Richmond planet., 1904-10-29
WANTED TROOPS QUICKLY.

OutbbSah Oh the peiII VI the COlOreU p6O-
pie.
WANTED TROOPS QUICKLY.
Troops were here by half past four
O'Clock yesterday afternoon.
Shortly after noon to-day Mr.. w. w.
Robertson, a prominent lumber dealer
having offices in the Citizens Bank, this
city, and leading resident OF Berkley,
i'll front of whose house the killing of
Blount occurred, called upon Mayor l.
b. Allen, of Berkley, in the latter's Of
flee, and made a statement to that Off
cial.
Mr.. Robertson to his own great regret
was an eyewitness to the dreadful trag.
edy this morning. He saw things from
his bedroom window which were to him
horrible in the extreme. His first inn
pulse, he says, was TO keep out of the
affair altogether, but the question of
his duty as good citizen came up and
he spent some - lee p in thouYht Is
to what was best for him TO do. He de-
termined TO secure legal advice in the
matter. and coming 10 Norfolk, called
upon Attorney John B. Jenkins, TO
whom he told the whole story OF the
Tragedy. MIR. Robertson asked Attorney
Jenkins as a lawyer and citizen TO ad.
wise him.
HIS DUTY TO TELL.
The attorney told Mr.. Robertson that
1t was his duty to 90 TO the Mayor of
Berkeley and Commonwealth Attor-
ney X. q. Marshall, of Portsmouth. Of
ficially, and tell them ali he knew of
( the tragedy. Mr.. Robertson determin.
ed that this was hJs full duty and at
noon left his Norfolk office for that of
Mayor Allen.
According to Mr.. Robertson's state
ment he was awakened n few inmates
, before 3 O'Clock by dreadful screams
from some one on the outside. Going
to his bedroom window and drawing
the curtain thereto, he saw five forms in
the middle of the street, ana in the cleo
trio car track, as well as he cou d tell.
A CHASTITY SCENE.
The reflection from street electric
light enabled him to sec that tour :, ( che
men were pounding upon the fifth
man, who was down with some instru
ment unknown to Mr.. Robertson,
though the awful thuds on the man s
head could not only be heard by Mr..
Robertson, but by others in dwellings
some little distance away, who, it is
said will be witnesses at the proper time.
Mr.. Robertson up TO this time had no
idea that murder was being done. He
thought an arrest had been attempted
and that the prisoner, having resisted.
was being subdued III rather a cruel
way, but that he had better not inter
fere
| THREE RAN AWAY.
| Then the cries of the man who was
down became so intense that three If
the men, presumably taking fright,
= fled. This left the fourth man leaning
! over the fifth man, with the latter
lace down on the street car track. The
fourth man, who, it then could be seen,
was masked, suddenly stopped, and
I drawing pistol from his hip pocket,
put it to the back of the head of the
man who was down and fired.
KNOWN BEFOREHAND.
1t is now known that the purpose to
lynch Blount had been circulated Sun
day night. One of the policeman of
this town was informed CT the intention
OF the mob to take Blount from the
station house and lynch him. He told
several people about the report.
POLICEMAN ENCOURAGED THE LYNcHERs.
1t is also alleged that this same DO
llceman endeavored to get other white
men to join the party of murderers.
| The funeral of Blount was largely at
: tended by the colored people, but no
disorder occurred.
Gov. A. j. Montague has ordered
several companies of the state militia
here and he has been in attendance at
the Horse Show in Norfolk. The in
quest will be held next Friday.
j