480 Sheet – American State Trials 1918 Volume X Leo Frank Document

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448

X. AMERICAN STATE TRIALS.

I saw them throwing oyster shells and snowballs at the sentry at the Custom House door; he was on the steps. Some were shouting, "Let us burn the sentry box, let us heave it overboard," but they did not.

**John Ruddock, Esq.** As I went home, I met a number of boys with clubs; they had been doing so for several months before. They chose to do so because they had been so often knocked down by the soldiers. Some said the soldiers were going to fight with the people.

**Newton Prince.** When the bells rang, I was at my own house and asked where the fire was. Somebody said it was something better than fire. I met some with clubs, some with buckets and bags, and some running before me with sticks in their hands. I went to the Town House and saw the soldiers come out with their guns and bayonets fixed; I saw Captain Preston with them. There were a number of people by the west door of the Town House; they said, "Let's go and attack the main guard." Some said, "For God's sake, do not meddle with them." They said, "By God, we will go." Others again said, "Do not go." After a while, they cheered and went down King Street. I saw people with sticks striking on their guns at the right wing. I apprehended danger and that the guns might go off accidentally. I had not got to the center of the party before the guns went off. As they went off, I ran and did not stop until I got to the upper end of the Town House. The crowd said, "Fire, damn you, fire, fire, you lobsters, fire, you dare not fire."

**Gregory Townsend.** Just after the bell rang nine, I saw numbers of people running from the South End. Some had buckets, but the principal number had clubs in their hands. Numbers were coming with buckets, and the rest said, "Damn your bloods, do not bring buckets, bring clubs."

November 30.

**Richard Hirons.** I am a physician. On the evening of March 5th, a little after eight, hearing a noise and disturbance in the street, I went out to know what it was. I was told there was a difference between the town's people and soldiers. I saw several soldiers pass and repass; some with bayonets and some with clubs. I saw a number of people running to and fro in the street. I shut my door and went in. I heard a person running through Roylston's alley with great violence; he ran towards the barrack gate and cried out, "Town-born, turn out; town-born, turn out." I heard this repeated twenty or thirty times; it was the constant cry. I remember to have heard the voice of a person whom I took to be Ensign Maul, say, "Who is this fellow, lay hold of him." This cry of "town-born, turn out," was repeated for seven or eight minutes, when I heard the voices of a great many more. The collection of such a number, with the noise of the clubs, induced me to lock my door, put out my light in the front part of my house, and to go upstairs into the chamber fronting the barracks. When there, I observed four or five officers of the twenty-ninth regiment standing on their own steps, and some twenty or thirty of the town's people surrounding the steps. About that time,

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