The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-09-22
ORDER AGAIN IN ROANOKE.
the NEGRO, SMITH, LTNCHED AND
MAYOR TROUT IN SECLUSIoN.

MJHOR IhObI IN SbtbtSfON.
rh. Total List of the Dead Is Eirbt-A Day
Of Great Excitement. which began with
the Lyuching of tho Nearo and the Burn.
ing OF His Body and Faded with sa
Appea, from the Acting Mayor aud In.
s,-ptIal Citizens for the Restoration OF
o,,e,-A Preachers Plea to the Mob
Against Dragging tho Negroes body
Through the Streets-Meetines In tho In.
,,r.., of Peace-The Dead and Injased d.
ROANOKE. Va, Sept. Platter n day OF In
tense excitement that threatened constant
nnheayal and further loss Of life in this city.
"a the result OF last nights encounter be-
tween the mob and the militia. quiet has been
rsstored tonight. The negro Smith. who was
the cause OF all the mob violence. was found
without much trouble early this morning and
lynched his body being afterward burned
But that was regarded only as an incident OF
the day. 1t took heroic work to bring order
out OF the chaos One OF the results is the COM
plete disappearance of Mayor Trout. who was
wounded in the fusillade last night, and whose
whereabouts Is unknown.
Acting Mayor Buckner has taken charge OF
municipal affairs. He has suspended Chief Of
Police Terry. City Sergeant Traynham. and
Special officer NJ. c. Morris. Mayor Trout will
not act in his official capacity until the riot
has been thoroughly investigated and the
matter disposed OF by the courts. One hun
dred and nifty special officers have been sworn
IN from among the people who participated in
the riot OF last night. Judge Woods OF the
Hastings Court will tomorrow have sum-
moned a special Grand Jury to investigate the
tragedy.
This action has been taken as result Of
conference OF prominent citizens Of the city
with Mr.. Buckner. The people were satisfied
when this announcement was made tonight
to several crowds. and they Immediately dis
persed. Early this evening an address was
issued. signed by participants in this confer
ence This was published In extra editions Of
the evening newspapers. and had the desired
reassurinc effect The city had been in q state
Of great excitement all day. All sorts OF stories
were in circulation. There was much talk Of
an Indignation meeting to denounce the action
OF the authorities in giving the order to fire
last night Several meetings were held in the
interest OF law and order
Acting Mayor Buckner issued an address
early in the day calling on all good citizens to
support him in his efforts to maintain peace.
The Free and Accepted Masons held meet
Ing and issued an address. The District Grand
Lodge OF Colored Odd Follows. in session.
abandoned their parade announced for to-day.
and resolved, that lin spite Of the present
unsettled state OF affairs and the excited con-
dltlon OF some Of the people. We do have feel-
Ing OF utmost security from molestation, indi-
vidually and collectively. believing that tho
counsel OF the law-abidng citizens. regardless
OF color. will now prevail" The railroad and
shop men held m ceilings. which were addressed
by General Manager Sands and other prom
inent citizens. Resolutions to abide BY
tho law and maintain order were adopted. and
owing to tho fact that tho victims Of the riot
were mostly railroad men. this had most
concilIstory effect The crowds that have
thronged the streets have dispersed. The In
tention to ask for a regiment OF soldiers has
been abandoned. Still there is an undercur-
rent Of great indignation against the authori-
ties. Public sentiment Is divided on tho mat
ter. The mob have tho greatest number Of
sympathizers. and II some concessions had not
been made TO the excited populace to-day
there would have been more trouble tonight
Mayor Trout has not been seen in public
since he started from the Ponce de Leon Hotel
for his home last night. His whereabou ore
known only to his most intimate friends. 1t 10
reported on the streets that he Is in North
Carolina. 1t is known that Capt John Bird.
who ordered the militia to fire. has left the
State. and 1t Is freely asserted that he will
never return. Capt Bird is native OF Maine.
and has been in Roanoke only q few years.
The fact that he is Northern man makes tho
criticism OF his action moro harsh with some
elements OF the population. None OF the mem-
bers OF the Light Infantry have been seen to-
day and it Is undoubtedly prudent for them
to remain in seclusion until the excitement
has been alayed.
There are conflicting stories as to tho events
OF the Jail Just previous to and during the
riot The most determined part of tho mob
approached the Jail from the rear through O
narrow alley. The story OF tho shooting. rs
related BIZ those inside the jail is that as the
mob pressed toward the jail all the soldiers on
guard were withdrawn to the inside. The mob
from behind attacked tho side door to tho
stairway leading to the negro's cell.
As the crowd approached militia officers ap-
pealed to them to stand back. saying that they
would shoot and that their guns were loaded. |
Inc mob jeered ana hooted at this. telling the
soldiers that they were afraid to shoot and |
That they had only blank cartridges. The |
militia officers also say that the mob which |
vas attacking the side door fired through an |
open window over Capt Birds head before |
shot Was fred from inside. Then squad OF |
men inside fred from the side window and |
Killed one man. Who he was is not known. |
others were wounded.
After this firing the mob In front Of the Jail |
advanced. and were met with vollsy from the |
nnes OF the soldiers. There are bullet holes |
IN the walls and ceiling Of the Police Court |
room. and q number OF shots were fired |
through the glass Window One OF the win |
COWS ia broken as II stones had been thrown |
through 1t. Careful examination reveals the |
iact that most OF the bullets that went through
Tue windows were fired from tho inside. |
Is the thick glass is scaled on the out
sae Several shots were fired through the win
VOWS from tho outside also. The glass In one
.ae OF tho door Of the tenement house across
WI, ns street from the jail was crashed by the
Uu'ets OF tho rifles. Susan Dooley. colored.
1901 the inmates Of this house. was shot
through tho hand while In rear room OF the
muse There is a door In this house opening
nom tho street to a stairway. Charles Nor
w. w. eoIored. WAS standing In this stairway
uasn The firing began He shut the door and
s'a'tea to run up stairs. As he did SO bullet