The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-23

l.. Jamison Corrects His Statement
The coroDer's jury met at Hotel Lee
yesterday morning and resumed their
labors. Adjutant General Charles j..
Anderson, OF the State militia of volun.
taers, was present, but he stated that
he was not at the inquest in his official
capacity. The frat witness examined
was Robert e. Coleman, clerk of the
city market, who testified:
81 was in the city on the night of the
goth. started at o'clock to the read
ing room of the Democratic executive
committee. Saw an immense crowd
around the courthouse-abou 1000.
When got near the Ponce de Leon the
firing commenced, and 1 heard a bullet
whiz by my head. 1 ran into the base
ment OF the hotel. couldn't tell where
the first firing began. / heard no orders
to fire given. met Chief Terry after
wards in the hotel lobby. He asked me
to go up and tell the crowd they could
have the negro. asked him why he
didn't do that before these men were
killed. He made no answer"
The next witness introduced was j
V. Jamison, who said: "My little bow
and came down Campbell street to see
the great crowd, and waited to see the
temper Of the people. A few minutes
later 1 met Mayor Trout, who asked me
II there would be any trouble. 1 told
him, yes, thought there would be. Mr..
Trout said 1 have done my duty; have
ordered all the officers of this town to
protect the prisoner, and that is all
can do.
AFTER left him and walked up Camp
bell street a yell was made and walked
back to spot nearly opposite the
mayors office, and the crowd made
break and at their rally got up very
near the courthouse. The firing com
menced from the windows OF the MAYORS
office on the west side.
Tho firing came first from the second
and third floors of the building. That
was the first report l heard of guns. /
thought they were blank cartridges and
said so. The streets were soon cleared.
didn't hear word from the inside
and there was not much shouting on the
outside The people in the upper story
OF the building fred up in the air. The
damage was done from the front of the
pie were on the retreat
81 do not believe the people would
have dispersed even if notice had been
given them. The best people of Roa-
noke were in the crowd and were un.
armed. believe an amicable adjust
ment could have been made. The pee
pie didn't apprehend that they would be
shot. | did't think there was such a
fool in Virginia that would fire into an
innocent lot Of men. 1 didn't think the
guardians OF the peace would shoot me
because l was not in The mob The mob
was on the west side.
"All of the soldiers are young N en- and
most CT them beardiess. The surrender
OF the negro would have adjusted the
matter, but believe nothing else would
have satisfied the crowd"
Luther Miller--"I was at home about
Z o'clock. heard the yelling and came
down to see what the crowd was going
to do. / came down on the west side
OF the jail, watching the crowd who was
making break on the Jail. / don't
know how many belonged to the mob
There seemed to be only a few who
were trying to gain an entrance. Isaw
no attack on the military. I believe
that the crowd intended to take the
negro regardless of consequence The
guns that we're fired on the west side
seemed 10 be fred upward. The guns
in front were not, but fired into the
crowd. saw one military man in the
door, and after the volley number
came OFT on the street. l know of no
order given to fire. Didn't hear of any
address to the crowd. l didn't think
the city was in danger, nor did I sup
pose the officers of the law would defend
the negro at the expense Of the lives Of
the citizens. The first firing, think,
came from the magistrates office.
Three or four guns were fired, then a
regular volley.'
Z. G. Oakley-"I went through the
crowd looking after my boys for half
an hour up to the firing. / was between
the jail and Greene. Memorial Church
and saw the crowd move up to the west
side OF the jail. The first firing was
from the west windows, and the guns
were turned up at an angle OF fo,ty-fve
degrees"
j. b. Cbewning-"T Through curiosity
came back from home after supper.
was standing near Greene Memorial
Church when the crowd be9dfa 8 flfduhd |
upon the door. 1 moved down closerl
s isss OF w' the s dool HIif3 5a1eI
"When the window ON On the i we Vest Side
nas sss aeEss sSsF o. 4 By
into thu air, after which it became gen.
eral, heard no address to the people,
neither SaM6J TeaFo G8S gaae1 5veeto
fire. IsTppose there @ef6 Two 5' OF three rec
hundred people on the west side OF the
SaeafSNI5e 1fa afs '' Sssa thirty THY