Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-16
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state service. The mob was violating q
/ state law. aud Il Is safe 10 presume that
] Governor Letcher or the Mayor (yerv likely
the Governof) managed all those little de-
tails, which. with the presence OF the STATE
/ Guard, disposed ~ the most remarkable MOD
In the history Of Richmond.
MAJOR pAsfEL's STORY.
The Msjor said that when Harper's Ferry
was captured At The beginning OF the war
ell the available machinery Tor the msnufsc-
tUrc OF arms was taken TO Richmond. Hun.
dreds OF workmen and their wives ana
daughters had been employed In ihe arse
nails and machine shops, and they followed.
the machiuery 70 the capital III search Oh
employment. They got ~ For tune
they we're regularly. paid In good money,
and eyerythiDe moved smootnv. but as
/ the currency deprecated they began ~ sur
/ Ter. The moneV received by the workmcn
would no, support thcig families. AZ the
war progressed Confederate notes became
almost yaueless The wages OF the workmen
would not purchase food Tor ihcir families.
They protested, but in vain. Tney were too
patriotic 10 organize revolution. Tbelr
women, however, formed q secret society.
based on communistic principles. They
seem TO have held that their husbands were
working for the Coniederacy, and that the
Coniederscy was tho only safety oil the gro
GERS and shopktepeTs. Wttbout ciothihg
and provisions their husbands and sons must
.top work. This would cut OF necessary
munitions and supplies. The Government
| would fail, ana ali be involved in one com
mon ruin. To avoid this general division
Of food and clothing must be made
While standing 10 Main street one morn-
ing the Major witnessed an extraordihsry
scene. Hundreds OF women suddenly sp-
| peared The broad avenue was filled with
them. They came filing 10 from the cross
streets bV plstoons. and began 10 sacg the
stores Hollow.eyed aud esunt VITA nun.
ger, nobody dared resist them. A crowd OF
men hung upon the outskirts, o1ernS no IN
reference and expressing no sympathy TOT
the shop. keepers. fhe women took the stores
in line, one after the other. They proceeded
systcmaticav. The goods we're piled upon
wagons drawn by horses driven bv female
synpathZers. Not 3 word was spOken. The
work was done With terrible earnestness
When the mob entered a grocery certain
percentase Of them piled the goods upon the
outstTetched arms OF the others, and they
we've borne 10 the streets and dumped INTO
the wagons. The women had u all their
own wSy Neither soldiers nor police were
in sight. Meanwhile the crowd increased.
Other women heard what was going 90, and
plupder. Not man Joined them, and for
long time no one made an effort 10 stop
them. At last Colonel Baldwin, OF virginia,
iumped upon a dry-gOOds box, and made an
impsssioned appeal for law and order. He
might a. well have talked TO the wind. No
one paid the least attention 70 him. The
women went on with their sarklng, and the
bystandcrs drowned Baldwn's voice with
their whoops and cheers.
awhile / was gazing az the scene" said
the Msjor. al saw a captain Of cavalry
regiment, with whom bad aslight acquaint-
ance We were both in uniform. We
acreed that something ought TO be done to
restore order and stop the robbery. Al bis
suggestion we stationed ourselves at the door
Of a store already overrun. In afew seconds
q yirasO tried TO pass us. can see her now.
Her cheeks and lips were red. but she had a
pipcbed, starved look, and an eye like
hawk. She carried In her arms ball dozen
bars OF yellow soap, piece OF dress silk,
long box Of stockings, and some raisias and
heTrings. ] said
"' Madam, | beg your pardon; bu' you
are forgetting yourself. These goods are
not yours. You have not paid Tor them, and
you Will not be permitted TO leave this store
with them
"she looked at me-" said the Major, ain
prehend what had said, and then went TO
the counter and threw down the goods. As
she came back she deliberately took me
by the arm and slung me from her with
such force that / went spinning around Ike
top. and struck the front of the building so
hard that II took the breath ont Of me. She
then quietly gathered up her load from the
counter aud walked out. The Alabama cap
tain looked at me and laughed, but kept bis
bands In bis pockets and said nothing. |
told him bought we were out OF place,
aud he nodded. We concluded alter that
TO remain simple spectators.
.Meanwhile the women were approach
ing near the Old market. Certain people |
down there were credited with great wealth.
II was said that they had made barrels OF
money ont az the Confedcracy, and the ie-
male Communists went at them without
ouslm Of conscience. The shopkeepers, |
however, had heard what was going on |
above sud tried to protect themselves. They |
nut up their shutters, barriosded their doors, !
ran upstairs, aud watched the proceeds |
mgs from the second story windows. !
But the women were not dismayed. |
While some Of them ran for axes, |
others found q lone piece OF seantliDg |
aud used Il az a batteriug'ram. The first !
door flew open amid the cheers OF the out |
~.
mine kott mine kott | ish ruined, | ish |
ruiuedl, was the cry. But they made no |
further defence. Indeed 1t would have been |
DANGEROUS for them 70 attempt II, for Il one |
of the female robbers had been hurt the |
crowd Of husbands and brothers would sure
ly have avenged IL.
"And So" said the Major, "the spoliation |
continued At lqst rumor ran through the |
street, The Governor is coming Improved |
true Down the hill cane Governor Letcher, |
accompanied by his staff aud few friends"
Then q second ruBor spread over the |
crowd. The President was coming. This
also proved true. President Davis rode
down. followed by Captain Gay aud the
rurlic Guard. lie mounted wagon and
everybody was silent. had seen him sew
eral times but had never heard him speak.
40 forced my way within ten feet of him
and stood spel.bound. II was the most elo-
oueut speech ever besrd. Tall and slender,
he swayed with emotion like the wllloY IN
the wiud. His words were carefully chosen.
He sDske OF his experience in the Mexican
war, and while expressing bis deepest SYM
patby with the sorrows and suilerings OF the
children OF the Coniederacy, ste My mains
taised tbe nectssitv OF law and order.
The Msjor beard that many Of the women
stopped pillAgiBg, and gathered at distance
lI&fCnlOE 10 lus WoIUH iuel tutt tOulu NahNhs
AT the close OF bis speech the President C) !
toek out his watch And gazed al it long aud
earnestly.
"Csp,ain GAY" said he, "order your men
10 load with ball cartridges"
The order was obeyed, and the ringing on
ramrods was heard. The crowd began 10
give way.
"Capialu CAV" said the President, % still
looking ut his watch, "if THIS street is not
cleared within five minutes, order your men
to tie down the street until 1t IS cleared"
The scene was on Franklin street near the
Old market. net on Main. | first saw the
mob on Main near the old American Hotel.
Mr. Davis rode away. Within three
minutes there was net soul In sight but the
Guards. The mob funuelled itself into the
side streets. Those nearest the President
gave the information to those in front and
rushed against them with the force Of a wave.
"They are gong to fire " The words
were heard by the pllierers In the stores.
They knew the character OF jefferson Davis
aud Of Governor Letcher aud thew knew the