The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1893-09-23
ATTEMPTED MURDER IN ROANOKE, VA.
Arrest of the Negro-A Mob Try 80 Take
Him from the Jail and are Fired
UPOn--Eleven Killed and Twenty
Wounded-The Negro Hanged
and then burned.

Roanoke, Va, September 2l.-Rober
Smith, a negro. yesterday assaulted and nearly
killed Mrs. Henry Bishop, wife of IA we'll TO-
do farmer Of Botetourt county. Mrs. Bishop
was at the market with load of produce ant
Smith bought box of grapes. He asked
her to go with him to get the money, ant
taking her to house near by locked the
door and bound her. Then, drawing razor
be demanded her money.
She gave it no. aud while doing so erket
the razor from his hand. The negro chokeC
her, threw her down and pounded her heat
with brick, gouged out an eye, leaving hel
for dead. Mrs. Bishop shortly afterward re
gained CONSEQUENCES. and returning to the
| market, told of the outrage. Detective Bald
win soon arrested the negro.
An excited crowd attempted to take Smith
away from the officer and lynch him, bui
Baldwin, with the prisoner on u horse, dashed
at full speed in the face Of the crowd and
soon had him behind the bars. An immense
crowd remained at the Jail for a long time,
but were finally persuaded by the mayor to
| dispense.
Fearing the attempt to rescue the prisoner
would be renewed the mayor ordered u comp
any of soldiers to surround the Jail and pro
tect the prisoner. Shortly after 5 p. M, the
mob assembled and the mayor and others
made speeches, but they were received with
misses. Some one in the mob fired a shot,
the ball hitting the mayors foot. The
militia then fired on the crowd killing eleven
and wounding twenty. This had the effect
of dispensing the crowd.
Those who fingered around the jail were
! told that the prisoner had been removed.
This was soon spread and searching party
was formed to scour the woods. When the
news of the attempted murder reached the
country the people gathered and started for
the city. In the meantime the killing and
wounding Of so many citizens so enraged the
masses that they determined 10 lynch the
negro at all hazards. Augmented by the
friends of the assaulted woman, thorough
search was agreed upon. In the meantime u
crowd gathered ut the mayors residence and
threatened him, but he had gone to Lynch
burg. During the night word was sent to the
officers to bring the prisoner in, and while
doing so the mob seized the negro and hung
him. At daylight an inquest was held, and
the officers were ordered to take charge OF
the body; but the surging mass of men which
had by this time assembled would not let
them touch it. coal cart passing near by
was pressed into service, and the body thrown
into it. 1t was then hauled to Mayor Trout s
residence, on Campbell avenue, it apparently
being the intention of the mob to bury it in
his front yard. AT this critical moment Rev.
W. c. Campbell appeared upon the scene,
and told the mob that such procedure
would never do. He spoke kindly to them,
and at last dissuaded them from carrying out
their plans.
The body during this time had not been
removed from the cart, so, at the suggestion
of some one in the crowd, they took it over
to the edge of the river to burn it. Fences
were torn down. store boxes were taken, and
someone with an axe cut down several cedar
trees nearby The dry wood was laid in a
large pile, but arranged so it would burn
freely. On this heap the negro's body was
laid. On top of all the cedar boughs were
thrown, and two gallons of coal oil were
poured on the dry wood. The match was
tonched to it, and the flames from the burn
ing oil shot rapidly upward
1t was not long before the crowd dispersed,
but all the morning men, and sometimes an
occasional woman, were seen going toward
the place of burning. Every one seemed de-
sirous of contributing to the blaze by throwing
a twig or chip on it. All that was remaining
of Smith at noon was few ashes and here
and there bone, but the fire was still burning
fercely, and those stand around said it
should burn until there was not vestige
remaining.