVE minutes the hall was empty.
Mayor Stevens was sick in bed and the
whole duty of preserving the peace rested
upon the Sheriff.
at FIVE minutes of ten the fire bells
struck 621, the number of the Court
house, Instantly the city was in commo-
ton. Everybody knew what it meant.
Crowds filled the Jail. Fifteen thousand
people were there In fifteen minutes.
The first overt act was by some boys who
began to stone the jail. Very soon a
crowd gathered, 1t was soon reinforced
from the Music Hall meeting In short
time all the windows of the jail were
broken.
The crowd had ropes. They broke into
3 carriage factory across the street and
took out huge beam sledge-hammer, &c.
A dozen men ran with the beam as bat
sering ram against the jail door and forced
It open.
The police upon arriving in the vicinity
1f the Jail commanded the crowd to move;
not being obeyed, they fired, but as no
one was hurt it was presumed the police j
fred in the air-they being deeply in sym. (
patty with the movement to condemn I
5he outrageous Berner verdict. A shot or /
TWO was fred from the Jail, but the crowd ]
refused to move. % II
Inside the Sheriff, Jafler and Deputies {
zept themselves ais calm as possible.
.riad to And the Rurters and To haf@sr