The Memphis appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1886-1890, 1888-12-15
SEEKING A SOLUTION.
INVESTIGATING THE CAUSE OF THE
BIRMINGHAM RIOT.
some Witnesses Of the Opinion That
the Dreadful Calamity Could Have
Been Averted--Many OF the Crowd
Boys.


BiRIEGmAM, Ala, Dec. 14.-At $50
o'clock this morning the jury in tho Bry-
ant inquest gathered in the Criminal
Court room. Among the witnesses ex-
amined today were Judge Porter, Thos.
Bennett, Gen. Thomas, William Morris,
Mai. Wheelock andC. II. Cole The two
latter are prominent citizens and their tcs-
timony was most relevant
Mai. Wheelock said; was present at
the shooting; | was on the northwest
corner Of Fourth avenue and Twcnty-iirst
street. There were twostreams Of fire, one
above the other II looked as II the whole
crest OF the Jail was on fire. On the
corner where stood there were not over
ten or dozen persons. ] saw three or
four standing on the corner in front OF the
brick house. The first heard was just
before u o'clock heard OF crowd or
ganiziug at the gashouse. | went with
several 10 talk about II, but they had
dispersed. came back up town.
There was quite n crowd; | saw the Mayor.
lilo told me he had been talking to them
and he was trying to get them to disperse.
1t was said that there was big crowd on
Fourth avenue and he started there. /
heard what seemed to be either a
| blank cartridge or firecracker and
then went forward. We stood on the
| Caldwell corner about fifteen minutes; all
was quiet. heard some boys voices and
voices that took to be drunken men. All
ut once the firing commenced from the
Jail. Alter the first volley saw stream
Of fire from pistol in the center of the
street toward the Jail. That was the only
shot saw directed toward the jail. Then
| went toward Twentieth street. Bullets
ratified on the sidewalk IA passed. From
the platform OF the courthouse balls could
have gone half way down that
block. At the first yolley all OF
the balls seemed TO be square
to the front Just before the firing the
crowd seemed to be perfectly orderly and
| Just stretched across the street | should
say there were 900 people. ] met several
little crowds to whom talked and laughed
of the idea Of taking out llawos. Most Of
those that saw were boys. In my opinion
| there was no occasion In the world for
firing. II had thought 80 certainly
! should never have stood on that corner.
Twenty policemen with their clubs could
have kept the crowd back. did not see
any real mob element, and anyone with
authority could have controlled il.
The only time | heard dynamite he.
ing used was In the afternoon when they
were baniCading. | never heard a
word Of warning. OF command or Of
counting. There were some drunken men
IN the crowd. The crowd might have
worked month and could not have got
into that jail without the tools for cutting
and saving.
The witness then detailed the arrange
mcnt, at the Jail aud the iastenings. II
would probably take skilled mechanic,
provided with all the tools andimplcments
| and unt-umcllcd In his work, at least forty
/ eight hours To have worked his way In nj
the front. II tho prisoner was In his cell
| II would have required them 10 break down
five doors before they could have gotten
him II would have taken ut least twelve
hours for the crowd 10 have gotten 10 the
dollhouse where they could have even shot
him ia his cell. II looked to mo Us II any
men with common sense ought TO have
known II was impossible Tor unarmcd men
to enter the jail.
G. II. Cole said. 81 was In the jail at The
time shooting was going on. sheriff Smith
sent me down 10 Florence 10 try and
persuade the men not 10 try and take
llawcs out lie said that ho understood
that they were organizing ut the gnshousc;
that Oblar and Will Webb were leading
H. | went down aud found about 100 men
there called Tor Obear, aud n gentle.
man came out and told me that he knew
what | was there for and there
was no danger. Then called for
Will Webb. Somebody caught my
horc and asked who in the HI was,
II was deputy" | told him that |
knew men were Ia the jail aud that they
were armed. Somebody | don't know
said that Il was obcar, aud called out
care ycu men or boyH3" "Mcn," cam,
tho reply. "Thcn follow me" | rode ~
ani told Smith about .i; that there wa
quito q crowd down them, but that i
seemed unmncd aud unonaniEcd.
rode down ~ inr ~ Twentieth street, an,
Jaw the crowd marching up second ave
nuc toward Twcniy-lint street wen
hack, met the guards between Third aycnu,
aud the alley, aud tried To persuade thD
crowd to dispcnse and not 90 In the alley
which was the dead line. They got y
e near that thought ! was In danger, an,
, walked back oi the jail aud took plac
, with the guards ON the jail steps Mex
I to the wall stood a man | did not know
who said. "Now's the time; let's shoot.
, I said. Don't you shoot into tina, crowd
, YOU might Kill sonic Of yonr best friends.
lie said. &c d-n II I'd care Il IL wa
. ms own brother ia give him dcccn
burial and ~ home aud tell INV father an
& mother that thought Ia done right"
q said to Tom smith. Don't let those me
s. shoot for Gods sake. You can hul
u that crowd until daylight. and
ID YOU src Il l. necessary To shoot, shoot wit
small shot, and shoot low" Tom Smit
called out: "Grutlcmcn, disprnc, | ~
going 10 shoot rs soon rs | count three
Z | While he was counting | shook his shou
y der and begged him not Ia shoot lie IN
Il ishcd counting and did not shoot. The
u Joe Smith said "li YOU don't dispcrsc Il
. tho time count I've l will shoot" II
0. was about finishing his dyc, and thougl
Il that IL was about time to shuu
,r and mid. "Gcnrcmun, II W
d, av going 10 shoot am ruit
/, into the jail. In less than minute M
!, gpt into jail a shot was find about lite,
!" seconds before tho gcnUfal Airing cot
w. m1nccd After tho first vollcy tou
Do came IN aud reloaded and then went OF
90 10 deliver second yoilcy Aiicr N
"a. they camo In anu iarrrd the door. Chi
us pickafi came In almost crying aud sai
%. eve have played the dewitt We ha
p, killed. four or five mon" Az
Il, The shooting they were all afraid
!. come out Ut the jnil aud 10
ITO | Smith asked me 90 ~ aud find ont Nil