Excited Populace

Roajn'oke, Va., Sept. 21.- Bobert Smitli, a negro, aesaulted and nearly killed Mrs. Henry Bishop, wife of a svellU'do farmer of Botetourt county. Mrs. Bishop was at the rnarket with a load of produce and Smith bought a box of grapes. He asked her to go with him to get them in and taking her to a house nearby, locked the door and bound her. Then drawing a razor he demanded her money. She gave it np and while doing so jerked the razor from his hand. The negro choked her, threw her down and pounded her head with a brick, leaving her for dead. Mrs. Bishop shortly afterwards regained consciouBness and returning to the market told of the outrage. Detective Baldwin soon arrested the negro. The excited crowd attempted to take Smith away from the officer and lynch him, but Baldwin with the prisoner on a horse, dashed at full speed in face of the crowd and soon had him behind the bars. Later a crowd gathered around the jail and kept increasing as night approached. At 5 o'clock the Koanoke Light infantry marched to the jail by order of Mayor Trout. Guarda were posted and the streets in the vicinity cleared. A bout dark the crowd increased by 100 men from the vicinity of the woman's home. headed by Mrs. Bishop's son, a fireman on the Norfolk and Western road. At 8 o'clock portions of the mob battered at a side door of the jail where the militia and Mayor Trout had retired. The 6hooting was commenced by the mob and the mayor was shot in the foot. The militia was then ordered to return the fire and a volley from about 25 rifles were poured into the mob. Seven men were killed by this fire and many more wounded, some of them fatally. During the excitement caused by the volley, the negro was taken from the jaii by officers and secreted. The killed and injured were removed to a drug store and to the offices of phygicians.