The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1893-09-30
VENGEANCE.
The CoIored Assailsnt Of Women
Hanged. Shot and Cremated.
There Ia Much Indignation Against Mayor
Trout and the Militia Tho Mob Threat-
ems to lsurn tho CITY, and the Mayor
Disappears From tho Plnco.

ROANOKE, Va, Sept Sz-A squad Of
twenty men took Smith, the colored
man, from the policemen just befoi1 5
o'clock Thursday morning and hanged
him to hickory limb on Ninth avenue,
8. W., in the residence section of the
city.
They riddled his body with bullets,
and left q placard on it saying: This
is Mayor Trout's friend" The coro-
ner's jury Of business men was sum.
moncd and viewed the body, and REM
dered verdict of death at the hands
of unknown men. Thousands of peo-
pie visited the scene of the lynch-
ing between daylight and $3.50 o'clock,
when the body was cut down.
After the jury completed its work the
body was placed in the hands of Of
fcers, who were unable to keep back
the mob. Three hundred men tried to
drag the body through the streets Of
the town, but Rev. DIR. Campbell, of
the First Presbyterian church, and
Capt B. B. Moormans, with pleas and
by force of strength prevented them.
Capt. Moorman hired a wagon and the
body was put in it, 1t was then con-
veyed to the bank Of the Roanoke,
about one mile from the scene of the
lynching. Here the body was dragged
from the wagon by ropes for about 200
yards and then burned. Piles of dry
brush wood were brought and the body
was placed on it and more brush wood
on the body, leaving only the head bare.
The whole pile was saturated with
coal oil and match applied. The body
was consumed within an hour. The
cremation was witnessed by several
thousand people. At one time the mob
threatened to bury the corpse in Mayor
Trout's yard. There is much indigna-
tion against Mayor Trout and the mill
tia, and many threats of vengeance
have been openly made.
Capt. Bird, the commander of the
militia, has left town. Mayor Trout
has also disappeared, and President
Buckner, of the city council, is acting
mayor.
Excitement is running high now.
The citizens are now talking of hold
ing an Indignation meeting, and
It is rumored on the streets that
threats are being made to burn the
town unless satisfaction of some sort
40 AOAoCi CAi' OAONSo OAAhOh5 VIC oOh &C "
and all the public places.
There is an immense crowd in from
of Oakley & Woolwine's, the undertak
ers, where seven of the dead bodies
lie. The number Of killed was exag
gerated Wednesday night, and nov
: it is found that only nine men ar,
dead.
1t is claimed by members of the mill
tary company that they frequentl.
warned the mob to keep away from th'
Jail under penalty of being shot. Capt
Bird told them he was under orders t,
protect the prisoner whose life the mol
so eagerly sought and come what ma,
he would not allow him to be taken b,
the mob. To this the mob replied witt
hocts and derisive jeers The rioters ap
peared to become frenzied at the deter
mined stand taken by Capt. Bird an
his men, and finally crowd of deter
mined men made rush for the sid
door of the Jail. The captain directe
his men to drive the would be lyncher
back At this moment the mob opene
fire on the soldiers. This appeared 70
moment to startle the captain and hi
men. But it was only for moment
Then he coolly gave the command
"Ready! Aim! Fire!"