Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-09-29
The Roanoke Tragedy.

"
in last weeks REGISTER. The brief
announcement that the negro who
had SO terribly beaten Mrs. Bishop
had finally been caught and hung was
corroboratsd by later news.
After the terrible volley from the
soldiers tho mob scattered, and be-
fore it reorganized the negro was
taken from Jail by couple OF officers
and hidden in the woods half mile
from the jail Mayor Trsut and the
soldiers, realizing the awful work for
which they were responsible, quickly
and secretly left town to escape the
vengeance OF the people. Squads of
men searched every part Of the city
for the doomed negro, but could not
find him. About four o'clock in the
morning the officers who had him in
charge thought it would be safe to
bring him back to the jail. While
proceeding along franklin road, ten
or fifteen men sprang up and out OF
the high weeds in vacant lot and
demanded the surrender OF the negro.
The officers seeing that they would
be shot down in any attempt to save
their prisoner, surrendered him. The
now covering man was dragged
short distance back up the avenue to
a hickory tree beneath an electric
street light. Here he exclaimed, The
Lord have mercy on me-" A hang
mans moose was quickly adjusted
around his neck, the other end thrown
over a limb and soon tho wretch was
dangling between heaven and earth.
Pistols flourished in the air and tho
swaying body became a target for
bullets, five taking effect i'll the breast
and one in the head. One placard
was placed beneath the dead mans
shoulders bearing the inscription,
Mayor Trout's Friend Another on
the middle Of the back was inscribed,
Don't Cut Him Down-By Order Of
Judge Lynch"
Coroney Grey and jIry repaired
early to the scene Of the lynchinS,
and after viewing the body of the
dead man rendered a verdict that the
negro came to his death at the hands
of persons unknown to them.
The lynchers returned quietly to
A.. 80 onl ,,,;nolaJ with tho rrraa
crowd which still fingered there and
near. Daylight came and with il
steady throng of people moved to-
ward the scene OF the lynching.
Thousands Of men, women and chill
dren were begging for apiece Of rope,
the negro's clothing or twig frO,I the
tree man stood by with knife in
hand and handed each a memento Of
the tragedy. About 10 o'clock large
crowd reassembled around the tree
on which Smith was hanging, cut him
down, dumped the body into pass
inc coal cart, which was impressed in
to service, and took up the line of
march to Mayor Trout's residence. 1t
was first proposed to drag the body
there with a rope, but Rev. DR.. Camp
bell and Rev. w. A. Hammer each
made a short address, begging that
this be not done. The mob yielded
to their entreaties. On arriving at
the mayors home preparations were
hastily made for digging grave in
the front yard and in interring the
body there. Again DR.. Campbell came
forward and dissuadsd the mob from
this purpose.
Again the line of march was taken
up, the crowd moving westward with
the cart and its deadly freight. Ar
irving on Riverside, a halt was called.
Immediately plank fences were torn
down to build funeral pyre. Planks
were piled up, then covered with dry
cedar boughs, and on the whole sew
eral gallons of kerosene were poured.
Preparations were completed and the
body dragged to the pile and laid up
on it. A lighted match was applied
to the combustible material, and the
body was soon invested in flames.
When the fire burned low more plank
a member of the body became sepa
rated from the rest it was punched
back with pole. This performance
was kept up until all that remained
of Thomas Smith was small pile Of
ashed
All day Friday Roanoke was in Il
terrible state OF excitement. The
hundreds of men who composed en-
ragged crowds all over the city were
fearfully incensed at what they be
lisved the useless slaughter of so many
citizens, and thirsted for revenge.
The most influential men of the town
addressed the crowds and endeavored
in every way to pacify them. They
| finally succeeded in restoring order.
r. A. Buckner, president of the city
council, took charge as mayor and at
once suspended Chief of Police Terry
and all the other officials who had
anything to do with the tragedy.
The coroner's inquest developed
the fact that Captain Bird, who com
manded the soldiers, had given the
order to fire. He did so after warn
ing the crowd, and only when it was
necessary to prevent them from fore
ing their way into the Jail. Mayor
Trout, who fled the town the night
after the tragedy, returned home on
Wednesday.