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ute of a sigh." In this respect the Richmond cemeteries are enduring monument, not alone to the dead, but likewise to the humane and tender promptings that govern the hearts of the living.

Several beautiful and costly shafts are reared in the new grave-yard, and, for a "silent city of the dead," it is perhaps as neat and inviting a place as one could desire to see.

It becomes necessary in writing the history of Richmond to record some events of melancholy interest.

At half past three o'clock, Thursday, May 23, 1867, a band of brigands, eleven in number, heavily armed with navy pistols, entered the city from the east, by three different streets. One detachment came in by the first street south of South Main street, running parallel thereto, and passing up that street to its intersection with College street, turned north to South Main; another party passed up the latter street, while the third came into the city by North Main street. The bandits concentrated in the vicinity of the M. E. Church South, and all but one dismounted, and repaired immediately to the banking house of Hughes & Wasson. Four of the party entered the bank, and with pistols presented, demanded the money therein. The other six remained outside, in front of the bank building, and kept up a continual fire upon citizens who dared to show themselves on the streets. Immediately upon entering the bank, one of the bandits fired at the book-keeper, Willis Warriner, Esquire, as he retreated in the direction of the vault. At the report of the pistol, Mr. Warriner fell to the floor and continued prostrate so long as the robbers remained in the bank, though he was uninjured.

There happened to be only thirty-five hundred dollars in the bank, and when that amount was seized, the robbers turned upon Mr. George I. Wasson, the cashier, and covering him with their pistols, commanded him to get more. But upon Mr. Wasson's assuring them that they had taken all the money on hand, they dismissed him without further molestation.

The robber who remained on his horse, tcok a stand in the middle of the street, near the bank. He was mounted on a very fine and welltrained horse. Having wound the bridle-reins around the bow of his saddle in such a manner as to give greater tension to one rein than to the other, the horse continued to move round in a circle, thus enabling his rider to see about him in every direction. With a navy pistol in each hand the horseman fired up and down the street, while the robbery was going on in the bank.

The citizens began to rally to drive the bandits out of town. Frank Griffin, from his position behind a tree in the court-house yard, was discharging his gun at the man on the horse without effect; when the latter discovered Griffin's head from behind the tree he fired at it, with unerring aim. The ball penetrated the brain, and Griffin instantly expired.

Young Griffin's father, William Griffin, after the killing of his son, ran up to the bank, supposing the robbers had vacated it. Upon stepping within he was confronted by the robbers, and started to run out of the house, when he was fired upon; the ball, taking effect in the back, passed through his heart.

John B. Shaw, a highly respected gentleman, and at that time mayor of the city, was in the middle of the street, near the Shaw House (now Wasson House), of which he was proprietor, endeavoring to rally the citizens, when he was shot in the abdomen. He lived but a few hours. He also was killed by the man on horseback.

After the robbery, the bandits rode rapidly out of town. They were followed by a posse of citizens a distance of about nine miles, but none of them were captured.

The pursuing party fired upon the robbers near Holt Station, on the Hannibal & St. Joseph railroad, wounding one of their horses, which was left behind and died next day.

One of the robbers, whose name was supposed to be William McGuire, was captured in St. Louis the following winter, brought to Richmond, and lodged in jail; and a few months after his capture, the man who sat on his horse in front of the bank and killed John B. Shaw and young Griffin, was apprehended in Kentucky, by John W. Francis, then sheriff of Ray county. This bandit's name was supposed to be Devers. He was also confined in the Richmond jail.

McGuire had a preliminary trial before a justice of the peace, and was held to await the ensuing session of the circuit court. They were both taken from the jail, however, by a vigilance committee and hanged.

What became of the other participants in this atrocious robbery and murder, is unknown.

The following persons were in the bank when the robbers entered: Geo. I. Wasson, cashier; Judge Willis Warriner, book-keeper, and Major Robert Sevier, Ephraim January, and Ben Chipeze. The three last named were in no way connected with the bank. None of the above named gentlemen were injured.

A TERRIBLE CYCLONE.

On June 1, A. D. 1878, the city of Richmond was visited by one of the most violent and destructive cyclones that ever passed over this section of the country. Nearly every thing in its pathway was utterly demolished. Huge trees were torn up by the roots, buildings swept away, and human and animal life destroyed.

For several days previous the weather had been unusually warm and sultry; the air was heavy and oppressive, the mercury in the thermometer indicating a temperature ranging from eighty-five to ninety degrees, Fahrenheit.

The morning of June 1st was bright and tranquil, but later in the day clouds gathered, and early in the afternoon the wind, accompanied by a slight fall of hail, began gently blowing from the southwest. Immediately after the hail ceased falling, a wind from the northwest arose, and, continuing probably ten minutes, was succeeded by a suffocating calm of about three to five minutes' duration. Within twenty or thirty minutes after the falling of the hail, the clouds in the southwest seemed to be falling apart for a moment or two, presenting ragged edges; then, suddenly, streams began to shoot out from the margins of the clouds, and to mingle together by a twirling, intertwining motion.

The calm above alluded to was caused by the current from the northwest meeting a similar current moving in the opposite direction. After this momentary cessation of wind, a strong breeze from the southwest set in, followed by a violent rush of wind, the immediate precursor of the terribly devastating cyclone that was to follow almost instantaneously. The wind began its destructive work about three miles southwest of town. Moving in a northeasterly direction, it struck the railroad at J. S. Hughes & Co.'s coal shaft; then turning northward, it struck six tenement houses, occupied by miners, and owned by J. S. Hughes. These houses were moved out of position and otherwise damaged, though not seriously. Leaving the tenement houses, the cyclone slightly injured six dwellings situated next to the railroad. The upper story, back wall, and porch of W. R. Jackson's house, in the extreme southeastern part of the city, were torn off. The next house in its northward course, was that of Dr. Noah Gaines, a one story frame, which was considerably wrecked but not torn down. Bounding across the street at this point, the storm unroofed the old homestead residence, a one story brick, of Jacob Whitmer. Mrs. Haynes was struck and damaged seriously.

In its onward passage north of Dr. Noah Gaines, it levelled to the ground a small frame building, occupied by a colored family; next a large one story frame building, property of the late Major Sevier, but occupied at the time, by one Mr. Deer and family. The house was utterly demolished. Striking, next, the fine brick residence of J. S. Hughes, Esq., it blew down the ell and unroofed the main building.

Next in the storm's pathway stood the Bidwell property, occupied by a man named Berry, and his family. The building, a two story frame, was totally destroyed; and so, also, was the large two story frame residence of W. R. Holman. Veering to the west from the residence of J. A. Hughes, it struck and completely destroyed the residence of G. A. Hughes, as well as his very fine young apple orchard. The residence last named is on College street; west of it and on the same street, are the residences of Judge Charles J. Hughes and Messrs. B. J. Menefee and P. V. Bernard, all of which were injured. Of the three houses mentioned, Mr.

Bernard's is farthest; it is a one story brick, was unroofed, and a portion of its walls blown in. This building marked the western limit of the storm's fury, in the city.

The cyclone was somewhat narrowed in its destructive course through the city, after leaving South College street, which extends east and west; yet from this street in its northward passage, it extended over two entire blocks of buildings, as well as wrecking some, and wholly demolishing other of the buildings on the east side of the college grounds; and first of the latter was the one and a half story cottage residence of Mrs. Bassett, occupied by C. J. Hughes, Jr., which was totally destroyed. Dr. H. P. Jacobs owned and occupied a new and beautiful residence, which in its fury, the storm-god spared not; every vestige of the building was swept from its foundation. Neither did it respect the Presbyterian Church, a large, costly and substantial brick structure, but razed it to the ground. The next building to the northward, was the story and a half residence of Mr. E. Spear, which, though not blown down, was greatly damaged; then the one story brick of Philip J. Woodson, Esq., was unroofed. Next, to the northward stood the Baptist Church and residence of R. E. Brown, Esq., side by side, which were likewise swept away by the irresistible rotary current.

We have followed the storm in its desolating progress to Lexington street, and, going back again to south College street, and beginning with the block next east of the one last described, and separated therefrom by Thornton Avenue, we mention first the two story frame dwelling of Judge Joseph E. Black, which was entirely destroyed; then the residence of Captain G. N. McGee, a total loss; next the one story residence belonging to Mrs. Mary Brown, but occupied by a tenant, also completely demolished, and the residence of Ephraim Holman, which shared a similar fate.

Passing east, in our description, to the residence of Doctor Frank Gaines, on Lexington street, we have to mention that building as also a total loss. The residence of Mrs. Amelia Jacobs, in this neighborhood, was also totally wrecked.

Again returning to South College street, we begin with the block east of the one last mentioned; and first, the dwelling house of Paul Wertz was literally blown away; and so, also, were the residences of N. P. Warriner, and of Mrs. Morrison, and Mrs. Carson.

Proceeding with his melancholy task, the writer has again arrived at Lexington street, at a point where the cyclone again narrowed its destructive work, and thence northward, embraced only two blocks. First, on the west, starting northward, is the lumber yard of Brown & Limerick, which was completely wrecked; the calaboose, a stone building, was partially blown down, but the blacksmith-shop of Ball & Asbury was totally

destroyed. In the same block, but east of the buildings mentioned, stood the residences of the late Judge Burgess, Colonel Dodd, and Houston Jacobs, all of which were swept away.

East of this block, the residences of George Jacobs and Wyatt Baker were destroyed. The Shaw House (now, 1881, Wasson House), the next building north of Ball & Asbury's (now Asbury's) shop, suffered great injury. Its east wing was blown down entirely, and every portion of the building received considerable damage. Prior to the storm it was a threestory building, but has since been repaired, without replacing the third story. East of the Shaw House was the residence of James Harmony, and east of that the elegant two-story residence of John P. Leeper, occupied by Doctor G. W. Buchanan, both of which were entirely destroyed. Immediately east of the buildings last mentioned stood the wagon factory of Burgess Bros., the buggy factory of O. T. Dickenson, and the residences of Isaac Burgess, Captain Ben. Wigginton, and R. F. Asbury, all of which were swept away.

Our description has brought us to South Main street. In the two blocks of buildings on this street, extending to the northern limits of the city, were about twenty-five houses, all of which were utterly demolished. among the number we may mention the residences of David Whitmer, Benjamin Jacobs, Fritz Lierman, William Marshall, Thomas Word, J. W. Garner, Samuel Nading, John G. Ballard, T. J. Casey, F. W. Joy, Thomas McGinnis, and George Warren.

The above were all one and two-story buildings, and were a total loss. In this were located the African M. E. Church, and the school-house of the colored people, both of which were torn to fragments.

On the street leading northward from the public square, and which is west of the buildings last mentioned, the residences of Mrs. Mary Brown, Thomas D. Woodson and W. A. Donaldson were greatly damaged; Mrs. Brown's residence being blown to the ground.

The following business houses on the east side of the public square sufferred material damage, viz: The three story brick dry goods store of S. R. Crispin & Co., at the southeast corner of the square. The Masonic hall was in the third story of this building, and was completely destroyed, as the third story was blown off, as well as part of the second story; the house occupied by C. Sayre; W. R. Jackson & Co.'s furniture store; Jackson & Asbury's saloon; boot and shoe house of William Marshall; drug store of Taylor & Smith (now Smith & Patton); and the store house of Monroe Bros. All of these, except the first mentioned, were two story brick buildings.

Just north, and across the street from the last mentioned, the lumber yard of Jackson & Patton, and the wagon manufactory of Powell & Son, were destroyed.

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