The times dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1903-1914, 1904-02-21
THE BREAD
RIOT : HERE.
Nccollections Of Interesting and
Thrilling Event in, a Exciting
War History Of Richmond.
! MOB OF ANGRY WOMEN.
The Military Called Out to Dis.
perse Them Stoncvall Jack
{. sons Death and Funeral.

f}.se s5st
written for Tho Times -Dspatohl
q Il ii,he spirit bf 1865 was fairly we'll adj
q yanced w:lel, an extraordinary affair
took place n.Richriond. This was the
& famous ',brcad riot" about tahich ~ many
Fictitious, statements appeared in the
]. newspapers OF the day. ! witnessed the
entire affair. and l know that, the fol-
lowing account OF 1t Is correct ri.
i heard on the day befone THAT
there had been meeting Of some women
at which 1t was resolved to demand
bread from the authorities. and, II 1T
should be refused. to proceed to take It
by force paid no attention to the
story, believing it to be one OF the ru-
5r1ors for, which Richmond was then IA
NOUS j went e a IN Gown, as usunl, In
tn. morning. alG ha 4 forgotten ell about
1T, when q friend advised me to go up TO
the Capitol Square, II wished to s'see
some fun.. He explained 10 me what
i was going oil, ana at once hurried to
the Square. s8 ss953 s 's1E
GovEToR LETcHER. Il:
1T found a lsrse crowd Of excited wo-
Il men around THE steps Of the Capitol from
n which Govarho.t Hatcher wa s. al dressing
4 them. rs Heftold them that he had no
bread TO give them. that their conduct
vac ineHcusable that If they did not I'M
medately dispsrse and return to their
ho,nes he would have the whole party
arrested. This reply was received with
Il angry cries and threats. The crowd,
which was Increasing every moment
then renaired to the Washington monn-
ruent There they were addressed hy their
leader, Mrs j., who advised the crowd
to "go downtown and help themselves"
Acting upon her advice, they passed out
Of the Square and in the direction of the
lower part Of the city.
4 large number OF citizens Ind been
drawn 70 the Square as lockers on, and
a.up to this moment. all had regarded the
affair as a good joke Tho women, after
&i leaving the Square, formed line and
marched off, foloweu by great crowd
who greeted all their movements with
@ shouts of laughter.
ON LOWER MAIN STREET,
8 Upon their arrival Gary Street TIKI
joke assumedFa Very serious FORM
rush was made at commission house
but the clerks managed to shut and bal
the doors In time Axes were then pro
A in few minutes. The doors were forced
and the crowd poured into the store. 1t:
contents were soon In the street. Hal
an hour suffced to empty two stores OF
this street, and tho crowd then passee
into Main Street and attacked q, sio'
store. t2) Windows were broken ane
4 shoes ana boots were thrown into tn
street. \ dry goods store shared tn
Il same fate, and it seemed that the en-
tire square would be plundered, a larg
number Of men had now Joined the Wo
men and many others who did not 1oil
them cheerad them on In their work. !.
s% had heard 1t said that q detachment
OF the Public Guard had been orderet
from the barracks to put down the riot
watched for them anxiously, but the
did not make their appearance, although
e had been more than an hour since tn
first attack on the stores OH Cary Street
55 prominent citizen, Coli, called TO
volunteers TO put down the riot coul
not resist the Impulse and Joined hi
party. AS soon as we had collected
tcrcc of about hundred men. we threN
ourselves between the crowd and til
stores and after a hard struggle sue
ceeded in driving them off.
s For another hour we had a hard strpG
gle to keep the Nretches from the stores
we made our last attempt at q grocer
store near the old market, go Where W
succeeded in making number OF ar
rests. Here several gentlemen andeavol
ed to stay the progress Of the riot b
buying off these engaged IN It. TIL
a6 president OF the Young Mems Christia
Association, an estt!nabie gentleman. bl
one unfit TO deal with such affairs, Gale
for subscriptions to buy foed for thos
who claimed 10 be suffering. ]. larl
sum was raised In q few minutes. Coy
FRI ernor Letcher and President Davis eve
went so far as 10 ADDRESS the rioters an
55s i,eg them TO dispense, (!l Though M
IA citizen OF Richmond. blushed Tor y
weakness Of the authorities. Tia ba
and bayonet are the proper remedies f
fuch disorders,
Ss5 THREAT TO FIRE,
CHANGING dowa The street. | saw
steady line Of troops, advancing az Il
dounie-Quick, They were late. but n
too late. They halted as they came VI
B At their head was an officer. an 9
$ man I.!eutenant Gay?) from whose fa
saw thai there would be no uiflll
With the riot now. The troops ecu
have been on the ground sooner, b
they had been kept back py the author
ties. .,.s
MY !ffiends'. cried the officer as /
i$y men halted II am ordered 10 clear II
street. shall do so. IN three minut
s. my men viii charge through the stree
IL you do not dlspei'ss you must take I
cnnSequences.
The mep hesltated for a moment, a
" then moved back alpwiS. followed
IA. trasps Soon ths pace grew qniek'
Z, and at last the crowd broke ana SCI
tered u all directions.
NJ IA great deal Of dam So ~ DO
iha ys9taEsl asaa paReh yf2Esgty. y,ag Is