The Douglas independent. [volume] (Roseburg, Or.) 187?-1885, 1884-04-05
Riot in Cincinnati.

who stood behind tie door and when
his victim entered smashed his head
with hammer. He robbed him of
| S400, put the body into the wagon of
the mt.rlcred man and hauled it off and
dumped it into Mill creek, where it was
found a few days later. Suspicion
rested apon Berner, but the proof Was
onlv circumstantia!. After heine ar
rested he was offered certain ciemencv
by the officers, who virtually promised
that he would not at all events be
hung if he made full confession, which
be thereupon did, making the crime
most bideous indeed He was after
ward duly indicted for murde, IN the
first degree. He appeared by able
counsel, who, when the confession was
offered in testimony. objected to the
admission OF the same, upon the ground
that the confession was obtained by the
promises improperly made bv the Off
GERS. The court sustained the ohjec--
tion, holding that a confession obtained
by false hopes of reward, or By threats
Of torture, was not a voluntary confes-
son and, therefore, ruled that the jury
could not consider the same. They
then proceeded to try the case, indie
pendent of anything Berner might have
said, under the circumstances mention
ell. The case throughout seems to have
been considered very fairly and pru-
IDENTIFY hy the court. After the usual
instructions the jury retired aud sub
sequentiy returned verdict Of man
slaughter Iii the fist degree. The
Judge promptly sentenced the prisoner
to confinement in the penitentiary for
twenty years and rcmanded him to the
officers, to be taken to Columbus The
trouble then began. The people were
indignant at the event of the trial and
some very prominent citizens expressed
themselves so III IL quiet, orderly man
ner. OF this feeling mAny dcmoniac
hoodlnms took advantage and law
less young devil exclaimed, 'FoIlow
me: On to Jail and hang Berner"'
This was the signal the sequel for which
is above expressed in the word horrible
!; commenced little after midnight
Of The 9th and continued until early
in tie morning Of Sunday last. An
| assault was first made upon the county
jail, which wos promptly barricaded
; and desperately and successfully de-
/, Tended throughout. Some in,atiate
fend suggested "hre the court house
and treasurer office" No sooner said
than done, We have read of the van
dalism of the Goths, Visigoths and
i Huns, but remember nothing to equal
4 this villainy. In one case they were in
the lands of enemies. but in this the
mob was pillaging their own homes, OF
+ household Of their friends. Many gar
laat soldiers, officers and firemen fell
8 befole the crazy wrath of the rioters
Notably was the death of Capt. Des
y mond, who died bravely leading de-
I tachMent to defend the court house
i. The troops withheld solid shot unit
V further patience became impossible
}. The fourteenth regiment seemed to have
!. properly considered the situation ant
: finding that to stop further progress o.
the pandemonium little killing wa.
necessary, proceeded to kill i'll the old
{ fashioned, fighting style. AS the re-
II suit Of several we'll directed yolley
= the mob began to retlect that TIE one
l. sided aspect Of affairs had suddenl,
changed; that they were actually con
fronted with the strong arm of the law
;, backed by the firm, determined powe
Il of the great State of Ohio. The
> looked around and found dead and dy
y ing on every hand and Grape for man,
doors, and bitter, burning tears from
i sorrowing hearts. In the bewilderc'
" daze of the moment, as coming from
" dream, they could see the smoulderin!
y ashes of their magnificent court hous
II and library the pride of All our pee
y pie and3 worse still, records of inappre
'e ciable value gone forever, the loss Q
whicNwiIl entail confusion and distres
upon millions yet unborn. The live
. Of hundreds Kiels or Bernels canno
atone for the sins they have committed
They can realize now that they yer
- maniacs or fends incarnate, or bot
combined. They wanted to drive Law
= yers from their homes, but in fe,
:: ) days they will want to import more
The law will yet be yindicated an
% many of them will in due time NEE
Mr.. Berner in his twenty-Year res
= dence at Columbus, where he is no
=, resting from the effects of his race frol
= their pursuit of vengeance. "Vel
/ geance is mine, says the All Wise OF
en- and hard as it may seem, the leade
oh =, ~ rr