The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-22
In VEST |GAT ING
Continued from page L.

at all. Most all of the killing was
done in front OF the station.
Frank R. May, the next witness,
testified that he saw the crowd moving
up toward the jail and went with them.
He thought they were filing blank
cartridges and when he found out they
were not he got away from there as
soon as he could. This was all he
knew and heard nothing of any order
to fire.
N. f. Normoyle testified that he wa
on the west side Of the Jail standing
near and part Of the time talking to
Mac Morris, who, he said, did not shoot
at all, as he was near him all the time.
he saw no rock thrown nor heard any
crash but did see three or four men
pounding on the west side door.
AS this pounding was going on rifle
awas stuck out Of the side window of the
police court room and fired into the air,
then the firing became general. There
was an order to fire given from and the
first shot was fred from the inside of
the room.
When the firing commenced he got up
close to the jail wall, with several
others, and waited there till it stopped.
he saw no ono fall, but saw them lying
on the ground when the firing ceased.
When asked how many were on the
west side OF the Jail he said he did not
know, but he did not think there were
many more than 100 close up to the
building.
a. l.. Jamison, the feed and coal
dealer was next examined He said
that he was sitting at his homo about
1880 O'Clock or perhaps little later,
when he heard some shooting near the
jail. He ran down the street, and when
he 6tOnnad hR n n
feet from the jail building
He heard the battering on the west.rn
door and little later heard and saw
shots from the crowd in front of the
Jail and that they were the first shots
fired. He could not tell how manv
& shots were fired or how many men
Were firing them, but they were answered
by shots from the rifles of the militia.
The fusilade became general and at this
time he became dazed When he reused
himself he noticed the crowd running
and saw wounded and dead men living
about him.
Just as he started to run he saw a
man in front of him deliberately shoot
four or five shots from revolver into
the m1lltiamen standing in front of the
jail. lie got away as quickly as he
could, but went back as soon ss the
t.ring ceased.
AS soon as the first shots were fired
the crowd began to dispense, but the
firing continued till they reached Com.
MERGE street.
he said that there were probably
twenty men or more who were we'll IN
near the jail and who were circulating
among the crowd begging them to make
an onslaught and capture the negro. In
al there were not more than eight mi
litiamen guarding the front door and
police were occ aeionalI y passing Though
the crowd. fi'
He heard no order given to FIRE, nor
did he notice anyone aking an effort
to quiet the mob The principal attack
was made right opposite the front Jail
door and he was certain that at least
nine out of ten citizens there we're
simply there as spectators.
w. l. Jones testified that while stand.
ing on the corner of Campbell and
Henry streets he saw the crowd coming
IN from Botetourt headed by young
Bishop, q son of the injured woman.
The crowd consisted mostly of boys and
young men and FASTENED to the iail to
join the throng already there.
AS we'll az he could tell there were
1,500 or 1000 around the jail, and at
least twenty-five or thirty moving
around the crowd melting them to make
an assault on the Jail and take the pris-
oner from 1t.
He saw bricks thrown against the
door and heard crash, and little later
the firing began. He saw one man
drop wounded and another fall to keep
from being hit by the flying bullets, but
heard no order to fire.
He was close to Mac Morris but said
that Morris took no part in the affair.
He said he thought the firing com
menoed on the inside. When the crowd
gave way the military kept on firing
until they fesahed Commerce street
when the firing ceased About five
minutes before the firing began he saw
Captain Bird and Mayor Trout on the
outside Of the building.
Peter DugaR, the contractor, next tes-
tilted. He said he was standing at the
end OF the front steps nearest the court
house and was nearer the militia than
anyone else. He thought the first firing
commenced on the inside, though he
heard no signal nor order given. He
did not see Mayor Trout at all, but saw
one or two police pass through the
crowd. He heard none make an attempt
to diseerse the mob till the firing began,
and when it started and he saw the peo-
pie rlEning he laughed at them, think
ing only blank cartridges we're being
used.
He soon realized the danger of his
post On and got away as rapidly as
possible, There we're only seven or
eight mihHamen standing in font of
the building and be was SO close to
these that he had to push the nazzle
of The rife OF one of tiaem aside in order
to keepfro being shot while he was
trying to make his escape.
The citizens had no intimatio there