Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1834-08-21


record one Of 1e most scandalous acts of
popular viOItncdWhich was ever perpetrat- I
ed in this COMMUNITY. We announced in a
postscript to OuIaat paper, dated at quarter
past one yesterdy morning, that the Ursu-
line Convent, a. CharlestoVsn. WAS then in
flames, having den set ON FIRE by a mob as
selnbled for ihd purpose. The Convent is
situated on Mo,ht Benedict. at distance Of
about a mile fam the central portion Of
ChsrlestOwn, AMI two or three mikes from
this city. The triicipal building was an edi-
fee Of brick, and bout eighty feet in length.
aud four stories Iigh. Among the other
buildings were firm house and cottage
The inmates Of thd Convent were the Lady
Superior. Eve or ok Nuns, three female at
tendants, and from fifty to sixty children.
placed there by thar friends, principally pro-
testants, for the purpose Of instruction.
Alta little after lLl' clock on Monday. night.
an alarm of fire was given 10 this city and the
neighboring towns, produced by the burning
Ofseveral tar barrels 10 the neighborhood Of
the convent. II appears that this must have
heen precOncerted signal for assembling a.
mong the class Of citizeHs who would be cob
lected, large humber who had entered mi"
a continuation for the destruction OF thesc0D-
vent. party Of Fifty 10 a hundred persons.
or perhaps more. disguised by fantastic dress
90 and. painted facss, .assemhlcd #bsfnre The b
Consent, and aftsf warning the inmates, VINO
had all s~sisrd 10 rest, by loud noises ano
threats Of violence to make their escape, pro-
cerdpd 10 make an actual assault upon the
house. The ladies Of the convent. alarIntd hX
these threats vi violence, immediately awVee
the children under their charge, and wiA
them reireated from, the rear QF the house.
through the gardea and made their escape 10
some Of the neighbpring dwellings. The as
sailants pressed the. evacuation Vt the house
with such haste, that it is said they laid VIC
lent hands on the lady superior. to hasten her
movements. The distress and terror OF the
scene were heightened by the sOlicitude Ofthe
nuns for one of their number, who is c0nlined
to her bed by disease from which she,is not
expected to recover. The ASSISTANTS forced
open the doors and windows of the convent,
carried most Of the furOitnre, among which
were three pianOfOrtes, harp. and other mu-
steal instruments, into the yard, and then de-
stroyed it. Al absut hall past ~ O'Clock they
set fire To the building. in the secOnd story.
aud in a shart time il was entirely destroyed.
A great number of persons were assembled at
the spot. aud were witnesses Of these transac-
tons. We are unable 10 account for il, that
no measures were taken tO'repress them. We
do not learn that any magistrate or police of
fcer came upon tho ground. Several fire
companies from this city, from CharbestOwB,
aud from Cambridge. repaired 10 the scene
90 the FIRST alarm, and when they ascertained
the cause of the alarm part of them return
ed home. A number of the fre companies
h0wever were present during the conhagra.
ton, aud the efftctual measures which were
taken to suppress it, appear TO have been
overruled by the great number of persons. AS
sembled. many Of them evidently from u dis
lance, for the apparent purpose Of encourag-
ing a0d aidingthe work Of destruction.
Besides thsannnery several other bsildings
belongings the establishraent We're also burnt.
The iire was deliberately communicated 10
the Chapel. 10 the Bishops Lodge, the sta
bles and the Old Nunnrry. a large wooden
building situated at a short distance from the
others. II il asserted also, that the cemetery
was opened, and its contents taken out aud
exposed to view. The work Of destruction
was continued until day light, when the nab
dispersed. Ofihc pecgniary value Of the pro-
petty thus destroyed, we cannot give an accn-
rate estimate. II is supposed 10 have cost
from so to 100000 dollars. II is stated that
there was insurance against Gre at the Amrri-
can Office. on The NunneTy for $4,000. and
ON the furniture for $4,000 !; on policy how
ever not protecting the property against out
RACES 0fthis kind.
E16VtU& IUu3 QeSCfJUeQ % aeeufdtGtY 40 VIC
are able this act Of lawless violence, we 6nd il
difficult to account for the excitement which
has caused il, aud still more 30 to li0d any
Facts which can serve as an apology for this
act. or any palIiaiion Of its enormities. We
will, however. relate the circumstances " hich
have led 10 IL, az far as we are able to ascer-
tain them.
In one Of the papers Of Friday last, it was
stated that great excitement prevailed 10
Charlestown. in consequence of the lnysteri-
Ous disappearance Of a young lady at the nun-
merry: and the following WAS given as an ac-
curate account of the circumstances, ne Ear as
the editor could ascertain them. That the
young lady had heen sent 10 the Nunnery to
complete her education, aud became 80 pleas
ed with the place and IT'S inmates. as To be in
duced to take che black veil; that she subss-
quently became dissatisfied. and made her es-
cape from the Institution, bat was afterwards
persuaded 10 reiurn, being told that if she
would cOltinue but three weeks l0nger. she
would be hanoeably discharged; thai. at the
.sxpisallea Of That pssied, her lsienssS called
for her, but she was not 10 be found. This
statement was copied into another paper Of
the following day, accompanied with diecia-
ration. given On the authority u Bishop Fem
wick, that ID was uufUunded. II was added
thatthe Bishop would probably lay befors the
public the facts Of the case On Mouday in
the mean time. the editor stated that the ex-
element was questioned by the language VI a
sister u the convent, who was an invalid, and
nad been Tor some time deprived Of her reason