Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1893-09-21

lHe ley SudS. Oh Gil, suoG ehiouSn snS
body ]. Campbell, Edgar Wahling,
C. w. Figgatt, c. P. North, o. B. Tay-
lor, Sparks, David Ruggles, n. +.
+. E. helms and an unknown colored
woman.
OF the slightly wounded several went
to their homes, and it is impossible to
ascertain the exact number.
AS soon as the dead and wounded
were cared for the excitement and in
dignation again rose to fever heat, and
the crowd swore vengeance on the mill
tia and the mayor, and started again
for the Jail, but cooler heads insisted
that they be quiet.
In the meantime many of the promi-
nent citizens of the city had come from
their homes. J. Allen Watts, demo-
cratic nominee for the State Senate,
mounted box and pleaded with the
crowd TO desist from the execution OF
the mad threats. They gathered around
him to the number of several hundred.
AT first he was Missed, and blackguard-
ed. Excited men yelled: "Take him
down." Throw a brick at him." Still
Mr.. Watts pleaded manfully. He de-
clared that the greatest calamity that
ever befell Roanoke had just occurred,
and he asked them not to precipitate
more bloodshed by another attack on
the jail.
Rev. DR.. w. c. Campbell, pastor of
the First Presbyterian Church, also
talked to the mob and urged them to
disperse.
Several times during these speeches
small groups of men started for the Jail,
but cool heads succeeded in stopping
them.
Just as the mob was at the height of
its frenzy and ready to move in body
for another attack on the Jail, Judge
Woods, of the hastings court, assembled
the box. He told the mob that the
prisoner was no longer in the Jail and
offered to go with any committee they
might appoint and establish the truth
of his statement. The mob demanded
the proof, and the judge. with half a
dozen men, started for the Jail.
The authorities, while the speaking
was going on, had slipped the prisoner
out Of the jail and secreted him some
distance away. The soldiers were gone
and the only evidence about the jail of
any unusual occurrence was the bat
tered doors and broken windows.
The mob was satisfied that Smith was
not there; but the crowd continued to
hang around, denouncing the action OF
the authorities in no unmistakable
terms. rne militia were said to be no
better than the negro brute. and there
were threats of revenge on Mayor
Trout.
The mayor, who remained in the
Jail, received pistol ball in his right
foot. He was the only man not a men,
Der Of the mob wounded.
The Roanoke Light Infantry is COM
posed of sixty young men, but only
50 responded to the call yesterday.
They are mostly employed as clerks in
stores and Offices, and their bravery is
rs much praised by those who want to
see the dignity OF the law upheld as
their action is denounced by the mob.
The mob went to the house of Mayor
Trout to demand to know the where
abouts of the prisoner, or else wreak
vengeance on him, but the mayor could
not be found.
Perhaps the most striking feature Of
Baldwin's deed was taking the negro
before Mrs. Bishop for Identification.
He was compelled to ride through
crowd of 1000 people clamoring for
Smiths blood. He called out, "Wait
until see if the woman recognizes this
man." and this quoted the crowd. He
entered the room, where John S.
Knight, of the Philadelphia Press, wss
bathing her face and head, and present
ed Smith Mrs. Bishop said he looked
like the man and called for his hat. The
negro tore it from his head and threw
it behind him, but Baldwin picked it
up and handed it to her. A single
glance and she said: ''Yes, he is the
man." Baldwin walked out, mounted
the horse and told the crowd that Mrs.
Bishop did not think the man was the
one who assaulted and robbed her.
He asked some one to assist Smith to
mount. This done, the detective dash
ed off 10 the Jail, pursued by the yell
ing crowd. When Smith was over
haulded he said: II am not the man
who hit her." He repeated this fire.
quently, Notwithstanding no one had
accused him of anything. Smith is a
married man and has wife living in
Vinton, three miles from Roanoke.
At midnight the scene had quoted
down and no further trouble is expect
ed. The militia remains under the
Mayors orders, although it is probable
that they will not be called out again.
Mayor Trout is firm in the position he
has assumed, and declares that he will
uphold the law. The dead were re-
moved to the undertaking establish
ments, aud will be prepared for burial.
Mrs. Bishop is still alive and may re-
cover.
This is the third serious riot which
Roanoke has witnessed within two
years. The first was in the winter of
1892, when Charles Lavender, noto-
rious negro thief, was taken from the
house of a policeman, where he had
been secreted by the authorities for safe
keeping, and lynched by mob of 200
men at o'clock in the morning. His
oflense was the attempted assault of a
ve-year-old girl, Of which he made
confession. The investigation which
followed failed to disclose the names of
any participants.
In March, 1892. a drunken white
man was arrested charged with attempt
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