While crimes
have been committed in every county and in every state in our Union, it
is not considered appropriate to magnify or dwell at length on such
incidents in the compilation of a county history; yet it may be
admissible to insert in this chapter the clear facts concerning a riot
which was caused here in 1894 by reason of an unmentionable crime that
was committed that year. The crime was committed on the person of a
woman residing near Parrett's Station, northern Fayette County, on
October 10, 1894. The brute committing such crime was a colored man
named Jasper Dolby. He escaped, but was soon captured in Delaware, Ohio,
and brought to Washington C.H., by Deputy Sheriff, James F. Cook
Jr. The woman victim was brought to the waiting room of the Sheriff's
Residence and there she identified her dastardly assailant. By ten
o'clock, a large crowd had gathered about the Court House square and
Jail, but little disturbance was made at first. At ten-thirty in the
morning, Company E of the Ohio National Guard under the command of
Captain Vincent, was ordered out and filed from the armory to the county
jail. Captain Vincent ordered the crowd to disperse and many obeyed him;
some however, did not leave. Upon retiring, many made dire threats upon
the prisoner. In some manner a bunch of fire-crackers were fired off and
the sound being misunderstood by the crowd, much excitement prevailed
for a time.
William McKinley
was then governor of Ohio, and he was wired to send a company of troops
to Washington C.H. immediately, and the troops arrived late in the
night. The two companies were then under the command of Colonel Coit. A
special grand jury had been empanelled and an indictment secured against
Dolby, the colored prisoner. Shortly after four o'clock in the afternoon
Dolby was arraigned before Judge H. B. Maynard, who, after Dolby having
plead guilty, sentenced Dolby to twenty years in the Ohio penitentiary.
On the way to
the Court House, a large number of the woman's friends and neighbors
assembled together, standing near the Court House steps, on the lawn.
Two lines of soldiers were formed, reaching from the jail to the Court
House, to guard Dolby. The crowd surged against the troop lines in order
to seize the
prisoner. The soldiers charged several times with fixed
bayonets and a number of persons were injured, among the number was
Henry Kirk, a brother-in-law, and Elmer T. Boyd, a son of the woman who
had been assaulted. Just as Dolby ascended the Court House steps, the
angry, excited crowd made a grab for the prisoner. The soldiers used the
butt of their gun to ward them off. The soldiers also used their sword
hilts, striking right and left with great violence. Mr. Boyd was knocked
off the steps to the ground and Kirk has his nose fractured. The
prisoner Dolby was finally dragged inside the Court House and Colonel Coit pled with the mob to desist and leave, but they stoutly demanded
the release of Dolby to them.
Later that
evening the Sheriff telegraphed to Adjutant-General Howe for more troops
and they were sent immediately. The Court House was garrisoned with
troops, all doors being closed except the north entrance. Late that day
the crowd assembled again at the Court House, in increased numbers and
finally they attacked the door. The soldiers notified them that they
would be shot unless they kept from breaking in the door. A moment later
the mob made a rush and broke in the door, whereupon an officer of the
troops ordered the soldiers to fire upon the mob. The result was that
most of the crowd ran, but as a result of the troops firing, there were
five persons killed and about twenty wounded, some badly and other
slightly. Among the killed were Smith Welsh, aged eighteen years; Jesse
Judy, aged twenty-five years; Mark Johnson and William Sams. Additional
troops were ordered up and the crowd dispersed. The First Regiment from
Cincinnati, and the First Ohio Battery were brought to Washington Court
House. The troops came early in the evening on a special train and took
possession of the prisoner Dolby and was hurried away to Columbus.
An inquest was
held by the Coroner James M. Edwards. Colonel Coit was indicted for
manslaughter and tried in Circleville. After a wearisome case of
several weeks and with the jury out five days, the jury finally found a
verdict of "Not Guilty" as charged.
