The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1894-11-28
COLT COURT OF INQUIRY.
The Testimony Nearly Unanimous
in Favor of the Colonel
rant for Col Colts Orders--An the
Statements Adduced Prove the
Newspaper Accounts Truth
full Ones,

OOAQmbO61 W. 4NONs 90 n Au1 kO AhhA
Der of Washington Court House citi-
zens were on hand yesterday morning,
when the Colt court of inquiry opened
and the Office of the clerk of the senate,
where the sessions are held, was
crowded. The witnesses examined
were c. E. Page, dentist; G. w. Cold
we'll, one OF the sheriff's deputies, and
Lieuts. Goldney and Justus, who were
on duty at Washington Court House at
the time of the shooting. Page was on
the street at the time of the firing and
heard the officers order the streets
to be cleared and warn the people that
they would fire if any attempt was
made to break down the doors.
He saw the crowd use the battering
ram on the doors and heard the ''all to-
gether" very distinctly. The firing fol-
lowed Immediately. Did not see the
police force try to do anything that
night. Deputy Sheriff Coldwell des-
cribed the rush upon the prisoner as
he was taking him from the Jail to the
court house in the afternoon. He him
self was knocked down and when he
got up soldier, mistaking him for one
OF the rioter, ran bayonet against his
breast with such force as to penetrate
the flesh. Only the work of the soldiers
and the presence of mind of his assist
ant saved the prisoner from the mob
then. Rev. Norman Jones said he was
in the court house yard at the time of
the shooting. He saw no policemen
there, nor was the mayor on hand. He
saw no one trying to dissuade the mob
from its apparent purpose but Hon.
Mills Gardner, and what he said seemed
to have no effect on the crowd. The
mob finally threatened to hang Gard
ner if he did not keep his mouth shut.
He did not recognize any of the mob,
but they were men, not boys, as some
had claimed.
j. NJ. McKelvey testified to finding
thirty-fve sticks of dynamite in box
concealed on vacant lot near the
court house the day after the rioting.
Just after the shooting he heard
member of the mob say that they had
the dynamite if they only had some
one who knew how to use it. He had
told the mayor Of the find, but he did
not seem to regard it as significant He
had not been able to find out where it
came from. Allen Heagler testified
that he had gone to the mayor of the
town early in the evening of the riot
ing and urged him to issue procama-
ton. He was not able to get the mayor
interested in the matter.
COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 24.-At the Colt
court of inquiry yesterday morning
James DeWolfe, newspaper cores
pondent, said he heard the mayor of
Washington G. Fl. telephone to the ad-
jutant general at Columbus the night
of the riot telling him that he must
either send more troops or send those
there away, or he would not be re-
sponsible for the court house.
Lieut.. w. E. Baker, Of Company X,
Fourteenth regiment, said he was close
to Col Colt when the mob rushed upon
Dolby as he was being taken from the
jail to the court house He saw one of
the mob draw revolver and place it
at Col. Colts back. He struck the mans
arm down and presenting his own pe-
volver at his head, compelled him to
run away.
N. B. Hirshey thought most of the
mob were boys and thought small
squad of military ought to have held
them in check. Capt. Thomas Bowles,
of Hillsboro, saw the crowd bring the
battering ram and use it. There were
about eighty men on the steps when
the doors were rammed, and from 300 to
500 on the ground below He expected
the troops would fire and for that rea-
son got away from in front of the doors.
He was standing at one side in the angle
of the building and the steps when the
firing occurred, and he saw the men
who were shot fall and the others fed.
Col Colts attorneys rested their case
shortly before noon and witnesses for
the people of Washington c. H. were
examined. Their testimony was di-
rected chiefly to the substantiation of
the charges of intoxication made
against Col. Colt and several of the SOL
aiers. The court then adjourned until
Decamber