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SATUR OA-Y NOVEMBER 18ONE CENT.WltLIAMSBURGH NEWS.- - •• . * ; • . } i ^ViUJura£t)urRH Election RiotInquest on the Body of Win. Henry Harrison• ‘»V- ■. « , *}. , ...• SECOND DAY—THURSDAY.i-^Tfiejuyy: empanelled as before stated met ♦second time pn Thursday morning at the Mayor’ offibe^ and proceeded to take the followingTESTIMONY..v C*.S.a Sehopps iswom^X am a physician; I attended the deoeaged, W. H. Harrison; was called inbet ween ,2 and 3 o’clock on Tuesday last, the 7 th inBt.; found him laboring under compression of the brain; examining particularly I found an extensive wound of the scalp* and .fractures of,the, skull extending injurious direct tionis, T)ut without atay displacement of the bone; I found no other injury about the body.; The immediate cause of death was the effusion of blood; jupon the braincaused by the fracture of interna,! yeasels occasion by the blow he had re* beived off thd scalp. He died some time, during the night. The last time I saw him was about 8 o’clock in the evening; be was then alone.To ?iwr?rlrAt the first, visit I ascertained geneiftUy the, result and extent of the injury with a -probe.i0At the second visit, with Dr. Parker of New York, we traced it further, Isupposedhad only received one blow; or, itmore, they were jn., the same spot.Charles J. Silkworth (who appeared still suN •fering from.his injuries, and was assisted by two men into* his seat,) [being sworn, deposed—I was at the pslls in the 1st District of the 2nd Ward on Tuesday last ; from between T and 8o’oioek iu.thew»mng, till I.think.about 1 o’clock; when i got; there they toldjne the polls hadbeeu open about 16.,minutes;.the.first.riot that ocoarred was about 15 minutes. alter I got there; I challenged, a number of votes, and there were men there who looked as if they had not been in the country 3 weeks, and who challenged citizens I had known for yearsjthe first riot was!occasioned by the arrest ot a man who after he waschallenged refused tojswear, his vote in ; on thesaid man being arrested I believe by Viuoent M. If aha, there was an attempt made t-j rescue him-by some -parties unknown to me, by name, the’ 1 think I can identify some of them when I .see them;, ortler was soon afterwards restored as far .as 1 know j I ac ted there simply as a challenger; at the time ofthe tiot I staid at the polls;the next disturbance occurred abnnt 12 nVinr.irthe nexfc disturbasce occurred about 12 o’clock, in consequence of my challenging votersj; some parties said I was not a resident of the ward andasked me to'vote; I told them I would vote when I got ready JI appealed to one of the inspectorsnamed Mndge, and he told them that I lived in the same house with him ; a cry was then raised by the 'same parties to “ haul him out,” a police* man was there at the time; when the shout was raisedj these same patties made a rush lor me ; ic.waSv struck and beaten; and surroundedon all. sidesI, was got out of the room ; I hads a pistol ia my pocket at the time,which had beeff ’given to'tne that tnorning ; I do not know whether it was loaded or not; I drew it cut of my pocket when I was dragged out, but it was taken from me, and that was the last thing I recollect as I received a blow on the1 temple which rendered me insensible. This was before the fire ball was rung. Mr. Mudge, one of the Inspectors, refused to let me come behind the barrier erected to protect the polls. }'Wm. C. Clinch sworn.—I reside at No, 214 Soafti 2d street- I1 was at the polls of of the 14th .ward on Tuesday last, between the hours of one mMQ o*olcok VsMy 4-t the time.of the dis-turbancer 1 stood,on the sidewalk near the entrance to thb polls. I saw several men, apparently Americans, -attempt to get into the room i to vote, bnt the crowd would not let them.— They; (1 he ciowd) appeared to be Irishmen. Some pile of /tfifo crowd (an Irishman) demanded tosee the inside of one man’s ticket, and would not let him-go In to vote in consequence of his refusal* The man accordingly went away without voting. This was about tea minutes belore the bellBtruek: The next thing I saw was the Deputies1 trying to clear an entrance to the polls; They were resisted. The first blow I saw struck, was as a man came out of the yard adjoining^ polls, with a hoe, and struck some person with it. 4 I do not kno,w the person he hit.1' 1 did not Bee the Deputies use their clubs previous, to this. Shortly atterwwds I Baw persons using spades, shovels, hoes, dubs, barrelstaves andiBo forth. The hoes and shovels were fcsed by the Irish upon the Deputies. I saw twoiLr- T i____ mi_____ _stones, c., that I had to leave ; at the time the engines came up I saw others beaten .by the Irish with clubs, shov els, c.; I Baw an old’man particularly that they were beating ; they struck him with shovels and stones ; he was not Mr.' Harrison, but a deputy sheriff, who -was an el-uerly mm ; having on, I think, a light coat anda hat; I saw au Irishman with red hair ‘and a red shirt; he was beating a man with'a club about 4 feet long.The Inquest was here adjourned till Friday morning at 9 o’clock, A. M. ;THIRD DAT.The Jury reassembled according to appoint.meat, and the following testimony was taken:Giles Smith sworn—I reside at the comer of 6th and North 2d streets ; I was an Inspector of Election laBt Tuesday at the 1st District polls in the 14th Ward ; I was present at the time Silk--worth was assaulted and dragged out ofthe room ; he was assaulted by John Lyons and Others ; Silkworth bad committed no assault; he wub attacked because he had challenged voters, and ae was badly beaten and dragged ont; this was about 15 minutes before the general riot; there was no misconduct on' the part, of tbedeputy'sheriffs iu the room where tbe: polls.were held; I buw Policeman Bradley in front of the door while Silkworth was being bekten * I did not see him take any: part in the affrajy; :he said he was not on duty, and goon alter left; I left before the bell was rung, and did not return. - : . ‘Frederick A. Bennett sworn—I live at No. 62 Grand street; I am one of the Deputy Sheriffs; wsb preBeut at the riot - iu. the 14th ward, on Tuesday last; was called -there by the ringing of the bell; when I got there I found Irishmen arming themselves by tearing dowd fencCB and splitting.the boards for clubs, and with axes; Baw one man with a shovel; they, were assailing the Deputy Sheriffs at the time:' the first thing I taw when I got there was three Irishmen beating Alansoa Hays, on the head with clubs; I endeavoured to protect him; he got clear of the crowd by roy ioterierence ; the next thing I saw was a very tall slim Irishman with*a shovel attempting to strike one of the Deputies ; I pre-r ceeded to protect the Deputy but waB knocked down by being struck with a stone, and beaten .by several men; I have been informed thkt'while I was down Harrison lost his life in endeavoring to protect me.Stephen Bingham sworn—I reside at 312 4tff street; X was called to the polls in the 14th ward by the bell, and had been there previously; before I went home I heard an Irishman about 6 feet 2 inches in height, saying he ‘‘wished to spill thef blood of all the protestants or damned Know Nothings; he had light or sandy hair; was in his shirt sleeves, with his fist doubled up; he had on a white shirt; I did not seejiim when l returned; all I saw when I got to the spoils * after the bell rung was some women throwing stonescut of the 'houses ia 2d street, next to the house in which polls were held.The Coarfc here adjourned till 6 o’clock P. M*EVENING SESSION.Alderman John Linsky (2d ward) sworn,—j was present at the latter part of two riots that occurred at the corner of jNorth 6th and 2d Bts. on Tuesday last. The first riot occurred about 9 A. M. X waa on my way from the polls corner of Nor i h 4lh and 6 th streets to the polls corner North 6lh and 2d Bts., when the fire bell rang. When I arrived at the l^t District polls I saw a large number of people ; some had clubs iu their hands and some were striking. At this i-ime I was on the South side of North 6th street, abofct one hundred feet from Second street near where I Btood ; I saw a young man come from the basement of a bense with a pistol inhishand; he appeared to be putiing a cap on the pistol .; I immediately went away from there, and went about two hundred feet lur then from 2nd street;I did not know the young man ; he came from a house in North 6th St., the second or third house from the southeast corner of 2d Btreet; he was called back by some ladies standing on the stoop of the same house; he went back without firing the pistol; I saw a man ndmed Cooney, who keeps a liquor store corner of North 1st and 2nd streets, at the riot; I think he had a; pistol in his hand ; I saw him apparently about to make an assault on a young man named McElroy ; I took hold of Cooney and ordered him away, an order which he obeyed ; I saw a man around the polls that day who had a red shirt on ; at the riot that occurred at the the time of 'the alarm and after the crowd had gone down Second street toward North 5th street I ordered policeman Bradley to arrest a man withaiwhltee.Kiv«f nn TTa ran Into a frame house on thAwiihiple0es:of boards, clubs, o.,; fighting; I ran away: do cot know and did not rccouaize anyof the partjies.Patrick rMe Fir ot/ (son ot the last witness) BWOTQ-r-I wo6 invNorih6th street, near 2d whe» the fight commenced; the first thing I saw ‘ the deputies coming; they crossed ovsr to the polls and immediately got into a fight; I think as- the deputies crossed North 6th street they shouted out, “clear the polls;”! saw blows struck, but can’t say which party commenced the attackrjasfc'aUerjthe riot commenced I saw a man with a hoe in his hand and I think two with oiubs; I think they came from the bouse above; they rushed into the crowd; I saw a man with a fihovel strike at a man; think he had a red Bhirfc on; tfhim the deputies first arrived there were a good many standing around the polie; the fight commencedf, immediately after; I Baw Cooney, who keep a store corner of 2d and North 1st st3;he came towards me with a piafcoi In his belt; hehad hold ofthe pistol; he called mo “a damned kaow nothin” and said my father was an Irish*: man; he appeared to be augry at me; Alderman Linskey took him away; I did not see where he went; think he caught a horse by the head and stopped him and tried to get a rung from the oart.. . John. Brown sworn—I reside tiu North 2d st,near 6th; was at the polls corner of North 6th and 2d street all day until the riot; the riot tookplace aboat 2 o’clock; there appeared to be about 20 or 30 persons .gathered around the polls to keep others back from voting; deputy sheriff Hays said to them, “You must stand back, so aB to give people room to vote;” at this time a yell was given, and a party of about 200 mea who had armed themselves with clubs and concealed themselves in the store in front of where the polls were held, the house opposite and in some houses above, rushed out and then the fight commenced; I saw a man that waa arrested strikeV a.deputy sheriff; (he two policemen who were there appeared, to be cognizant of what was going on beforedhe fight commenced; after it was over they appeared to triumph with the mob,and daring the fight they did not in ter ter s to protect those who were being beaten; I saw a young man that I can identity with a mallet in hia hand standing in a door of the building where the polls -were held. Alter the fight was over the parties returned to the same buildings that they oame from at the time the deputies were attacked, and the doors immediately olosed again: previpus to this general fight, at the time that Silkworth wes dragged out, policeman Bradley made ho attempt to arrest the parties although they brandished their clubs and boasted of it in las presence; neither did he attempt to take their weapons from them; the clubs used by the mob consisted mostly of hoop poles taken from coopers’ yards in the neighborhood and into lengths2 and 3 feet long.Adjourned till Saturday morning.FOURTH DAY—SATURDAY.The Jury reasembled pursuant to adjournment.- *» • • 'John Hanford sworn—I reside at No. 96 North 3rd gtreet; I was present at a riot that oeoumd ;at the polls corner of North 6ih and 2d streets;I was on my way there at about North 5th and 2d when the bell struck; a large number ot per* Bona moved irom the polls to wards North 5fcb; at this time there was nc^fighlug; I passed on to i he corner of North 5th and 2d etret; I met Hamilton Allen on the way who said it was all quiet atthe polle; after I had stood at the corner aboutone minute I saw a parcel of deputies as I supposed by their clubg; I o#iy knew one of them; his name was-Sapelyea; they were running to wards the polls with tneir ciubs raised; there were about tea or, twelve in the party; they went immediately to the door of the polls and nearly nil went in; parties standing around called clear the way—there they come.”The leader of the deputies baited, aehewas in advance ot his party and ealied to them to come on and they advanced together; while the deputies were in the room I saw parties tearit-g down a fence aad taking sticks off a little pen about.5 feet high; at about the same instant I saw partie.B rushing out of the door where the depu ties had entered, some armed with oluba some fighting with their fiats; I saw one man have a spade or Bhovel handl*; I don’t know.where he came from; I saw about twenty or thirty of the mob armed with ckus; the mob soon goa together in a solid body and drove the deputies downSecond street; I saw one deputy pass me; his face was so biuody I eould notreeoutee him; I saw a man kaooktd dosvn !a th? middle of the 4 corners,of North 6th and 2d with a rough efcave;the man with the shovel handle and 4 or 5 others a ^ bi m n t* t iso UOmO f ima * O 5 or.At*i n a h asome of the officers of Engiue Company No. 5 came up, und told him not to strike me, as i was all right. Said officers appeared to know the parties. One of the parties raised his club again tostrike me,when one of said officers stepped between| us, and pushed him away, Au thi niohCwtne down 2u etreet, I saw Policeman BraJiey endeavoring to stop them; they did did notstrike him. 1 found a policeman's club with blood upon it; I have it inmy poBBCBBjon now.Uririah Lolt sworn: I reside in Fillmore street; am ft special policeman; I wag present at the riot; while the mob wera beating officer Hays,; 1 saw a large man \vith a red shirt on and red hair and large bu»hy whiskers; he had blue overhauls on; this man first seized Wm. H. Harrison, who stood close tothe fence on the east side ot 2nd street near north btn; this man seized Harrison by the collar and dragged him away from the lenee; ae lie seized him I interfered to save him (Hurrison) but was immediately struck: by this time, or beiore I got out of the crowd, Harrison was down and they were beating him; I think the stick that Harrison was beaten with was a stick that he had in hia hand at the time ho was standing; I saw the big man with red shirt seize this stick; as he seized it 1 interfered and was siruck; I then saw the same stick raised over Harrison’s head and saw it come down; it was the big man that struck the blow; I saw the man that first seized Harrison, previous to this in north 6tti street with a shovel in his hand with a part of the blade broken of!; 1 have heard him called by the name of Buckskin; when he attacked Harrison ho had no weapon in his hand; Harrison was s:anding perfectly still when he was attacked; he was taking no’part whatever in the riot; when 1 escaped from the crowd cowards north 5th street I saw officer Hays lying on tho ground and 5 or 6 were over him beating him with staves,' across the head and body.^ Allcmson Bays sworn—I reside at 93 North 6th 5th street! am a special deputy sheriff; was present at the polls last Tuesday corner North 6th arid 2d streets; on learning of Silkworth being beaten I went to the Odeon, and with about 12 other deputies went down to the polls followed by a large crowd; when we arrived there we cleared a passage to the polls so that reporters could get in. At this time 1 saw one man with an axe,one with a hoo, and another with a shovel tearing down a fence, adjoining the house where the polls werejheld and making clubs of the boards; I spoke to one of the deputies and said *do you see that* and we immediately made a rush towards them to stop tnem when the man with the axe raised it over tho head of the deputy and I seized him by the arm and knocked him down with my club; at this time I saw parties coming out oi the house where the polls were held, and of the house opposite and from other directions armed with clubs, brickbats and smoothing irons; when I saw them coming I drew a small pistol from my pocket and fired it; that is the last thing I recollect distinctly as I was then knocked down and became insensible. I had heard threats in tho morning, that if the deputies came there they would club them to death. The man that appeared to be the ringleader ofthe mob, was a tali man with a red shirt on, and had red hair, and w hiskers. This was the man that ban the axe.I saw npne ofthe Deputies strike any oneunal the axe was raised to strike a Deputy Sherifi. i struck him to save the Deputy’s life ; and that 1 think was the first blow struck at that time.George Hartley sworn, says—I reside corner of South 4th and lUth streets. 1 went to the scene of riot last Tuesday. When the fire bell rinc the riot was nearly over. When 1 got there I saw a short man in a white coat, that used to keep a bakery on the cast side of First street, between Grand and North 1st streets. I know him by sight. I saw him strike a young man who works for John Holt with a stick. At this time the young man was running from a man pitied with the small pox, who waa throwing stones at him, 1 saw the young man turn and strike tne baker, after being struck himEelf, with a deputy sheriffs club. That was the last I saw as I was escaping from the mob.Daniel McGrath sworn—I reside in 5th street, between North 5th and Norm 6th'streets. I am a policeman of the 2d ward or this city. I was at ;the pofia corner of North 6ih and 2d streets onTuesday last, about 9 o’clock in the morning. I went there on being told there was a riot there.—VVhen I got there the rioi was nearly over. I saw Nicholas Burke with a ciub in hia hank. I took it from him and threw it away, or at least,he threw it away himself. It looked like a piece of hoop-pole. I have heard of men being struck by the deputies at the riot, but I did not hear who it waa struck.Mdward B. Brown sworn—1 reside at 25 North3rd st.*, I was standing at the corner of North 5th and 2nd st. last Tuesday during the riot; a half grown boy beat John H. Smith; Smith had no club, but when he was picked up i found one lying beside him like a policeman’s, but something shorter ; Smith jerked away from the boy, when a man struck him on the head and knocked him down ; I saw Wm. H. Harrison on his hands and knees on the curb stone ; at the same time i saw a man with n red shirt on strike him on the head with a club or the handle of a spade; 1 saw Harrison at the sametime. _Wrn. Bradley sworn—I am a policeman of the 2d ward. I was at the polls from 10 o'clock till
Newspaper Details
Brooklyn Daily Eagle
Brooklyn, New York, US
Sat, Nov 18, 1854
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USA 18 Jul 2020
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