The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1893-09-21
DETAILS OF SMITHS CRIME.
Mrs. Bishop Enticed Into Saloon Base
ment and Horribly Benten.

Mrs. Bishop Enticed Into a Saloon Base
ment and Horribly Benten.
The dastardly crime committed was
one of the darkest that stains the GRIM
inal pages of the history of the city,
remarkably free from crimes and out
RACES more common in other cities.
An aged and respectable white
woman-Mrs. Anna Bishop, wife OF
Henry Bishop, well.to.do and re-
spected citizen OF Cloyerdale, Betetours
Countrywide was at the market yester-
daymorning, in company with her IA.
year-old son, with load Of produce.
She was enticed into vacant cellar
near the Randolph street bridge, cruelty
beaten into insensibility and out of all
recognition, and then robbed OF her
purse, containing less than So, by the
negro fiend, Thomas Smith, an idle.
yagrant young negro, who resides at
aVinton, and who at one time was an en-
ploye of the Grocer lion Company's
furnace.
The d starlly deed was discovered
about ten o'clock and in Incredibly short
time was spread throughout the city
and vast concourse OF citizens assem-
bled around and near the market square.
About 1890 o'clock the woman re-
covered consciousness in the cellar,
crawled out in her pitable condition,
found her way to the market square
and related the terrible story OF the
brutal outrage to the clerk of the mar.
ket, Robert f.. Coleman, and to others
who took her into the Roanoke and
Southern saloon, where she was given
stimulantS and messengers dispatched
for physician.
Some one had told George Bishop, her
: 14-year. old son, that an old lady had
been nearly murdered and it was thought
she wa, his mother. The boy came
rushing into the saloon almost breath
less and looked at the distorted coun-
tenance OF the old lady.
Her long, black hair was matted with
gore and her clothes had been torn
tatters and her hands and whole body
wore covered with blood, dirt and slime
from the cellar.
He cried out, sob, no, that's not my
mother" and did not recognize her I'M
Gil he heard her voice. Then the lamen-
tations of the boy were pitiable, indeed.
The injured woman was soon entirely
conscious and collected and told her
story without excitement and in
straightforward manner.
She was in the market, she said to a
TINES reporter, and had nearly disposed
Of her produce when negro approached
her and claimed to want to purchase 8
box OF grapes she had for Mrs. Hicks,
whom he said lived on Salem avenue
near the bridge.
She unsuspicionsly followed him to
deliver the grapes and receiva her pay
down the steps and into the cellar under
the vacant house, No. 1874 Salem avenue,
next to the Randolph street BRIDGE.
AS soon as they were inside he thraw
down the box of grapes, lock- ed the door
and dashed pail of water thas was sit
ting on the ground in her face, evil
dently intending to blind and dazzle her.
He demanded her money, which she
gave him, tho sum being about ST. 90 and
inplored the brute to take the money
aud spare her life. Ho then attempted
to bind her wrists with strap and
brandishea razor, acting as IL he
wanted to ont her throat.
The woman, now being made desperate
with terror and despair, exeried ali her
strength, wrestei her hands loose and
knocked the razor across the celler on
the floor.
The inhuman brute then struck her q
6endish blow on the head with the
heavy iron top OF an ice cream freezer
which felled her to the earth and then
struck blow after blow on the defense.
less lead OF the PROSTATE woman with
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