Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1888-12-16
OUR RICHMOND M0BS.
sonx EXPERIENCES IN rars CITY WITH
UsRuLY MASSES
Two Governors fhreatsned-rhe Bread
Ret "-Burning Of the Psnitsntisry
and More Recent Exploits


ham have led some Of our elderly ciiizeps
70 rsnsack memory and revive tradition TO
sec n ever Richmond was Afflicted with
mob, and n 80, 20 What extent they dis
turbed The public peace and inflicted iniury
upon their fellow.cliizens. From this re-
Prospect It sppears that our mobs usually
have been OF a plscsoie nature. and have
been more dangerous in promise than w
Performance. Howeycr on two occasions
they threatened 10 do great violence 70
Governors Of The state. on another II took
.-fsr President. the Governor, and the Dill
kffy all combined 10 csuse them 10 subslde
late peaceful pursuits. and al various other
times they have eViuccd a most Insusordi-
nate spirit, bat upon the appearance OF The
milltaIyor large hodles Of police Inyarlsbly
they have been persuaded that home was The
beet Place for them. On these several occa-
tsons some clubbing aud knocking were
done, but II never became necessary TO APP
peal 70 that sovereign remedy which resides
In powder and ball.
WHY TIE CAPITOL SQUARE HAS PENCE
AROUND IT.
Many strangers who come here and spend
sunny days in The spitol square, feeding the
snuirrels and viewing the sisiuary, ask why
in the world that piece OF ground (which -
capable ~ being made the finest little psrk In
the country IL inclo,ed with tall IRON
sepcef Whist IL there to steal, what is there
90 protecty they ask, since hogs and cattle
are DO longer permitted 10 roam at large In
the centre Of the city.
The correct answer IL rarely forthcoming.
The formidable spear.sbsped iron paiings
or pickets are usually supposed to be rene
OF old times, and rarely de the people bother
Themselves TO inquire further. But tho
truth is that but for an extraordinary CIR.
eunsiance the Legislature would have lett
the Capitol square in-its pristine condition,
free fso far ~ the fence has anything 70 do
with iD 10 be erazed upon by goats, cows.
and hegs. A Richmond mob caused that
fence 10 be built, and II II a question II their
explOit was not the most disastrous piece oil
work for the city that was ever done. mas
much ~ It heightened and exaggerated and
long continued thst latent hostility which
alWays and cVeryw here exists between rural
snd urban comnuHilles.
.'The IRON fence around the Capitol
gquare.D said no old citizen, who has written
q grea; deal about Richmond, "was erected
during The admiuistratton Of Governor
Nicholas usl4|i6l. II seems" be coz
tinucd, " that Governor Nicholas ana
citizen named Nluston, who lived on Church
Jfli. we're close friends. Winston was a
butcher and carried on an extensive husi-
ness, having bis slaughter-pens near Rich
mond. IThey nre said 10 have been on
ShockOe creek near where the city taii IL and
almost on The site Of the present Valley pub
IIc.school building, formerly the LAncsste-
Tian school, Governor Nicholas and his
friend v insi0n formed partnership, aud at
tertain seasons Of the yer the Governor
would bring down from his farm In West
Virginia large herds Of swine. The idea Of
the Governor a. Virginia engsging IN the
bulcherlng business was repugnast TO Ger.
tain Of our citizeBs. most OF whom were OPP
Vosed 70 the Governor ia politics, and Que
niVhi they had the fence around the mansion
festooned with heg-entralls. When the
Legislature convened General Blackburn,
representative from the county from which
Governor Nicholas came. declared that the
oct was intended A. a fling A. the country
members, and he introduced resolution
looking 10 the erection a an iron fence
around the Capitol square. The resolution
evoked n lively ard spirited discussion and
was passed. aud the iron fence now standing
was ordered To bee erected. When II was
finished the gates were locked and no person
was permitted 20 pass through the square
after T.. NJ, and this rule continued for
some years.
MEXICAN WAR RIOT.
Politics seem always to have run high In
Richmond, aud there was comfortable
manifestation Of them 10 1916 During a
part Of that year there was United states
revenue enter Wing in our harbOr and In is
crew were bsnd OF musicians who were con-
fidered very Gne players A number Of
Democrats seated one night IN Dick
JIaskins's store at Rockets hearing the music
81 the band ss its echoes died ashore In the
twilight, resolved that they would secure the
musicians aud 10 w and serenade Extra
Billy smith. who wa, then Governor. They
did SO. and numerous patriotic speeches
were made, and the war was the chef topic.
Returning down town tho parading states
men became very hilarious, and rs the night
wore on and their enthusiasm swelled,
they grew unruly aud inflicted injuries
upon divers Of then fcllOw.cltizens OF the
opposite party, and the consequence was
that The nighi-waich made some arrests and
carried tue prisoners to the cage, at the Ola
market
Now, the valor OF the crowd by this time
having reached \ high pitch they marched
60 the cage and liberated or threatened to
liborate their unfortunate brothers; aud
hereupon arose most exciting commotiou
and great crowds filled the streets, and there
was great excitement and dreadful alarm,
md the mob did considerable violence after
the oTCsr OF those unruly gentlemen, but
the authorities OF that day long since gone
20 slumber with their torofathers In Sheckoe
cemetery and 1T. Johns called out the
Public Guard and other military, snd pretty
soon had the disturbers Of the peace dis
pcrsed and the ringlcaders arrested
Among the military that night called upon
was the company Of Captain Il. G.. Scott,
which had been formed to co TO the war,
and WAS then at the United States Hotel
awaiting orders.
TALK ABOUT HANGING GOVERNOR.
The doings Of the Aforesaid mob. though
not ~ very peaccahle and orderly charac-
ter, compared favorably 10 the bnldness of
front Mt first, put on by large number OF
people who held that the law aad puzzle sem
timent had been outraged by Governor
johnson. THIS executive had excited the
ire OF The community by committing 10 traus-
portation for life, the sentence Of negro
man who hsd been condemned TO death;
his offence beieg killing the manager OF the
tohacco.f setory In which he was employed.
Jordan Hatcher killed Mr.. William =.
Jackson February %, 1852 Jackson was
chasttlng Hatcher when Hatcher suddenly
seized an iron poker and dealt Jackson 4
mortal blow. A number OF the most re-
spectacle citizens OF Richmond, believing
that Hatcher had no intention oi.cnmmittlug
murder. petitioned the Governor for q COM
mutation OF the death-sentence, and II was
granted.
A public meeting held at the City Hall
passed resolutions condemnatory OF the
Governor. aud after the meeting was over
people TO the number OF about 1000 marched
over 10 the Governors Mansion, where they
behaved in 4 tumultuous manner, threw
stones at the windows, aud uttered most
eavage cries and denunclations.
II seemed 10 be TIE wish OF some 10 destroy
the manson and lynch the Governor; but II
40 they lacked leader, and while besitaling,
Mayor Lambert, Lommeuwtalth's-A Attorney
Joe Mayo, and j. :. Spalding, OF the Wbig,
made speeches which mollited the mob and
caused 70 10 disperse. IL is uncertain II the
Public Guard was called out; probably 10
was. theagh not put to actual use; but 4
number OF police officers we're al band, and
were In the dining room Gin The basement)
with the Governor when there were pro.
possis 10 hang bis Excelieney "with briat "
and With "a grapevine" &c, &c.