Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1891-12-26
RIOT At CINCINNATI.
malignant Taxpayers Mob the County
Treasurer's Onlcs.


Treasurer's Onlcs.
CINCINNATI, Dec. 19.-The scenes
about the courthouse Friday morning
reminded one of the riot of 1884 In
the present case the mob consisted OF
property owners clamoring for an op |
pcva5nisy to pay their taxes before the
penalty went in force. Owing ia
changes in county boards and
the delay in assessing the val
tues and correcting mistakes the
tax duplicate, which should have
been In the treasurer's bands by De.
.cember, 1, did not reach him until last
Wednesday evening. 1t was necessary
to have the duplicate in order to know
the amount of taxes due from each
property owner. The law provides
that if taxes are not paid by December
20 penalty of 5 per cent attaches
The treasurer began taking taxes
Thursday, but only few were aware
of the fact, the announcement being
brief. The news spread and Friday
morning by Z o'clock the big hall in
front of the treasurer's office was
packed with men, women and children,
and the crowd extended far out in the
street. There were fully 1000 persons
.clamoring for admittance, and the
'throng was constantly increasing.
When the doors were opened at 8
o'clock frightful crush ensued. Wom-
.en were crushed in the jam and cloth
ing torn, while the air was filed with
screams and curses. The treasurer's
office, which is large hall with con-
tinuous counter and glass partitions
around three sides, was soon packed to
.suffocation with the struggling mass Of
humanity. The clerks started to take
money at their windows but had to
quickly give up the idea
In the meantime the crowd was con-
stantly increasing, and the pressure be-
came so great that men and women
began to faint. The excitement grew
intense. Several of the glass windows
above the counter were smashed, and
the crashing added to the excitement
until perfect panic prevailed. Faint
ing women were passed through the
broken windows and doctors sum-
moned.
At one time there were four insensi-
BILE women in the treasurer's private
office and as many more out in the big
hall Mrs. Bertha Wrampelies, Mrs.
Elizabeth Patterson, Mrs. Mary Fox and
Miss Mary Gerard were among those
{ who tainted and in the confusion were
trampled upon and severely bruised.
The safes had been opened and the
money laid out at the desks prepara-
tory for business. A rumor started
that raid was contemplated on the
treasury by thieves. The money was
- ,,,t1 Ill
guards with drawn revolvers were
placed at the door.
A riot call had been sent to the Cen
-tral station and detachment of special
police under Lieut.. Gill had been hur-
ried to the scene. The entire force of
watchmen and other employees about
the courthouse were called in for the
protection of the county funds. Men.
apparently to avoid being trampled
to death, had climbed upon the
partition, but good grounds existed
for the belief that they were awaiting
an opportunity to plunder. The police
arrived in two patrol wagons and
charged with their clubs through the
crowd. After effecting an entrance
they drove out sufficient number to
allow the closing of the big doors.
Order was then restored among the re-
mainder, but it was necessary to use
some of them roughly.
While the panic was at its highest
the county solicitors and commission
-ers met and resolved to extend the
time from December 90 to January 10.
Speeches were made to the crowd, and
the announcement of the extension did
much to restore order. IG was o'clock
p. N. before the last of the crowd left
the treasurer's Office.
CEN 0onTLpC ynDK