The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1894-10-25
NAL. SPEAKS, STORY.
He Tells About the Firing on the Crowd at
Washington c. H., o.


COLUMBUS, O., Oct. 20.-"I stood at
the landing on the third floor of
the courthouse" said Maj. John c.
Speaks, before the order to fire was
given. The boys of companies and c
were cool and ready for any emer-
gency, but in order to prevent hasty
action which should be repented, de-
tachment ready to reinforce those who
stood guard Immediately inside the
barricaded doors formed in company
line as if at roll call in darkened
room opposite the sheriff's office. ad-
monished them to sustain the Four
teenth regiments record for bravery
and GOODNESS under trying circum-
stances.
"Outside of the room and ranged
along the wall were the improvised
beds of the tired soldiers, who had
been reclining after an all-night vigil.
In the sheriff office were Sheriff Cook,
an emergency deputy or two, Surgeons
Guerin and Taylor, Hospital Steward
Richards, Col. Colt and Cincinnati Tri-
bune representative.
"For more than half an hour the
mob, 1000 strong, for the court square
was black with people, had been bonn
harding the heavy oak doors with
stones and clubs. The glass and sash
of the windows in the basement story
of the courthouse had been broken and
an attempt made to enter. Still the
boys didn't fire.
The doors were braced with scant-
ling and the furniture piled against
them. Behind them were the soldiers
with bayonets fixed and pieces cooked.
Then the town bell sounded a fire
alarm and there was once the horrible
to burn the town.
Our position, shut in the court
house was far from comfortable. The
flames leaped up half square from
the building, and two thousand angry
men outside waited for chance to
.reak the doors and get the handful of
soldiers Dolby was in the sheriff 8
back room, closely guarded by soldiers.
| After the fire the mob returned to the
| courthouse and renewed the siege.
They procured a huge pole, that
looked to be thirty feet long and
twelve inches thick, and used this as a
battering ram. The noise made by
this was terrible, for it reverberated
| through the halls until we could hard
| ly endure it.
| Suddenly the double doors yielded,
and one being ajar the crowd at
tempted to come in. The leaders were
met by the bayonets.o of the guard, but
they persisted, with frantic yells, when
the order rang out, 'Firep The boys
on the ground floor and on the first
and second landings did the shooting,
those above of course being instructed
to fire over the heads of the others.
''The shooting is, of course, deplored,
but what else could have been donef
For nearly two hours the crowd had
been besieging the courthouse and had
at last broken in. To have let them
in would have been violation of all
the rules of military usage, for we were
there to uphold the law.
"Nobodo was drunk. We were justi
fed, much as we regret the fact that
we were compelled to take such meas
ures.''
WASHINGTON G. H., Oct. 2O.-The
movement for an investigation of We'd
nesday's tragedy is now beginning to
take form. A special grand jury will
unquestionably be called and full in
quiry instituted.
Friday Coroner James Edwards is
being importuned by numbers of the
foremost citizens to swear out war
rants for the arrest of Sheriff Cook
and Col. Colt on the charge of murder.
The public generally still insist that
Col. Colt, of the Fourteenth regiment
was intoxicated at the time of the at
tack on the courthouse. The state
ment has been openly made that the
colonel was seen number of times en-
tering the saloons of Mike Casey and
Pete Smith, near the jailyard.