The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1893-09-27
BULLETS FOR LYNCHERS.
Roanoke Officials Protect Negro Prisoner
A Mob Of 900 People Twice Attack
the Jail, Which is Defended Sue.
cessfully by Troop of
Malitia
Especial to the New York Press. I

S"ASS ~ PSt''So, III It4Cll ChOA u " SSG
possession of Robert Smith, d negro,
for the purpose oflynching him. Five
persons are known to be killed and at
least eleven are wounded, among the
latter being Mayor Henry S. Trout,
who was shot in the foot while directing
the defense of the prison.
Early this morning Mrs. Henry
Bishop, wife of respected farmer in
Botetourt, drove into the city with
vegetable. to sell. A colored man went
up to her cart, and presented note
purporting to be signed by Miss
Hicks, requesting that Mrs. Bishop
bring some grapes to her house. The
man offered to pilot her, and took her
to a house on an unfrequented street,
where be said Miss Hicks lived.
When inside the door the man locked
it, and, drawing razor, demanded of
Mrs. Bishop all the money she had.
She gave him 50, and as she handed
over the pocket-book plucked the ra-
zor from the negro's hand. He then
knocked her down with a brick, beat
her senseless and left the place.
THE AssAILANT CAUGHT.
Mrs. Bishop soon recovered con-
sciousness and made her way out of
the place and related her story, It
spread like fire, and soon hundreds of
persons were searching for the would
be murderer. About mile from the
city party of men, headed by Detect
i've Baldwin, overlook a negro, who,
upon their approach, turned and ex-
citedly remarked that he was not the
person who killed the old lady. He
was at once arrested and taken into the
city.
Mrs. Bishop was in the market and
several doctors were dressing her
wounds. A crowd OF a thousand or
more people were around her.She iden-
titled the negro, who gave his name as
Robert Smith, as her assailant. Bald
win had Smith on a horse with him.
self, and there was break for the
prisoner. The detective drew his re-
volver and galloped away from the
crowd with his man and landed him
at the Jail. Mayor Trout and com
monwealth's Attorney Hardway ad-
dressed the crowd, urging that the law
be allowed to take its course and prom
ising speedy trial.
SOLDIERS FIRE ON THE MOP.
Their words had no effect. The
mob increased in numbers and as q
final resort three or four leaders were
arrested and placed in Jail. This did
not put an end tc he lawless purpose
of the throng. The whole country was
aroused. Men came pouring in from
all quarters, and the officers seeing q
conflict was inevitable, ordered out the
Roanoke Light Infantry to guard the
Jail. The Mayor, Commemorative
Attorney and Police Justice went in.
side Of the Jail to await developments.
AboutS o'clock tonight a great,
bowling mob marched down upon the
prison and demanded the surrender of
the Jail, which was refused. They
then rushed upon the guard and there
was an explosion as of dynamite. This
was followed by the crack of pistols in
the hands of the mob and a volley o.
musketry from the soldiers. The mob
scattered in great disorder, while the
soldiers stood their ground well. 1t is
said that two rnen were killed in this
attack and Mayor Trout was shot
through the foot.
In short time the mob, REINFORCED
by new arrivals, made another attack
with the same result; and they were SC
badly whipped this time that it looked
as if they might not make another eff
fort to get the prisoner.
A MOB OF ONE THOUSAND INFURrATEI
MEN SHOOT AND CREMATE THE
NEGRO.
ROANOKE, Va, Sept. GA squad
of twenty men took the negro Tom
Smith from three policemen just before
5 o'clock this morning and hanged him
to hickory limb on Ninth avenue
Southwest, in the residence section Of
the city. They riddled the body with
bullets and left placard on his body
reading: This is Mayor Trout's friend.';
A coroner's jury of business men was
summoned and viewed the body of the
negro and rendered the following YER
dict: death at the hands of unknown
men,
Thousands of people visited the scene
Of the lynching between daylight and
$50 o'clock when the body was cut
down. After the jury had completed
their work the body was placed in the
hands of officers who were unable to
keep back the mob.
Three hundred men tried to drag the
body through the streets of the town,
but Rev. DR.. Campbell of the First
Presbyterian Church, and Captain B.
Norman with pleas and main strength
prevented them. Captain Norman
hired wagon and had the body put in
it. 1t was then conveyed to the banks
of the Roanoke, about one mile from
the scene of the lynching. The dead
negro was dragged from the wagon by
q rope about two hundred yards away,
and burned in pile of dry lumber.
The body was placed upon this heap
and more brushwood piled upon it,
leaving only the head bare. The whole
was then saturated with coal oil and
the match appIed.