The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1842-04-14
The Terrible Election Riot In the Sixth
I'd Parties to blame.

Ward-AII Parties to Blame.
1t has been too well known to our p~eaceable citi-
zens, that for the last three or four elections, the
wings and l~ocofocos have each had an organized
band OF men to attend the polls, under pretence OF
Keeping order and seeing fair play. The wing band
has been called Unionists, and the l~ocofoco band
SpartaEs. Ia each band there are several SO called
=" lighting characters - and we don't know that Ell
ther band has distinguished themselves hitherto for
any thing particular, except kicking up a row, on the
cheapest possible terms and the shortest possible
notice. For, it is but too notorious that since their
organization we have had rows and Sights at every
election.
To say that the existence Of bands Of fighting
characters to attend the polls is a disgrace to our
city, is saying but little both parties are to blame
for countenancing them. The wings for common
cling the system; the locofocos for following so bad
an example. But those who began the miserable
system deserve a tenfold share of censure.
tits, perhaps, equally well known, that at the
election just terminated, there was the greatest pos
sible amount Of discerd in the ~locofoco ranks, on
almost every subject except that of Morris for
Mayor; but the principal apple of discord was the
School Question, which was wickedly and foO!ishly
thrown into our election contests, by Governor Sc
WaIu duu uIlO ecu, anu ditcI tucy Tau III
the fame, Bishop Hughes famed and fed the same,
until he came near being swept away in the confia-
grafton for his folly.
At the recent election, all the discordant and jar
ring elements and bones Of contention seemed TO
have been concentrated IN the unfortunate Sixth
Ward, of bloody and riOtous and immortal memo
ry. In the 10th, there was q small row occasiOned
by the Varian l~ocofocos supporting his course on the
School Question, and the Irish locofocos opposing
him. In the l2h, there was a row between the
Irish ~locofocos who supported DR.. Williams and
the American l~ocofocos who supported Henry Bree-
WORT; and the same causes led to similar rows and
q~uarrels in the l4th Ward; and the result was, that
the l~ecofocas lost oil these three wards.
The American l~ocofocos seeing how things were
going in the other wards, and finding that by the
splits and quarrels in the 9th Ward, they were like.
ly to loose the majority in the Common Council, be-
came very much excited towards the close of the
afternoon; and it was very evident that 1t woul d
take but little to create a terrible riot in that ward.
And besides all this, there was a split among the
Irish themselves. One party put up Ferris for Alder
man, and the other put up Shaler, But all this quarrel
arose out Of the School question also. For Con. DonO.
hue, the former Collector of the ward was turned out
the Common Council for the part he took in the
School Question, and causing Psrdy to lose his
election for Mayor. When the nominations were
made, 'Donohue was sacrificed and thrown over
board on this his Irish friends rallied, made a new
ticket, with Ferris at the head, to run it against
Shaler, who had become very Unpopular by his
crusade against the little Boys for crying Sunday
newspapers and thus the materials were ready,
and the preparations made for a very elegan. not.
A.o.o - I4,,,A, tn n IL th.e has,la, tLa ,uk;o o.--
didate. Crolius, and the Bishop Hughes candidate,
Shivers Parker, there was a fifth candidate IN the
person of a member Of one of the above bands, for
the honor of Alderman of this unfortunate ward,
who had declared that if he couldn't be elected AL
derman of the ward, no one else should.
This was the exact state of affairs there, and out
of which the row begun in this wise. 1t seems that
in the Afternoon Mr.. Shaler, or some one Of his
friends imprudently boosted that he could master
more Irish votes than Ferris could. On this a Ferris
Irishman said he could not. This led to high words
and great excitement. One of the Spartans stept
up and said a man must be a fool 10 vote for Ferris.
An Irishman told him he was a liar. The Spartan
consequently knocked HIM down. This was the
commencement At the SAINT time, the Sha'er
Irish and Ferris Irish were having a beautiful little
family quarrel in two or three places, fighting and
abusing each other, which they had a perfect right
to do, if they liked the fun. Simultaneous with
this, some ruffian from up the river, not a native OF
New York, who lays claim TO the character
of a fighting man, and who is sometimes
with one band and sometimes with another,
was hourishing round the polls in Bayard street,
swearing that he could whip all the id Irish, and
TO show his valor, fell upon one or two old and fee
bic ~Irishmen, and knocked them down, and kicked
them, and as one account says, stamped upon the
head Of one poor old Irishman. This enraged the
Irish to the last degree, and identifying this rufian
either truly or falsely with the Spartans, they vowed
vengeance against them. During tho progress Of
| this matter, the quarrel t we en- the Spartan and the
Irishman before named had seriously increased
until sides were taken by Sc veral Americans and
Irish, and many hard blows given. All this time
some two or three of the Unionis,s were secretly
urging on the quarrel, and leaning agains. the Irish
And at last, the arrival of a body of fighting charac.
tiers, probably part calling themselves S~partans and
part Unionists) mingled with some of the lowest
dregs Of the city, was the signal for a general melee
and onslaught upon the Irish. The fight took place
with fists and brickbats in entire street near the
Tombs here the Irish got the worst Of it, from the
Americans. They then went off and got their own
natural weapons, sticks Of all kinds, meeting in one
instance with a cart load of wood, when they took
every stick Of the cart. Thus arm ed they returned
to the charge with increased spirits and numbers,
driving every thing before them and then the figh,
was bloody and horrible in the extreme. Many o.
the Irish were most horribly beaten by the Ameri.
cans'and vice versa, many of the Americans were
most awfully beaten by the sticks Of the Irish
Here one man, named Ford. had his skull badly
fractured. and others were very dangerously wound.
ed. BY this time Is o'clock) the Mayor and 20.
lice were on the ground the police officers however
dragged off the Irish principally, and many who
were taken to the Tombs were so beaten about the
head that they could not be recognized as human
beings. AT last the Irish had complete possession
of Centre street, and remained masters of the field
for a short time.