Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-04-25
ATLANTA'S RIOT.
q LIVELY AFFAIR W4lCH TOOK PLACE
JUST BEFORE THE SIEGE.
Startling Piece Of Ncws-PIundered by
Mob Of Female Rioters-A Pro-
prictor'- Fate-A Novel
Plan Of Defense.


Atlanta Constitution
ATLANTA was better uf than Richmond
during the war, said u gentleman. the
other day. AT least she did not have a
bread riot
The Speaker was mistaken. Atlanta had
a bread riot several months before the
siege, and 1t was a lively affair while il
lasted. 1t did not attract As much atten-
ton aS the Richmond outbreak. but thar
was probably beCau>e we did not have
President Davis here 10 speak to the rioters
Our authorities managei the business with
out parade Or noise, and cams out of it very
nicely
1t must he underst ood that the Atlanta
OF 1864 was not the Atlanta Of to-day. 1t
was a depot of supplies for Gen Joe John
ston'S army. The fiery crest Of war blazsd
in front The street, echoed with the tread
Of armed soldiers. The operations of the
enemy and the needs of the Confederates
sometimes reduced the food supply to a low
ebb, and the most common necessarles Of
life commanded high prices. Even in the
days when ",hinplasters' wers most abuni-
ant, soldiers wives and widows found
money hard to get and there were many
OF these unfortunate, in Atlanta. Yet they
had TO live, and with them the problem was
how TO live without money.
A STARTLING PIECE OF NEWS.
One afternoon the merchants and their
clerks were rUussi from their u ,ual apathy
by a startling piece of news All along ths
streets flew ths alarm. mob coming g-breat
rlot! Crowds Of curious spectators gath.
cred on the side walks and filed the will
dows. The merchants half closed their
door, aud sto ii waiting to lock up As soon
as they saw the mob Thousands Of soldier,
sauntered CareleSSly about with smiling
faces. They weTa eager to see the fun.
a cloud of dust whirled out Of Alabama
street ami turnel down Whitehall Out OF
the cloud har,t roaring din. a medley of
sbrill voice, mingled with the clash OF arms
1t was the mob, the bread rioters The
store doors closed in the twinkling of an
eye ani the merchants stood out in the
street awaiting developments. The rioters
we're women. Old women were there with
haggard faces AMI brown, >hrivsled arms
Young women with paintel faces were with
them. Some were armei with pistols,
others with hatchets They wore sunbon-
nets, AMI were dres-e in homespun They
were accompanied by numerous hangers-on
in the shape Of soldiers from the hospitals
The most casual observer could not fail to
properly SO up the mob at glanca 1t
WIS compo ei Of the worst women and the
IN st vicious men in the town. Their object
WA not food; 1t was indiscriminats robbery
CARRYING OFF THE PLUNDER.
Very soon the CO. peratlou Of the soliiers
with these wOmsn was explained They
were on hand TO do the fighting, if neces-
>ary. and II carry off the spoils Occa-
siUnally merchant would protest against
the sacking Of his store. He would ex postu.
late with the women, AMI then several
brawny soliiers woull hustle him to the
rear. and cuff him into "a state of passive
submission. There was no blOOdShed The
doors were broken open with axes, and the
mob required only few minutes to pick
out what they wanted They took very
little, nothing but light packages The
female rioters forgot that they were en-
gagged in a bread riot, AMI went in for pinch
beck jewery, ribbons and dry good The
sold iers took nothing. They merely carried
the pIunier of the women
In front of one store some show Of oppoSi-
tion wa5 male The proprietor was a
f,reigner He was a handsome man, of
Curtly address, and good speaker He
fIounted box and said:
"My good women
Hear him!' yelled an old hag, "He calls
Us women
The nonplusseI merchant stared at the
crowd stupidity. He felt that he could not
say ~laiies" TO such an assembly But he
went On. He said
"I -ympathlze with you from the bottom
of my heart"
"Open that door, yelled the mob
This raid on the stores" continued the
speaker, @can dc You no good Now, if you
will come to me TO morrow | will make ar
to give you all work that
A burst Of howls, yellS and oathS drowned
the voice Of the miserable man Several
old women made a rush for him, shouting:
"You rascal, you! You have the impu-
dence to tell southern ladies 10 work.
They seized him in jlffy. pulled him
down from the box, tore hi. c rat from his
back, and compelled him to take to hi, heels.
OF cour-e they looted that store They
didn't leave enough in it to STOCK a peanut
staud-
NOVEL PLAN OF DEFENSE.
The rioters swept on down the street No
a