The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-27
THE INQUEST.
The Coroner's Jury Sitting the Matter to
the Bottom


the Bottom.
The coroncr's jury rcconvened at the Hotel
Lee lhursaay afternoon at 2 o'clocs, pursuant to
an adjournment of the morning session, which
rendered a verdict upon the death of Thomas
smith, the negro ilend TWAS composcd.ot the
same gentlemen and Dr. Gray continued 10 ac,
az coroner Thtre were also present Judge
Brand, who appeared at the request of the
riot Early III the day Attorney Thomas w
Miller rendered his services 10 the Jury to advise
them In legal matters and he was also accepted
with the services OF his stenographer, who TOOK
verbatim report OF the proceedings
Az there were number of witnesses to sum
mon, Deputy sergeant r. II. Wright and several
polcemen were impressed into service and 1t
was not till 800 O'Clock that the testimony was
begun The jury had, previous to this viewed
the remains OF the deceased so rs TO proceci
without further interruption.
~ inc hrst witness was Police Justice Walter II.
Turner. He said that all day long he had feared
some outbreak and breach OF the peace and had
used his best influence against any violence lie
ana Mayor rout we're together when the crowd
gathered at the Jail shortly after Smith was ar
resteG, ana the mayor made the appeal to go
quietly to their homes and avoid any disorder
As he went to his supper he saw that the crowd
around the JAIL was too small TO occasion any an
prehension, but feeling slightly uneasy after sup.
per he borrowed horse and went down town 10
look around He heard great cheer from Inc
neighboIhood OF the JAIL and leaving his horse ot
Williams stable, he ran around and got there only
four f0pr or i've minutes before the firing began
Trout was standing one OF the lower steps of
the front door, and in front o! him were six or
seven members OF the Roanoke Light Infa7try
Inside the building in the police court room were
Captain Bird, Lieutenant Moss, Lieutenant
Hatcher. LieutenantColonel Pole and several
militiamcn. AT this time the crowd outside the
Jail numbered over 100, and they were evidently
getting restless
Mayer Trout proposed to address tn. mob. but
the tumnt was such that it would have been
quite impossible. just at this critical moment
some one or several persons began bstterlng on
the western door OF the Jail and Immediately n
rock crashed through the window.
Then II was that some one cried, sect hack
Get back. = and moment later shot. were fired
Whether the firing brgan on the inside or the
Inside he was unable to say, but NJ sooner " is
the first shot fired than the fusiade Instantly be
here as no order to fire that he heard and
none could have been given inside OF the room
without hs having heard 1t.
conld not recognise them. The chief OF police
was standing near him and he saw him fribg ont
the windoW in ths direction Of Greene Nc nosial
Church. lie saw one man fall in the middle of
Campbell street hu, conld not tell who shot him.
Shortly after this nc was called into the cor.
ridor and remained there till the fnsiadc ceased
After II was over lie saw Mayor Trout come in
the door and the mayor said TO him. Il am shot
IN the foot" Upon glancing at his foot the
blood could be seen o0ZiDg ont of The shoe
he next time he saw the mayor he was in the
lobby OF the Ponce dc Leon Hotel, when the
Bird and tel him that this killing must be
stopped. which he did when Captain Bird told
him that he was getting the negro out us fact as
he eoold. The whole thing took only about FIVE
minutes.
When asked who ordered the troops ont, he
sa d the mayor had written the order in the
afternoon, but as this order was not witnessed
by two citizens. as the law requires. II was
brought back by Lieutenant Moss and w. o.
Ilardawav AID myself witnessed II
lis was asked If Mac Morris was in the station
and sad he was not. In addition 10 the troops
Gownstairs there were some troops upstairs
bnt OF these knew no hing, as l did not go mp
there at all. Most OF the killing was done IN
front OF the station.
Frank K. May. the next witness, testified that
be cav the crowd moving mp toward the jail and