The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-29 00:00:00

APPEARANCE OF THE MILITARY.

A troop of bor,c then turned from Broadway into
Astor.place, and rode through the crowd to the Bowery,
receiving showers of stones and other missiles on their
way. The horses became unmanageable, and the troop
di.l not again make its apptarance on the ground. In a
few minutes afterwards the National Guard, one of our

independent volunteer c.enpanirs, made their appearance
on the ground, and ettemple.l to force a passage through
the crowd to the theatre. The mob hissed and hooted
at them, and finally attacked them with stones, which
were at hand in canscqn,.nee of the building of a sower
in the neigl►bou -hood. The company were at this period
thrown into disorder by the attack made upon them,
and retired to Broadway, where they rallied, and
made another attempt to reach the theatre. They
were hissed and pelted as before with stones, but
they succeeded in reaching the desired point. They then
endeavoured to form in line on the side-walk, and while
doing so five or six of them were felled to the ground by
paving stones, and taken into the theatre in a state of
insensibility. Captain Pond, the captain of the com-
pany, was one of those thus injured.
The next officer in command then said to the Sheriff,
who was on the ground, that if he did not get orders to
fire he and his men would abandon the streets. Accord-
ingly that officer directed the company to fire a round
over the heads of the people, which was accordingly
done, but without effect. The people continued to pelt
them with paving stones as before. An order was then
given to the company to fire at the crowd, and it was
don*, two men falling, one shot in the arm, and the other
through the right cheek. The first was sent to the hos-
pital, but the other was found to be dead. After the
volley the mob retreated a short distance, but rallied
and renewed the attack with greater vigour than before.
raving stones and other missiles were discharged at
them in great quantities; and while the mob was going
on, another volley was fired by the military, killing and
wounding several more, some of whom were taken by
their friends to the drug store, on the corner of Ninth-
street and Broadway. One young man, named John
McKinley, of No. 147, Third avenue, was shot through
the body, and taken to a publ►c-house in the neigh-
bourhood.

- - .
After this volley the crowd retreated again, and the
military and police took advantage of it to form a line
across the street at both ends of Astor-place, so as to
prevent any connexion between Broadway and the
Bowery. Major-General Sandford then issued an order
for more troops and two brass pieces loaded with grape
to be brought to
.the scene immediately, as it was ru-
moured that the crowd intended to arm themselves and
renew the attack. It was at this time half-past eleven
o'clock, and the additional troops, consisting of several
companies and the artillery, reached the scene in dis-
order. The cannon loaded with grape were placed in front
of the theatre, ready in case of a renewal of the attack.
NEW YORK, SATURDAY, MAY 12.
As will be readily imagined, the excitement through-
out the city, growing out of the deplcrable occurrences
of the previous night, was most intense throughout the
whole of yesterday. Everywhere little groups of per-
sons, of all classes, were observed discussing the affair,
and expressing their opinions with more or less vehe-
mence. As an illustration of the absorbing interest felt
in the matter, we may state that no fewer than thirty-
three thousand five hundred copies of the Herald, con-
taining our full and graphic account of the whole Me-
lancholy affair, were disposed of, and circulated all over
the city. Our telegraphic accounts from other cities,
brought intelligence that an equally intense excite-
ment prevailed wherever the heartrending news had
been dispatched. Of course, considerable diversity of
opinion on all the principal features of the case pre
vailed amongst those who were engaged, in the streets
and elsewhere, in conversation on the subject. It was
manifest, however, that the business had assumed
a new aspect in the minds of many, and that it
was looked upon by them as involving nothing short of
a controversy and collision between those who have been
styled the " exclusives," or " upper ten," and the great
popular masses. Some blamed the authorities with no
little acrimony—others applauded them. It was gene-
rally considered, however, among the more intelligent
and dispassionate classes, that a proelamation should
have been issued by the Mayor, warning the citizens
against participating, even in the most passive manner,
in any tumultuous assemblage at the Astor-place Theatre
or elsewhere, and that an overwhelming miltary force
should have taken possession of the ground at an early
hour, and prevented the gathering of a crowd in the
vicinity of the building.
Throughout the day rumours were abundant that a
riotous organization of the most formidable characler
was in progress, and that a still more bloody acne than
that of the preceding night might be anticipated. It
was said that tire-arms bad been purchased and obtained
in large quantities by persons riotously disposed. Almost
all over the city the following placard had bcea p sted
in the most conspicuous places, attracting crowds of

readers:
"Aiuei i.*uSl ttrouoGl the great crisis has come! ! De-
cide now whether English aristocrats!!! and foreign rule!
shall triumph in this America's metropolis, or whether
her own suns, whose fathers once compelled the base-
born miscreants to succumb, shall meanly lick the hand
th. it strikes, and allow themselves to be deprived of the
liberty of opinion—so dear to every true American
heart. Americ ins! come oui! and dare to own your-
selves sons of the iron hearts of '76!! AMERICA."
A still larger placard, of a hich we give a copy, was
also posted, calling for a meeting in the Park:—
" To the Park !—The citizens of new York, opposed to
the destruction of humsn lite, are requested to assemble
in the Park, at six o'clock, this evening!! Friday, May
11, to express public opinion upon the lamentable oc•
currence of last night."
It was then apparent that an attempt was in progress,
of some kind or another, to give an expression of feeling
which might lead to unpleasant consequences. The
authorities were not inactive. A long consultation was
held by them in the morning. The lessee of the Astor-
place Theatre announced his design to close the house for
the present. Orders were issued to the military to be in
readiness at any moment,
and the following proclama-
tion was issued by the Mayor, and dispersed all over the
city:—

" PROCLAMATION.
" The Mayor of the city, while deeply deploring the
oss of life which has resulted from the maintenance of
.he law during the past night, reminds all Vie citizens
hat the peace of the city must be maintained.
" He calls on all good citizens to sustain the magis-
tracy. The efforts of the authorities will be considerate
—will be humane; but they ought to be, and must be
firm.
" lie recommends all citizens for some days to remain
as quiet as possible within their own dwellings, and to
abstain from swelling public assemblages, and from
all acts that tend to encourage the riotously disposed.
"The effect of crowds is to expose the innocent to the
injury arising from the measures which must be taken.
" The peace of the city must and shall be maintained,
by the whole civil and military power of the county.
" It must always be remembered that the military is but
a portion of the police of our city, composed of our own
fellow-citizens, who have volunteered to maintain the
supremacy of their own laws.
" C. S. WOODHULL, Mayor.
" Mayor's-office, May 11, 1849."
PRESENTMENT O.E TIM GRAND JURY.

The grand jury of the Court of Sessions, deeming
conciliatory measures called for, yesterday made the
following presentment:—
" To the lion. the Court of Sessions of the City and
County of New York.
" The grand inquest, taking into consideration the
highly excited state of the public feeling, growing out
of the riot of the last 24 hours, would present the neces-
sity of adopting such conciliatory measures as may tend
to allay the excitement, and recommend that the Fer-
formanco at the Opera House be suspended for the
present. (Signed) "JOHN CAMPBELL, Foreman.
" New York, May 11,1849."
Mr. Campbell, the foreman of the grand jury, said to
the Court i—The grand jury will cheerfully co-operate
in any measures thought necessary for the preservation
of the peace of the city.
The Recorder stated to the grand jury that he would
lay their communication before the Ma) or. lle thanked
the inquest for their profTo red ti id, and so dismissed them.

MR. MACREADY'S DEPARTURE FROM
THE CITY.

(From the New York Weekly Herald, of May 16.)
Mr. Macready left the New York Hotel, where he
was living, and departed from the city at three o'clock
yesterday morning, accompanied by several of his
friends. He expressed his determination to return
no more for ever. Ills baggage was taken away
yesterday morning, at five o'clock, in charge of a
friend. After the firing of the first round from the
military, a friend of Mr. Macready told liiin that
there had been bloodshed, which seemed to affect him
very much. lie threw up his hands and exclaimed,
" My God, has my appearance led to the sacrit
reso-
flce of
human life! I wish I had adhered to my
firs
lution, and not yielded to the solicitation of my
friends. They assured mu there would be no diffi-
culty." Ile then retired to his dressing-room, and
prepared to leave the theatre. After having got
safely to the New York Hotel, it was deemed pru-
dent by himself and friends that he should leave the
city as soon as possible, lest an attack should be made
upon that house. The uniform of a soldier was
cured, and in that disguise he left the hotel, on io-
t
horse-
back, fur New Rochelle, where he couldlt
tis said wait fortl
ofi)
fr sttsheT
throughcoirti)i.i: r
i but did not
trn
oexcite
the
Boston.
ctrhoowi crowd, , On hills that he
paned way out
lie
stisseveral military officers, who
was accompanied by
acted as an escort and body guard, wasuntillpcimion,
clear
of
followingTtihmecity.
is a list of killed -
George W. Gedney, aged 30 years,— broker, 18, e
t
Wall-
street; shot throughhhaeras, head.
W. Butler, aged 27 b shipjoiner, resided at 23,
"Thompson-stn et; shot in the lett temple.
N it Gray Mellis, liquor business, aged 30 years, re-
sided at 119, Grand-street; shot through the jaw and
heal.

Timothy Burns, aged IS years, a printer, resided at
472, Pearl-street; scot through the right lung.
Mathew Callan, aged 28, labourer, resided in 12th-
great and First-avenue ; shot through the neck.

Owen Burns, aged about SO years, earttm, rc4194
31, Charles-street ; shot through the neck.
Asa F. Collins, aged 45 years, residing at 41st-street
and 3'-avenue, a man of some little property. Mr.
Collins was descending from one of the railway cars at
the time of the firing of the military, at a distance of 150
yards from the scene of disorder ; a ball from a musket
struck the deceased in the neck, causing almost iestant
death.

Thomas Bulman, aged 20 years, labourer, resided in
12th-street and Ist-avenue ; shot in the abdomen. •
George W. Taylor, 21 years, resided at No. ,215,
Varick-street, a carpenter; shot in the head.
Thomas Kearnin, 23 years, a waiter; shot through
the right cheek.
Timothy MI; aire, aged 19,.1ate resident at 107, 13th.
street, was standing immediately opposite the maim en-
trance to the theatre, and at the first discharge of mus-
ketry received a ball which entered the abdomen on tse
left side midway between the pelvis and the ribs. passed
through the body, and escaped alms tt two inches on the
right of the spine. He died a few hours after receiving
the wound.
A Mr. Kelly received a mortal wound, causing 01-
most instant death.

George W. Brown, aged 21 years. This young matt
reepived a musket•ball through the left lung.
Henry Otten, grocer, corner of Drlaucey and Orchard-
streets, was shot through the stomach, and
,died in the
15th ward station-house while we were there.
Jultu H. Jones received a mortal shot. He resided at
219, Sullivan-street.

Andrew M'Kinley, aged about 25 years, shot through
the chest. He resided at 147, 3d-avenue.
George Lincoln, 30 years of age, resided at 139.
Walker-street. Bill took effect in the groin and wine
out of his back.
On Saturday, at six o'clock, a meeting was held la
the Park, at which the following violent resolutions were
adopted :--
" Fellow-citizens,—ln view of the deep disgrace that'
has fallen upon our city in consequence of the conduit
of some of our citizen rulers last evening, the following
resolutions are submitted for your consideration:—
and dTehvoattewd et
to love otvhee twheel
fapreeacoef, ltahwe-afibrisdti negitycitoifzetnhse,
union; but, above all, we cannot sanction the murder of
innocent men by those whose sworn duty it is to pro-
tect them in all the tights of American citizens.
" That we believe it is the duty of our city authorities
if a riot takes place, or if they have good reason to
believe that a riot, involving the destruction of life or
property, will take place, to exhau.t the civil power of
the county before resorting to the military, which is, in
fact, the right arm of despotism, and ought to be the
last resort of Americans. And here we must condemn
the mayor of our city for not causing the Astor-place
Opera-house to be closed, when he knew (as he says)
that a riot would ensue if it were opened.
" That we look upon the sacrifice of human lives in
the vicinity of the Astor-place Opera-house, last night,
as the moat wanton, unprovoked, and murderous .out-
rage over perpetrated in the civilised world ; and that
the alders, abettors, and instigators, of that unparalleled
crimo deserve, and shall receive the lasting censure and
condemnation cf this community..
" That in our opinion it is the imperative duty of the
grand jury of this county to indict tho mayor, recorder,
and the sheriff of this city, for ordering the military to
fire on the citizens curing the disastrous and bloody
tragedy of last night.
" That we mingle our tears and lamentations with the
mourning friends and relatives of the men, women, and
children, who have fallen victims to the pride, tyranny,
and inhumanity of those who dressed in a little brief
authority,' have shown a higher regard for the applause
of those who courted a fatal issue than for the lives of
their fellow citizens.

" That we will attend the funerals of our murdered
fellow citizens.

" That a committee be appointed by the chairman to
take testimony in relation to the lamentable affair of last
night, for the purpose of presenting it to the proper au-
thorities and our tellow•citizens.

" That we owe it to ourselves, to the high character
of our city, to the genius of our institutions, to the vin-
dication of a large body of our fellow-citizens from the
opprobrious and unfounded charges made against then!,
to prove to our and their revilers that we respect the
rights of others, are neither destructives nor law
breakers, and, therefore, will not counsel or countenance
the destruction of life or property.
" That while we are opposed to all violence in
theatres or elsewhere, we still 'Hoist that citizens have a
perfect and indisputable right to express their approba-
tion or disapprobation in all places of public amuse-
ment; and we regard the arrest and imprisonment of
persons last night, for merely expressing their opinions
in the Opera-house, as only surpassed in atrocity by the
outrage perpetrated outside among the people."
Several other meetings of a similar character took
place.
The Coroner's inquest upon the bodies of the suf-
ferers, after sitting for three days, returned the follow-
ing verdict:—
" We believe that George A. Curtis, John M‘Donald,
Thomas Aylward, George Lincoln, Timothy Burns,
Henry Otter], George W. Brown, William Butler,
George W. Taylor, Owen Burns, Thomas Bulman,
Niel Gray Mellis, Asa F. Collins, William Armer,
Thomas Kearnin, Matthew Cahill, and George W. God-
ney, came to their deaths by gunshot wounds, fired by
,he military during the riot before the Opera-house on
Thursday evening, the 10th of May instant, by order of
the civil authorities of the city of New York; and alit
the eirenmstances exiting at the time justihed tne
authorities in giving the order to fire upon the mob.
We further believe that, if a large number of the police
had been ordered out, the necessity of a resort to the
use of the military might have been avoided.
Js. H. PEnarNa, foreman WM. BANTA
O. H. WILSON J. C. BALDWIN
LEONARD H. REDUR LEANDER M. SAMMIR
SAMUEL RETNOR EDWARD C. RODINsON
JAMES CROPSEY WM. S. SMITH
JOSEPH B. BREWSTER THOMAS S. MILLER
GEORGE W. DAWSON. Was. BALLAGH, jurors.
" New York, May 14, 1849."
There were yet several inquests to be held on the
bodies of those who had died since the above jury was
impannelled. This verdict, however, will, in all proba-
bility, regulate others in a great measure.
Twenty-two persons in all had died up to the evening
of the 15th, and thirty wounded remained, some of whom
were not expected to survive.
The following statement has been published by the
friends of Mr. Macready:—
" It is due to the feelings of Mr. Macready, who can-
not in his own person address the public after the mourn-
ful occurrences at New York, that an authentic state-
ment should be made, from which every right-minded
man will be able to judge how far he is responsible fur
what has been done. It would have been preferable that
such a statement should emanate from persons in New
York well acquainted with most of the facts, and who, we
doubt not, at the proper time, would ha►e been ready to
make a just representation of them to the public; but
Mr. Macready has been compelled to leave that city, and
as he is necessarily here for a short time before leaving
the country, the undersigned have thought that justice
to him, as well as the duty of hospitality, and a due re-
gard to public opinion, require that some citizens of
Boston should obtain from Mr. Mecready some particu-
lars with a view to their publication. The undersigned
have accordingly done so, and submit the following state-
ment of what they believe to be the facts:—
" Mr. Macready arrived at New York on Friday, the
27th of April, with a view of taking there his farewell of
the American stage. On the evening orthe same day he
concluded an engagement with Messrs. Hackett and
Niblo, to act at the Astor-place Opera House for four
weeks, commencing on Monday evening, the 7th of Mays
and the fact of his having made this engagement was
immediately announced in the newspapers, and after-
wards placarded through the city. The space of 10
days, therefore, intervened between the public announce-
ment of his proposed appearance and the evening of his
first performance. In this interval, from no quarter
whatever, and by no channel, public or private, did Mr.
Macready, living at one of the most public hotels in the
eity of New York, receive any intimation that his re-
ception was likely to be unfriendly, or that any disturb-
ance would be created at the theatre, until he went upozi
the stage in the character of Macbeth, on Monday even-
ing, the 7th of May.
" Mr. George T. Curtis, of this city, a friend of Mr.
Macready's, was at New York from the morning of
Thursday, the 3d of May, until the-afternoon of Satur-
day, the sth, and states to us that he neither heard from
Mr. Macready, with whom he had much conversation

respecting hIY professional reception in the country, nor
I roan any other person, the slightest intimation that any
disturbance was apprehended. As the applause, how-
ever, which greeted Mr. Macready's first appearance on
that occasion subsided, his ear was struck by sounds of
another character, which give him the first warning he
had received that his reception was likely to be in any
month of
Now Orleans.
(r)ersdplretoci dmiirionrdne,roefrrpooßmtiatliwtoiinnl7,riet,
October last. WbahtoafrdolbaloetewniCedaPtw York in the
3 well ktaown,
an
(u)nacthkeetntut)hrnaitnhgeoefo'nfsuiedse(sy
ried Bhtirm. 'Acre
sfealfaabdsoylvinedforfmroel
Mr.
any
engagement, and should nut appear again at the
Opera-house, and immediately sent to the steam-ship
America to have a passage taken for England; but he
also took immediate measures to print the documents
which ho has since published, in the hope that all excite-
ment in the city might be allayed.
(In the evening of Tuesday, the Bth, the letter of
Mr. Washington Irving and others, most respectable
persons, as deeply interested in preserving the peace of
Ihe city as any person can be, was presented to Mr.
Macready, requesting him to go on with his engagement.
lie found on Wednesday morning the state of public
opinion to be entirely on the side of order,
and strong, in every form of expression, in its con-
demnation of his assailants; ho was told by persons of
the highest respectability, in and out of official station,
that there would be no disturbance, on a second appear-
ance, which he ought to regard, or which could net be
checked by the police in its ordinary action; and the
press of the city, almost without exception, spoke so se-
verily of the conduct of his assailants, that he, reasoning
from his own experience of the manifestation and power
of public opinion in similar cases, felt at last convinced
that he ought to consent to re-appear. It was his own
opinion, however, that the second performance ought to
be postponed to Friday evening, to give time for all ex•
citernent to subside, and to allow the circulation iof
documents, which the press, with great unanimity, hal
diclared disproved every charge that has been broughl
against him. In this he was overruled by the judgment
of those who represented to him, that the state of public
opinion was
as Fridayso might
entirely o n t h
aec side
a relaxation,
e of order,thatandlong
give opportunity to turbulent spirita again to attempt
breaches of the peace. Under these views Mr.
Macready prepared his answer to Mr. Irving and his
associates.
" At the rehearsal, on Thursday morning, no appre-
-1 hensiou was expressed by any 0110 as to the success of