Ceredo advance. [volume] (Ceredo, W. Va.) 1885-1939, 1893-09-27
VENGEANCE.
The Coiored Assailant Of W.snen
Hanged. Shot and Crerated.
Their. - Much Indignation Against Mayor
Trout and the MIltia-The Mob Threat
ems Ia Burs the CITY, and the Mayor
Disappears From the Place.

RoASoKE, Va, Sept IA squad OF
twenty men took Smith. the colored
man, from the policemen just before
o'clock Thursday morning and hanged
him TO a hickory limb on Ninth avenue,
;. w, in the residence section OF the
city.
They riddled his body with bullets,
and left n placard on il saying; This
is Mayor Trouts friend" The coro-
ner's jury OF business men was sum-
moned and viewed the body, and rem
dered verdict of death at the hands
of unknown men. Thousands Of peo-
pie visited the scene OF the lynch
ing between daylight and $50 o'clock,
when the body was cut down
After the jury completed its work the
body was placed in the hands OF Of
hcers, who were unable 10 keep back
the mob. Three hundred men tried TO
drag the body through the streets Of
the town, but Rev. Or. Campbell. of
the First Presbyterian church. and
Capt Il. ID. MoorInans, with pleas and
by force of strength prevented them.
Capt. Norman hired a wagon and the
body was put in il. II was then con-
veyed TO the bank of the Roanoke,
about one mile from the scene of the
lynching Here the body was dragged
from the wagon by ropes for about 200
yards and then burned. Piles of dry
brush wood were brought and the body
was placed on il and more brush wood
on the body, leaving only the head bare.
The whole pile was saturated with
coal oil and a match applied. The body
was consumed within an hour. Tho
cremation was witnessed by several
thousand people. At one time the mob
threatened TO bury the corpse in Mayor
Irout's yard. There is much indigna-
ton against Mayor Trout and the milf
tia, and many threats of vengeance
have been openly made
Capt Bird, the commander of tho
militia, has left town. Mayor Trous
has also disappeared, and President
Buckner, of the city council, is acting
mayor.
Excitement is running high now.
The citizens are now talking of hold
ing an Indignation meeting, and
II is rumored on the streets that
threats are being made to burn the
town unless satisfaction OF some sort
is rendered. Crowds throng the streets
and all the public places
There is an immense crowd in front
OF Oakley & Woolwine's, the undertake
ers, where seven of the dead bodies
lie. The number of killed was exag-
gerated Wednesday night, and now
it is found that only nine men are
dead
1t is claimed by members Of the milf
tary company that they frequently
warned the mob TO keep away from the
jail under penalty of being shot Capt
Bird told them he was under orders to
protect the prisoner whose life the mob
so eagerly sought. and come what may
he would not allow him TO be taken bv
the mob. TO this the mob replied with
hoctS and derisive jeers The rioters D.
pe"rcI 10 become frcnzied at the deter
mined stand taken by Capt. Bird and
his men. and finally "A crowd of deter
mined men made q rush for the side
door of the jail. The captain directed
his men 10 drive the would. be lynchers
back. At this moment the mob opened
fire on the soldiers. This appeared for
moment TO startle thecaptain and his
men. But it was only for moment
Then he coolly gave the command,
Ready! Aim! Fire"