The Warner weekly sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1885, 1884-04-11
BLOODY BUCKEYE RIOT.
Graphic Details of the Destruction
Drought - G;zsa=s. ~ LIE
Infatuated Mob.
:cwenty-Seven Lives Sacrificed and q
Large Number Wounhed-The
Revised List.

we're heard on Friday, bro53 out in earnest on
Saturday and a large number of lives were sac
rifced and an immense amount of property,
and all on account of a verdict of manslaughter
against a man named Benner for the murder
of 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 were James Green, dying; Walter Fay,
dying; James Turk, mogt2lly wounded; i.
Zohner, wounded in thigh; Ed Enlleff, shot in
leg: jackson Todd, badly; Dr. Charles Mus
croft, poiee-surgeon, slight wound Finally
the mob finding that Berner had been
spirited away, dispersed. Benner was
taken to the State Penitentiary at Columbus.
His escape greatly incensed the people, and the
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
far as is known, being left What that entails
is easier imagined than described One of the
most valuable law libraries in the worlds gone.
Taxes cannot 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 a few scattering militia men, upon whom
all seemed anxious to wreak revenge for the
wreck of the early morn, appeared in the
throng, intent upon Joining their comrades in
the court house. skill them, kill, kill" was
heard upon every side, while stones and mis-
siles of every kind few over and, about them,
crashing through the windows, battering dow
doors and causing other destruction. BY a
miracle those stragglers escaped but their as
sailants, thus encouraged, pressed on the long
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 iii ear
nest.
The flames, gaining Roadway, created a draft
through the building, and that increased their
fury so that in a short time the lower story of
the building looked like a huge furnace. About
1880 o'clock the flames appeared through the
floor of the auditors office, and In a short
time the whole Office was ablaze. The flames
were, of course fed by splendid fuel, the hum
dreds of volumes of records burning very
rapidly.
The crowd surged back and forth on Court
street west of Main, as a yolley was fired by
che 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 voiley, whore
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 ahdS refused. The crowd would there
fore allow ~ enc to approach the fire for the
purpose of eNtinguishing it An alarm was
sent in, but When the engines arrived the fire.
men were advised t. return to the houses, and
they acted on the adyce.
Capt Devine and j. }, Desmond, captain of
Company G.. First regimSnt, attempted to drag
q line of hose in the treasCrers office, and they
persisted in their efforts to reach the fire, after
being warned. There was an explosion and a
flash, and Capt Desmond dropped dead, with
the top of his head shot of. This was the sig
nal for a regular fusilade. There was no
further attempt to put out the flames until the
arrival of the Fourteenth regiment, which
formed in a squad facing the front, when one
Of the files opened fire, killing Q by-stander
on the sidewalk and getting a series OF pistol
shots in return. Col. Fred Heube, in charge
Of q Calling gun, then turned at the crowd,
and two or three persons were wounded, the
regiment cleared the street In front OF the
court house.
going on between the soldiers at the b~arricades
before both the Jail and court house and the
mob. The latter party were mostly armed with
pistols, some having guns. Iney would nre
on the soldiers who would reply and nov ana
then in a volley they would drop a half dozen.
The mob would howl and yell and charge for
ward only to be repulsed- Nobody ever se-
cured such a connected view OF them as 10 en-
able their number to be estimated, but count
ing spectators as all rioters, there must have
been
AT LEAST TWENTY THOUSAND.
and not unlikely twicea as many. They extend
cd for squares in various directions
THE STREET IN THE CITY
last Saturday night was South Court street
Here the militia charged on the crowd two or
three different times. The first was made about
1880 o'clock, when five men were shot three
OF whom were killed. The next volley was
fred from the north, and one man killed and a
little boy mortally wounded. The third volley
came from the east, and resulted In the killing
OF three men.
and Tom Campbell counsel for Benner and
she jury were damned by everybody. Men
swore by awful round oaths that If they could
catch Tom Campbell and the jury they would
hang them sky-high, and then hurl them to hell
Again and again was the attemptmade to reach
the Jail yard gate from North Court street;
wounded and dead were left each time. Per-
ssons shot all hours of the night. The most
grit shown by any one way from the court mouse
was by those on guard at PowelIs gun store,
ammunition, they tried to put coal oil over the
front and set ii on fire, but it was put out
Meantime those inside we're showing hight, and
from the second story fought them on, killing
at least one, and it Is thought three, IN q VIM
dow. On the other side of the street there are
eight bClleth holes Within . radius OF fifteen IN
ches.
About s o'clock Sunday night . regiment from
Columbus guarding the Court street approach
was fired into by one of the mob from an alley
between Main and Walnut, on Court The
troops answered the challenge BY q few shots,
which were followed BY q yolley and several
shots from the Calling stationed there, The
number of.miured at this hon cannot DO as-
eertained The firing was now continued at In
tervals in all directions. 1t was the purpose OF
the militia to clear the streets. One volley
fired down Main street wounded, among others,
Nh. Briggs Swift, a prominent pork packer,
standing at the corner of Seventh and Main,
three &C .uares from the court house, IN conyer-
sation with Henry Hanna, a Third street bro
ker. He was struck and mostserlonsly wound
ed, and was conveyedto his home in . carriage
AT 9:25 word was received at general head
quarters that d large mob had broken into
Music hall by breaking down the door, and was
trying u man a cannon on Exhibition ID f0Mer