Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-21
RIOT AT ROANOKE.
Numbers of Persons Killed and
Wounded.


well-known farmer OF Botetourt coun-
ty, came to market at Roanoke yester-
day with load of produce. Robert
Smith, colored, bought box of grapes
and asked her to go with him and get
the money. He took her to house
near by, locked the door, bound her,
and drawing razor demanded money.
She gave him pocket-book contain
ing two dollars and asked him not to
kill her. He threw wire around her
neck, pulled it tight, and then attempt
ed to cut her throat with a razor. A
desperate struggle followed, in which
Mrs. Bishop dashed the weapon from
his hand and released herself. He then
picked UP brickbat and beat and
choked her into insensibil!ty. leaving
her for dead, with the water from
the hydrant pouring into her face.
His intention evidently was to drown
her if she was not dead. Physicians
say the water probably saved her life.
How long Mrs. Bishop remained insen-
sible is not known. but she thinks it
was fully half an honr. She crawled
into the street, and partially revived
by the fresh air, made her way to the
market. Her head, face and body
were covered with blood and her
clothes torn. To add to her terrible
appearance one eyeball had burst from
its socket and hung upon her cheek.
She told her story, and IN less than two
minutes an excited mob of several
hundred people had gathered. Smith
was seen to emerge from the alley,
dash up to coal train and attempt to
scramble upon hopper, but was push
ed off by colored brakeman. He
then dashed back across the tracks and
off toward Woodland Park.
The news spread like wildtire and
the entire city was soon aroused. De-
tective Baldwin mounted horse and
started in pursuit of her assailant, over
taking him in the suburbs. The negro
gave his name as Robert Smith. Bald
win was met by q mob of several hun.
bred people, who tried to take the pris-
ouer and lynch him. Baldwin, with a
revolver, held the mob at bay and fore
ed his way to the Jail with the prisoner
behind on the horse.
Bv This time several hundred people
had gathered at the Jail ready for the
negro's arrival. Baldwin dashed up at
full speed and had the prisoner safely
inside before the crowd realized what
had happened. Within a short time
several thousand men had gathered,
and threats of lynching were freely
made
Mayor Trout and Commonwealth
Attorney Hardoway addressed The
mob, assuring them that the full penal
ty of the law would be enforced il the
negro's guilt should be established.
This seemed to satisfy them for the
time, but few remained to watch the
| Jail to see that no effort was made to re-
move the prisoner.
Shortly after noon the crowd began
to gather again, and by 5 o'clock it was
too big to be handled by the city's tii-
teen policemen. The Roanoke Light
Infantry, the only military organiza-
ton of the place, was called out, and a
squad of twelve men charged the crowd
with fixed bayonets, driving them from
the square and making two arrests.
Judge Woods, of the hustings court,
early in the afternoon had summoned a
special grand jury to take up the case
Immediately, but this did not satisfy
the excited populace.
With nightfall the crowds rapidly
gathered in the vicinity of the Jail,
though not daring to enter the Jail
square, which was patrolled by the
soldiers.
Men employed in the railroad shops
and other factories sweled the ranks
of the mob, and hundreds came in from
Botetourt county.
The mob was working itself up to
the point of attack when yell from
hundreds of Threats and volley from
pis tolls, shotguns and Winchesters about
two blocks down the avenue was made
the signal for general demonstration.
The shots and shouts were from body
of the neighbors of the injured woman,
and when they mixed with the several
thousand people already massed in the
vicinity. there was tremendous shout
and break for the Jail. The few SEN
tinels that patrolled the square fell back
before the mob.
Inside the jail Mayor Trout was on
hand to direct affairs. A squad of po-
licemen stood guard on the inside,
while members of the Light Infantry
were hastily drawn up in line of battle
across Campbell avenue, at the corner
of Roanoke street, and half a block
from the Jail. The soldiers were arm
ed with45-calibre Springfield rifles.
The mob soon surrounded the Jail
and began to batter at the door leading
to the stairway ascending to the cells
and the front door, which opens into
the police court room, Stones crashed
through the windows Of the latter, and
the doors were about to give way when
the militia We're ordered to fire, and a
volley of lead struck terror to the mob,
which was led by son of Mrs. Bishop.
The besieging party was dismayed for
moment, but quickly recovering,
turned their attention from the Jail and
fired at the soldiers. Volley after vol
ley followed in quick succession, and in
few minutes the avenue was clear of
everything save the dead and wounded.
There were 5000 people in the vicin-
lily of the Jail when the military began
firing, but the greater part of them were
only there to see what was to be done.
Five hundred is fair estimate of the
number of men participated in the at
tack upon the Jail. At the first volley
thousands fled, and many were knock
ed down in the rush, but nobody was