The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-24

were run In. Owing to the great noise
/ could not hear orders to FIRE. The last
order l remember hearing was charge
bayonets.'
"rhe last time saw Mayor Trout he
was in the crowd trying to command
order. don't know where tho captain
was at the time of the firing There
was firing in front of the jail. The first
firing l saw to my left across the street
opposite the Jail. None OF the squad
fred until there was firing in the
street. In the squad l think there
were two men on my right
AFTER the shooting we were called
out in line and disbanded / went
homo. 1 have been member of the
company about twelve months. saw
Captain Bird out in front of us insisting
on the crowd to draw back. saw the
firing in the crowd all the time from the
time 1t commenced"
COLONEL BAKER ON THE STAND.
Col. ]. c. Baker. of Woodstock, at
torney-at-law, commanding the Second
Virginia Regiment-"On the night of
September 90 I was at Pulaski and re-
ceived telegram from the lieutenant
colonel OF the regiment asking me to
return. ] replied that the senior col
onel in command could take charge.
Carefully following the law, exam
ined the order given to Captain Bird
snd found it in perfect form and legal.
Being satisfied that there would be no
further trouble, with the consent of the
mayor, left for Abingdon and returned
to-day. 1 was not in the city during
the time the difficulty took place. The
order followed the formula laid down in
the code. The order was signed by ii.
5. Trout, mayor, and two witnesses.
Under the law the mayor had entire
power to do this. saw no other orders.
Captain Bird told me next day that
the mayor had told him to defend the
Jail. haven't seen Mr.. Trout. I don't
know where Captain Bird is. haven't
seen him since the day before yesterday.
II l had been here with regiment 1
the street all night. but il old citizens
asked me to disband I should probably
have given way to them. My choice
would be to hold the ground.
When the man l had been ordered
out to protect was gone 1 should think
my duty was at an end and would leave.
There is no special rule as to their going
homo or to the armory."
He refused to state when he saw Cap
tain Bird, as it was matter of conf
dence. The jury then adjourned at I is
p. NJ TO meet at 2:30 p. m.
AFTERNOON SESSION.
1t was nearly o'clock before the
coroner and most of the jury reason
bled in the private office at Hotel Lee
and resumed work. The first witness
was:
Thos. Jefferson Martin-"I am a car
builder at the Roanoke Machine Works.
1 have never been informed on what
particular point 1 was summoned here
for. was in front of the jail. 1 had
walked in front of the plumbing estab.
lishment on Commerce street I talked
with Mr.. Davenport few minutes, then
walked up to front of the jail and heard
the banging on the doors of the jail. 1
turned and walked back two steps and
heard one shot from u revolver and
almost i'm nediately the firing was in
front"
~ didn't go up for few minutas, pos
siblY eight or ten minutes. Didn't hear
any order for firing. When the firing
commenced 1 was just opposite the jail.
1 didn't see the military at all. heard
shot and then came the volley After
the firing was over 1 came out and saw
the dead and wounded carried off the
street. When 1 went up they said,
Halt! and 1 said, You wouldn't shoot one
aAoh' my hOPiiOOi oCb away lrOm
here. l spoke to the first soldier saw
and said, My God, why did you do this?'
and he said, we had orders to do it, |
don't know who the soldier was. There
was no more said
James Stewart Douglass, chief engi-
neer of the Ponce dc Leon Hotel-"I
suppose was summoned here for what
1 heard and saw. The affair happened
about o'clock. saw some pickets on
the pavement opposite the courthouse
and near the mayors office When I
first went out saw rs or 100 men COM
ing up the street, shouting and hollow
ing, Come on, boys They seemed to
be delegation from somewhere. When
first saw them l heard someone say,
Come on, they won't shoot All of
them looked respectable. There were
good many boys and young fellows.
81 understood afterwards thew were
railroad men. I thought they were
going to the jail to take the darkey out.
didn't see any soldiers at that time.
! think l saw policeman there. 1
didn't notice who he was. I don't
think there was any special resistance
offered to the crowd. 1 saw the SOL
diers tell the crowd to get back and
jab at them with their bayonets. When
| saw man fall by the side of me
left. Icouldn't see any firing from the
street. 1t sounded like a hundred or
more guns went off in minute I went
there with the expectation of hearing
the mayor or some one else make a
speech The first shot, it might have
been two or three, appeared to be on
the west side"
LIEUT.. COL. W. 3 spoLE ON THE STAND.
Lieutenant Colonel Wilbur s. Pole of