Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1893-09-21

Bishop and the ExcItable Citizens BE
came Frenzied and Would Listen to No |
Advice and Had to BE Fired Upon.
ROANOKE, Va, Sept. 21.-Elght men
were killed and many wounded in a
battle last night over negro in the
jail here Soldiers fred on the mob.
Robert Smith, a negro, yesterday as
saulted and nearly killed Mrs. Henry
Bishop, wife of farmer of Botetourt
county. Mrs Bishop was at the market
with load of produce, and Smith
bought a box of grapes. He asked her
to 60 with him TO get the money.
There the negro choked her. threw her
down and pounded her head with a
brick leaving her for dead. Mrs. Bishop
regained consciousness, and returning
to the market told of the outrage.
Detective Baldwin arrested the negro.
An excited crowd attempted to lynch
Smith. but Baldwin, with the prisoner
on horse, dashed off at full speed.
The detective approached the jail at a
gallop with his revolver in his hand. The
crowd, being without leader, made
way for him to; pass, and the prisoner
was soon safely locked in jail.
Mayor Trout and Commonwealth At
torney w. o. Hardaway then addressed
the gathering, counselling obedience to
the law, and promising a speedy trial of
the prisoner. The crowd dispersed, but
later in the day gathered about the jail
in great numbers, using threats against
the prisoner.
About o'clock the situation became
SO grave that the Roanoke Light In
fantry was ordered out, and with loaded
rifles and fixed. d.bsyoDets proceeded to clear
the streets and sidewalks for one block
in front of the jail. The infantry con
sisted Of thirty-two boy soldiers. The
mob was disposed to be unruly, and at
one time riot was imminent. but the
firmness of the young militiamen and
the promptness of the police averted for
a time the danger
Two OF three of the ringleaders were
arrested and locked up. It was re
port ed that mob of men on horseback
would come in from Botetourt during
the night, and great anxiety resulted.
May or Trout, Attorney Hardaway, Police
Justice Turner. and other city officials
were at the jail all day watching the
course Of events
About o'clock a volley Of shots and
shouts from several hundred throats
were heard two blocks away on Salem
avenue The neighbors and friends OF
Mrs Bishop had assembled and were
marching in a solid column about BOG
strong
Mayor Trout and the police had retired
into the JAIL and the military were
drawn up in line Of battle at the Greene
Memorial Church on the corner Of Roam,
Oke street and Campbell avenue, about
seventy FIVE yards west OF the Jail Theil
rifles were loaded and their bayonets
were fixed
Suddenly there was a sound Of small
arms at the jail, which showed that the
police and men inside were firing anc
being fired at. Many in the crowt
hurried from the scene. but before the,
reached the corner of Campbell avenue
and Commerce street the rattle of rifles
rang out, followed by a shower Of bullets
and a wild rush Of the mob In a short
serted and nothing was seen in that
vicinity except the columns of the
Roanoke Light Infantry standing lik,
statues across the street.
When the wounded had all been taker
care Of and the dead bodies gathereS
from around the jail, it was found tha
seven had been killed and about twenty
wounded.
The list of the dead as far as could b,
asceTtained, follows:
J. v TYLER, track walker at Blue Ridge.
| WILLIAM SHEETS. fireman on the Norfoll
and Western railroad.
CHARLES WHITE MEYER, conductor oi
The Norfolk and Western.
S. A. WICK. proprietor Of the st. James Hote
W. JONES, fireman on the Norfolk an
Western.
II. NEWMAN, a railroad man.
GEORGE SETTLES, baseball player.
EMMETT J. SMALL.
w. e. HALL.
Z GEORGE WHITE.
JOHN MILLS.
The following were seriously hurt:
OTTO FALLS. of machine works, sho
through his body and left arm.
WILL EDDY. barber boy, shot in his lef
side.
FRANK MILLS. shot in tho arm.
R. A. FIGGATT, mail carrier. shot in lei
leg.
s TOM NELSON, brakeman, leg badly broke
5 LEROY WHITE, engineer, shot through th
/ # thigh.
10. p. NORTH
! o. p. TAYLOR.
n | DAVID RUGGLES.
i. NJ. +. SPARK.
score Of those slightly wound,
b went to their homes. The mob wa
3 terror stricken and dazed The assai
!. ants and the citizens did not believe tn
It the soldiers would fire. AS soon as Il
Z, people could realize what had happens
Ie attention was turned to the dead a.
wounded. Every drug store al
d physicians Office in easy reach was tran
y formed into a temporary hospital
le The mob was about ready to move in