The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-21

I to be no leader and mixed up with the
mob were hundreds of citizens who were
drawn there solely from curiosity and
who were innocent of any intention to
violate the good order of the city.
The crowd was in fever heat OF ex-
element and suspense when several hot
headed, imprudent persons in the street
opposite the Jail, near the Chinese
laundry, fred number of pis FOL shots.
The militia at once returned the fire
with the fatal result above stated. 1t
cannot BIO ascertained who gave the
order to FIRE, but It was asserted on the
street to have been given by Mayor
Trout himself. AT any rate no warning
WAS given the citizens.
THE SECOND FUsIIADE.
At the second fasilade from the SOL
oilers the mob fell back, most of them
into Commerce street, a number to
Roanoke street and some into Salem
avenue.
When the smoke cleared away the
work of carrying off the dead. dying and
wounded began and at once, the engine
house of the Junior Hose Conn any, DR..
Luck's office on Roanoke street, Fox
& Christians drug store and DR.. Gales
office were turned into improvised hos
pitfalls. :;
Stretchers. were brought out and
strong and willing hands bore away
their friends that only five minutes be-
fore were in the bloom of health and
strength.
Excitement was at a fever heat and
the indignation against Mayor Trout
and against the Light Infantry we're
terrible. Mr.. Trout had been carried
to the Ponce de Leon Hotel, but after
wards taken home and an angry mob
went through the hotel demanding that
the mayor should produce the negro or
die. On finding he had left the hotel
they proceeded to his residence on Camp
bell avenue and went through every
room in the house, but Mr. Trout had
previously been carried out of the city
in carriage by his friends.
! The soldiers at once dispersed and
went to their homes, the mob hooting
and crying shame. Another raid was
made on the jaff, but the prisoner was
not to be found. as he had been surrep-
tit1ously carried out at the rear of the
jail by officers while the dead citizens
were being carried off the field and was
taken out OF the city in buggy and, it
Is supposed, was carried to Salem
The excited mass of people, who, by
this time had lost oil reason, forced
their way into the hardware store of
Evans Brothers and compelled the
clerks to hand out large number of
guns and pistols.
The crowd was tbickest between the
Ponce de Leon Hotel and the Lee House
and incendiary speeches were being
made by q dozen frenzied mon.
WOODS AND WATTS ADDRESS TaE MOB.
An improvised platform was placed
in front of Fox Sc Christians drug store
and j. Allen Watts began to plead with
the citizens to listen to reason and dis.
perse. In vain did he call on them for
silence and appealed to their reason,
telling the multitude what fearful
thing in would be to shed more limo.
cent blood
All the time the crowd was yelling,
and probably not dozen men heard the
| SIP eech OF Mr.. Watts. There we're cries
of "Sit DOWN. and some one in the
| crowd fired three pistol shots, presum-
ably at Mr.. Watts, but no damage was
done.
Judge John w. Woods mounted the
! platform at the side of Mr.. Watts and
tried to speak to the people but hia
| voice was drowned in the cfies OF the
multitude who were demanding that
the mayor be brought out and made, at
the peril OF his life, to state where. the
prisoner had gone.
At this time some one started the cry
that the prisoner was hid in the attic or
scupola of the courthouse and a mad
rush was made on that building, and in
q few minutes there were more people
in the temple OIL Justice than was ever