Akron daily Democrat. [volume] (Akron, Ohio) 1892-1902, 1900-10-06

at the time Of its organization in the
following words:
II would advise you also while you
are investigating these circumstances
TO which I have called your attention,
to investigate the conduct OF the city
ofiicials, the marshal, police force and
city council to find what they did or
did not do in the way Of preventing
or suppressing this lawlessness. Ex-
anime 1t impartially and if there has
been any violation OF the law in that
respect by any officer of the city, or
any failure to discharge duty, where
by law was violated, present 1t fear
lessly to the court"
These instructions we have consid-
cred it our sworn duty to obey: First.
because Of the order Of the court; and
second, by a duty we owe to our fell
low citizens, and to stricken and dis
graced Akron,-a city and a people
worthy from her Christian enlighten-
ment and law-abiding citizenship of a
better name and reputation In the
fellowship of all the enterprising and
progressing cities Of the land.
We entered this field of labor as.
signed us, unpleasant as it is, with.
out fear, favor or feeling for or against
any person witnessing, participating
in, or neglecting to participate in that
which may be a proper subject for this
report. We feel that we are better
able to pass upon this matter after
examining over three hundred wit
nesses to the orgies of that fateful
night of August 22nd. In order to
understand this subject properly II is
due the court, and people that certain
well established facts be recorded as
ground work for our conclusion.
First. That crowd began to gath
er in front of the City building as
early as six o'clock; that it gradual
ly increased, numbering eight hundred
or thousand by half past seven.
Second. That the first demonstra-
tion Of violence was made at this hour
against the north side lower prison
door, mob led by noisy drunken
man, attempting entrance at this
place, and a compromise was made
permitting the entrance of n commit.
tee, self-constituted or selected by
the crowd, which committee passed
through all the several rooms and out
at the Main st. doors.
Third. This committee not finding
the negro, a cry was made, "For the
jail" and large crowd visited the
jail, and failing to find their prey they
assailed the Court House, and being
disappointed there they returned tc
the City building. At this hour, efght
o'clock, the crowd was being incite6
BY those who urged the crowd to deeds
of violence, and being led by lot Of
drunken men, omong whom were five
or six notorious characters, now i'm
prisoned in the county Jail awaiting
trial for their crimes.
Fourth. About this hour, secont
committee was permitted to enter thu
Main street door and examine ever,
room in the building, and report wa
made for the committee that the negr,
was not in the building.
Fifth. The crowd had increased AM
the active ones had taken a position
. near the north Main st. door, and a
ten thirty, ladder was brought from
n paint shop across the street and al
assault was made with this ladde
! against the door. A resistance wa
here made by two or three police ol
the steps Of the building, the struggl
ending in the police going inside.
: Sixth. At this time, ten thirty, th
: Mayor, Chief of Police and chairman
of the Commissioners Police commit
: tee, together with seven or eight reg
: ular policemen, We're in the building
and almost Immediately after the lad
. der episode, firing began from th
windows of the City building, an,
Immediately thereafter stones an,
bricks We're thrown through the win
dows. Firing, directed over the hend
Of the people, was kept up by the pc
lice from the inside for nearly hal
hour. This resulted in the clearing o
the Main st. in front OF the City build
ing from Church to Quarry SITS.
Seventh. The evidence before tn
jury is overwhelming that young mel
and others such as hereinbefore hay
been mentioned, committed the deed
of violence and criminal acts of tina
night. Boys in knee pants threy
missiles into the buildings, and boy