The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1884-04-02

on duty az the JAIL night before last at
was night OF terror 20 me, not so much
from fear for NV own safety as for the safe
ty Of the people outside, who were attack
ING us. I didn't want any blood on my
hands, nor did want 10 be shot myself;
but for some time It seemed 10 me that a
hand-to-hand conflict was inevitable. n
such thing had started the result would
have been terrible, but all one-sided, as we
were armed and the persons composing the
mob, as a rule, were not. | fired once, but
don't know. whether any one was struck or
not. | hope not. After that I confess |
hadn't the nerve TO fire into that
crowd. II it is found necessary tonight.
as il was last night, will shoot to kill, and
so will the other boys, because a man who
goes with a mob tonight will run great
er risk than ever, and IL killed, no one can
be blamed but himself"
BRAVERY OF THE MOB.
Another member OF the same company,
middle-aged fellow, who spent the MEM
orabIe night inside the Jail, said: "Well,
sir, sou should have seen some OF those
kids who were trying to break IN from the
sides and the rear Of the Jail. 1t was ac-
tually amusing to notice their bravery.
Guns and bayonets had not the least effect
on them, and when gun was placed I'M
der ones very nose he cared no more for
il than though 1t were Il stick. That mob
was, without doubt, the most stubborn
one have ever seen, aud I've seen several
i'm my time. 1t meant business from the
word go. and the funny part Of it was the
gang was composed principally OF kids"
This milItiaman probably did not observe
the elder men who stood back encouraging
the kids" and urging them on.
1.-THE worst part Of the night" said a
third, "was when the smoke entered the
jail II was almost sufocating, and for
awhile we thought the mob would sue
coed in smoking everybody out. You
should have seen us lying flat on the floor
in the smoke. Was scared? Well, not
exactly. | didn't feel safe, for the bowl
ders were peltng through the windows
like hailstOBcS."
"Now. weren't you fellows pretty badly
scared?" was asked Of a yOuthful-lcOkiDg
"sOldier" in full uniform.
"Well, TO tell the truth, the boys were
all ratified, and not one OF them kept his
head"
Ibid you shoot?"
Eyes. but in the air. Don't know how
many times ] tired. but you'd better be-
lieve didn't like the business much. Had
it been anything but mob OF citizens try
Ing to enforce the law in their own way il
wouldn't have been so bad, but the sympa-
thies OF good many OF the boys were with
the crowd, and II WAS hard matter 10
shoot anybody"
WAS THERE RECKLESS SHOOTING:
Many citizens strongly denounce the
SIilitIa for reckless and unnecessary shoot
ing. About O'Clock in the morning OF
Friday. after the mob had retreated to
Main street, citizen saw two men who
said they had been standing in front OF the
saloon on the corner OF Main and Court
streets, when shot, staGger into the saloon.
Near 3 o'clock the mob had substantially
dispersed. None Of them were in the inn
mediate vicinity OF the Jail or nearer than
Court and Main. A comparatively small
crowd OF men wers standing there, not
making any demonstration whatever, hut
rather as spectators, distant, rs they sup
posed, from the points Of danger.
The militia, without any pr0Y0catlOn
or necessity or excuse, suddenly emerged
from the corner OF the Jail on Sycamore
street, and fired yollcy up North Court
street. The citizen above mentioned saw
four men near him drop from the effects OF
this yoley. Those shot were quickly borne
by their comrades to the patrol wagons in
front OF the armory on Court street,
near Walnut. A dozen or fifteen men
remained on the sidewalk in front Of
the armory talking about the terrible
slaughter by the militia, but not max
ing any demonstrations, when the stem
torian voice OF John Desmond, in charge
OF the armory, was heard, u command
Won all to disperse at once. under peril Of
your lives" and at the same time the SOL
ders in the armory seemed 20 be anxious to
carry the threat into execution. There was
no delay in dispensing. One man on the
run cried back " | suppose it affords you
n great deal OF amusement to shoot down
decent citizens like dogs" In fact, so
far as was observed, the militia seemed to
have lost all appreciation Of the value OF
human lives. and shot men down on sight
as il they were so many rabbits.