West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1884-04-04

CINCINNATI, March SO-The Indignation
OF the people over the verdict in the Bcr.
ner murder case, which developed into the
lNnch-law mob and attack ON the county
Jail, was at a fever heat last night and Ham.
htou Count vs. costly and magnificent Court
house was fired aud almost entirely con.
sumed. IL was n bloody night. Over ono
hundred people were killed and wounded.
Yesterday morning groups gathered upon
every street corner, and the mutterings of
the crowd were continuous. with the first
glimpse Of morn the curious crowd
began assembling in tho vicinity OF the
Court'house and Jail, called from their
beds at this unusual hour by the almost
ceaselcss firing of musketry tho night be-
fore. Long before noon all had become
aware OF the carnage OF the night. Hand
bills were flung i'm the faces OF tho many,
urging the citizens To- organize at once
snd make one clean sweep OF the bloody
business while they were at IL. Heal
sores 10y purifying the body" was tho
motto displayed, Che cry being that public
safety demanded immediate action. This
call Tor the vigilauls >till further iuflamcd
The minds OF the mtsses, and looking upon
the wreck and ruin, the blood stains and
bullet scars visible everywhere about the
were augmented TO open threats even the
more peaceful elements OF the community v
80 Tar forgetting the majesty of the law ns
10 lend countenance to evidently to.be-re-
newed riots. So dark was tho outlook
that the building of barricadcs was
immediately began in the jail, tho
Ihtling gun, afterwards To he
used with such deadly effect, wheeled
into place, the militia, five hundred strong,
ensconsed within the huge stone ediiice. and
platoons OF police stationed at the head of
every street giving access 10 the county
buildings. Dusk had hardly set i'm when
the masses began TO assemble and threaten
the structure in which was lodged the oh.
JeCts OF their vengeance Beyond the cus.
tomary hum of voices and an occasional
shout OF some chance drunkard in the crowd. .
nothing was at first to be heard from tho
obstinate and determined mob. Lights he
gan 20 flicker i'm the adjacent bywuys and
the buildings were illuminated for
squares around, anxious aud expect
ant watchers being stationed at every win-
dow About the jail, however, all was
darkness, tho street lamps even having
been eNtingui shed, and grim i'm it's solitude
IL stood threatening, like mighty fortress
on rock. The gloom of night being now
tairly upon them, the rioters bu tiled into
action, though with the same seemingly
aimless purpose as upon the preceding
evening.
There was no organization i'm the crowd
IL was rabblc and dozen compact soldiers
or policemen could have made them run
tkr sheep. A big, henvy. fea tured res meet.
ably-dressed German essaycd 20 bo leader.
He had "A club In his hand. "BoysU be
shouted, "follow me: let's go around To the
Joii yard gate and burst it open, aud take
out the ---'p we'll arose mud 0uv
men ana boys fell into rough line About
ouc-third Of them carried broom handles,
clubs, axes, rakes and hammers They
went around North Court street, the crowd
surging behind them. They were met by n
Hs.IN Na..V q 81 a l.....
mob rushed back, heads low, and brandish.
lng wildly their weapons. Two or three
were seen 10 stumble. The militia did not
pursue the mob, but were evidently content
with preventing AN onslaught on the Jail.
The remarks Of the crowd were siguin.
cant. Berner's attorney, Tom Campbell
ana the jury were damned by cverybody
Berncr had several npologists. OF course,
they argued, he could not be blamed for
trying TO save his neck from the palIow,s
although he deserved TO be hanged and
quartcred. "But that Tom Campbell. who
'hXcd' the jury; aud Shaw, who got a thou.
sand dollars, he ought 70 have red hot lead
poured down his throatl"
Men swOre by awful round oaths that IL
they could catch Tom Campbell and tho
jury they would hang them sky-high.
a lew scattering militiamen, upon whom
all seemed 90 wrcnk revenge for the
carnage Of the carly morn in which n
number were killed and wounded. uoyy nm.
peared i'm the throng, intent upon Joining
their comrades in the COurt-hOuse rOtuuda
XIII them! kill thcmW was heard uuon
every side, while stones and missiles Of
every description flew over aud about them
crashing through windows, battering down
doors and causing other destruction.
By n miracle these strngglsrs eg.
capped, but their assail8nts, thus
encouraged, pressed upon the long line of
police, 20 whose protection the militiamen
owed their lives, and continuing tho fusi.
lade OF stones, the windows OF the Treasu.
rer's office were demolished and the riotinp
began in earnest. The patrolmen, gs a
warming, discharged "A vOlley Of blank
cartridges from their navy sizes md the
,rOwd Tor an instant wavered. some Of tue
more timid even taking 90 flight, but the
leaders again pressed on, when nuotbcr
voiIey was given them. Confusion now
"ciRned supreme. The sounding bells soon
announced the burning OF the Trensurprts
Office and all the records i'm ATTEMPT
ing 10 save which Can't John L.
Desmond, Of Company Is, First
Regiment .. n. g., was shot through the
mead and instantly killed. Other victims
were soon added 20 the list. The Rnttliug
gun with death-dealing force was shortly
turned upon the crowd, and the npbtiug
from that on became no longer contest
for the prisoners ih the jail, but q general
warfare upon the militia. At miduIpbttbe
dead and dying were thick about the Court.
1Ous" square, which building being i'm
flames ~ Us thought will be totally do.
strDyed. The Fire Department being cent
for refused 20 respond, and guards we're
sent 90 them iu answer 10 their teIcuNope
demand for aid. AZ Eugine-houss no 4.
steam engines Nos. 3 and were then ,yait.
ing for an escort Of troops.
a number Of the leaders Of the rioters
were arrested, carried into tho iaI and
locked up. Ibey were ali nico.npurartuv
fellows and well dressed. Another of t.o
rioters being wounded was taken within
the jail, a smoking revolver still iu 1l.
blOOd-staiued hands Officers Kennedy
and Lieutenant Tom Meara at one time
rushed into the as,aulting crowd and ar
rcsfcd John skinner, Pat Fizzer and another
man, who appeared 20 be "a leader. and AN
were placed behind the bars immediately.
At few minutes past ~ O'Clock the
Fourteenth Regiment of militia was or.
dered % file out into the open square facing
the Court-hguse and charge with fixed BAY.
ouets upon the crowd, and disperse them
a. all hazards.
BY II o'clock the mob had eucceeded ip
setting he interior Of tho Slsrin's Office
on ere, and, defending the approach 20 It's
confines in the lower portion n the Court.
house proper, the entire building was soon
in flames. III was while leading n defacb.
mcnt OF men into this apartment from
the rOtunda that Captain Desmond and
Private McGuirc were Killed. Lieutenant
Of Police Deviuo and Recorder Hin still
pushed ON despite the shower of bullets
from the attacking party without, but ala
Efforts 20 saHe the records proved Iutilo.
From here the econhagfatiOu spread rapidly.
and the huge stone edihsc was bv midnight
wrapped in towering sheets Of 6nmos and