Martinsburgh gazette. [volume] (Martinsburgh, Va. [W. Va.]) 1810-1825, 1812-08-21
THOS. ROGERS, clerk.

THOS. ROGERS, clerk.
To EDWARD JOHNSON, ESQ
Magyar ofthe City Of Baltimore.
The joint committee of the two branches
of the City Council, appointed to enquire
into the causes and extent of the late com.
motions in the city, having, as enioined
upon them, requested the aid of thirteen
other Of their fellow citizens ten of whom
attended in the discharge Of the duties a..
signed them, in pursuance thereof
REPORT, That on Saturday the Goth
of June, publication appeared 10 the news.
paper called the !" Federal Republican,
printed in this place, which excited great
irritation in the city--thas on the MONDAY
following, the printing Office occupied bv
the editors of that paper was pul.-d down
and their press destroyed. This commo.
ton had subsidized, and the transaction was
under legal investigation by the criminal
court until Sunday the 2e,hJuly, in the evens
ing OF which day, Alexander C. Hanson.
one OF the editors, with several of his fr;ends
from other counties, and one from another
state came into town, unknown to the inha.
bitants, Cor known only to very few Of
shen) and took possession of brick house
IN Charles.street, that had been the late
dwelling of Mr.. Wagner, his partner. The
committee further report, that from writ.
ten documents, since found and commune
Gated to them by the mayor, which are sub.
joined to this report, itsppears that the plan
OF renewing the paper, and of arming for
the defence OF the house from which it was
intended to be Issued, had been deliberately
formed and organized some time previous
In the country, without the knowledge of
the citizens of Baltimore, and all the detail.
settled and adjusted by persons who must
have been acquainted with military service.
That having SO taken possession of the
house, they fortified it strongly, and pre-.
pared arms and ammunition to defend il /.
that on the next morning the editor issued
from that house his paper, containing severe
animadyersions upon the mayor, people.
and police of baltimore, which the editor
caused to be circulated through the city--In
the course OF the same day it was known ia
many persons that Mr.. Hanson. one of the
editors, was in the house, and from the pre-.
parations for defence that were observed to
be making therein, it was coniectured thar
ne expected to be attacked. During the
day, many other persons Of the city went to
the house, and some remained there asso-
Grated with those within. Towards even.
ing many boys had collected in the street.
opposite the house, and their noise exciting
some apprehension, a neighboring magis-
trate endeavored to dispense them, and had
nearly succeeded, when about O'Clock q
carriage stopped at the door of the house.
and number OF muskets and other articles
were seen to be taken out of it and convey.
ed through an armed guard into the house
the boys then returned; recommended their
noise accompanied with abusive language
to the persons in the house, and began
throwing stones at the windows, at this
time, and for an hour or more thereafter
there did not appear more than or men
who could be supposed to have any connec-
ton with or controul over the boys about
this period person on the footway endea-
voring 20 persuade the boys from their mis-
chief was severely wounded in the foot, by
something weighty thrown from the house;
the boys were repeatedly told, from the per-
sons within, to go. away and not molest
them, that they were armed, and would de.
fend themselves the boys still continuing
to throw stones, two guns were fired from
the upper part of the house, charged, az
with blank cartridges as no injus
ry was done by them; the assemblsge Of the
people in the street at this moment greatly
INCREASED, and the threats and throwing of