Shepherdstown register. [volume] (Shepherdstown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1849-1955, 1893-09-22
NINE KILLED, MANY WOUNDED.
BLOODY ARRAY at Roanoke, Va, I'm an
Attempt TO Lynch Negro.

nesudy nlBut, Nuch d hiOD
the jail for the purpose Of lynching a
fiendish negro.
The story OF the assault which led
up to the terrible affair is as follows:
About 10 o'clock Wednesday morn
ing Mrs. Salie A. Bishop, an aged
lady, OF Botetourt county, was ma de
the victim Of murderous assault and
robbery by a negro man about twen-
ty.one years OF age, who gave his
name as Thomas Smith. Mrs. Bishop
came to town early ia the morning to
market products of the farm and gar
den. A negro approached her and
asked the price OF grapes. On being
told that it was 60 cents he said he
would take them if she would deliver
them to Miss Hicks. near by, who
would pay for them. She followed
him to the corner of Salem avenue
aud Randolph street. He entered an
alleyway and directed her into a
room, which she entered, he following
and closing the door, saying Miss
Hicks would be in presently. The
man then turned on the old woman
and demanded her money. She gave
him u pocket book containing two
dollars and asked him not to kill her.
He threw wire around her neck,
pulled it tight, and then attempted to
cut her throat with razor. A des-
perate struggle followed, in which
Mrs. Bishop dashed the weapon from
his hand and released herself. he
then picked up brickbat and beat
and choked her into jDsensibility.
How long Mrs. Bishop remained IN
sensible is not known, but she thinks
it was fully half an hour. She era wled
into the street, and, partially revived
by the fresh air, made her way to the
market. Her head, face and body
were covered with blood and her
clothes torn. To add to her terrible
appearance one syeball had burst
from it's socket and hung upon her
cheek. She told her story, and In
less than two minutes all excited mob
of several hundred people had gath
cred. Smith was seen to emerge FROM
the alley, dash up to coal train and
attempt to scramble upon hopper
but was pushed off by colored
brakeman. He then dashed back
across the tracks and off toward
Woodland Park. At this juncture
William G.. Baldwin, chief Of the Nor
folk and Western detective force, OBJ
tanned a horse and gave pursuit, over
hauling the fleeing culprit about one
and a-half miles from the scene OF the
crime.
Baldwin compelled Smith to mount
behind him and then began his peril
Gus Journey toward the jail. He put
the horse to his utmost speed, and
as he dashed through the crowds OF
enraged mon he was frequently COM
PEELED to fire his pistol to keep them
from grasping the bride. Rocks
were thrown with the intention OF
Gripping the animal or knocking the
negro off, but Baldwin kept on,
lodging into cross streets, and final
ly emerging on Campbell street, one
square east OF the Jail, where 500 sx-
cited men were awaiting him and his
prisoner. Now we've got him, was
the cry that went up, but his horse
dashed in among them and up to the
entrance to the Jail. The cooked pis-
toll in Baldwin's hand and his cry,
I'll shoot the first man that touches
nv prisoner, and the knowledge that
he meant what he said, caused tho
mob to waver moment. In second
the intrepid detective and Smith were
behind the heavy door Of the prison.
Perhaps the most striking feature OF
Baldwin's daring deed was taking the
negro before Mrs. Bishop for identifi-
cation. He was compelled to ride
through a crowd Of 1000 people clam
oring for Smiths blood. He called
out, "Wait until l see if the woman
recognizes this man" and this quisted
the crowd. He entered the room,
where John s. Knight, of the Phila-
dslphia Press, was bathing her face
and head, and presented Smith.
Mrs. Bishop said he looked like the
man, and called for his hat. The ne
gro 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, mount
ed the horse and told the crowd that
Mrs. Bishop did not think the man
was the one who assaulted and rob-
bed her. He asked some one to as
sist Smith to mount. This done, the
detective dashed off to the jail, pur-
sued by the yelling crowd. When
Smith was overhauled he said: Il ain
not the man who hit her." He re-
peated this frequently, notwithstand-
ing no one had accused him Of any
thing. Smith is a married man and
has a wife living in Vinton, three
miles from Roanoke.
An immense crowd, armed with ri
fles and other weapons, gathered at
the Jail. They did not conceal their
intention of lynching the black hend.
Mayor Trout and States Attorney
Hardaway addressed the crowd and
announced their determination to up
hold the law. The Roanoke Light In
fantry, twenty-five strong, were or
dered out at o'clock, and many per-
sons in the crowd went away. At s
o'clock the mob returned, largely re-
inforced and led by Mrs. Bishops son,
~ IL G.. II