Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1844-05-17
Philadelphia Riots.

We give up our columns TO the thrilling details
one OF the most disgroceful and awful outrages
upon life and property that has ever occurred in
our country. For three full days the City Of Phil
adelphia has been completely under the control of
a reckless mob, without any serious and effective
measures being taken upon the part Of the civil
authority to stop their devastations II seems that
on Friday, the Sd inst, Native American Meeting
at Kensington, in the outskirts Of the city, was
broken up by the Irish. On Monday the Native
Americans re-assembled in great force at the same
place, when the riots commenced. We compile
the following account from various sources.
On Monday afternoon, May g. the Native
Americans assembled at Kensington, on the
corner of Master and Second streets. This
is some two or three miles from the Ex-
change. Before the meeting had hardly
completed its organization a violent storm
arose, which induced the assemblage TO adj
! journ to the Washington Market House,
near at hand, at the corner of Master and
! Cadwallader streets. When the Sd speaker,
Lewis G.. Levin, editor of the SUM COM
menced his address, man standing at the
outside of the crowd was heard to say to
another standing next to him, both Of whom
are represented to US as being Irishmen,)
t"Nov let's make noise, so that he wont
be heard" They forthwith created a noise
and we're demonstrated with by some of the
bystanders, who requested them to let the
proceedings of the meeting 60 on in peace.
They would not cease their clamor, and
were finally compelled to do so, in conse-
quence of receiving severe logging This
! fight caused little excitement, which was
raised TO an intense degree, in consequence
of several shots being fired from the upper
J windows of the Hibernia hose-house, in
Cadwallader street, fronting the market
house. By this volley several wounds were
inflicted and the Native Americans gather
ed a; the meeting, becoming highly exasper-
aied, and the Irishmen having gathered in
to a mob, they made an attack upon them
A number of shots were fired from the
crowd of Irshmen, but they were finally
compelled to flee The Native Americans
pursued them, and several of the fugitives,
finding themselves holly pressed, darted in
to houses and up alleys, in order to escape.
Several of the houses into which they were
seen to enter were attacked, and the doors
and windows of two frame houses in Cad
walader street, below Master street, and one
it the same street, above Master street, were
battered in with stones. On Master street,
near Germantown road, the front part OF
two houses were also much battered, and
the windows riddled with stones. On Ger
mantown road. the dwelling house Of wild
ow, named Mrs Brady, was forcibly broken
into, the windows and shutters shattered and
the furniture broken up The attack upon
/ her house was MADE because one of the fi-
gitives had been seen TO run up the alley adj
Joining. The windows in the upper story
of the Hibernia hose-house were also shatter-
ed, and Master street, between Germantown
road and CadwaladeF street, was literally
strewed with broken bricks and stones Fl
nally, the Irishmen rallied, and beat of the
Naive Americans, aud there the contest
1 ended for the time.
The results Of this riot were-George
Shelter, instantly killed; Samuel Cox, dan.
gerously wounded; William Wright, found
dead, with a bullet-hoIe through his head
Nathan Ramsey, shot through the breast,
supposed to be fatal y Charles Van Sto-
veren dangerously wounded - Lee bad.
ly wounded George Young, fatally wound
ed William H. Blaney, wounded Patrick
Fisher, wounded Adam Roozer, shot in
the arm; Benjamin Smith, missing; and
many more wounded, more or less serious
ly, whose names it was impossible to ascer
tain.
On Monday night, an armed body o.
Irshmen patroiled in front of and about ST
Micheal's church, and stopped all person:
) that passed-questoning them as to theil
business there, &c. One gentleman who
was up there at IL o'clock, says he counted
twenty-three, all armed with muskets anc
ringing sticks.
On Tuesday morning ,placards were founC
posted up all over the city, calling a meet
, ing of Native Americans, to be held at :
o'clock, r. NJ, in independence Square,
About noon small party Of men aud boys
of the Woodworking class, passed through
the streets, bearing large American Flag
and banner on which was inscribed,
"THIs is THE FLAG THAT WAS TRAM
/ PIED BY IRlsH pAPIsTs -
referring TO the act of the Irish Catholics a
the American meeting Of the previous day
which they had invaded and fred upon.
e The following placard was also posted il
a various parts of the city,
To the Catholics Of the City and County o
philadelphia:
The melancholy riot of yesterday, whicl
resulted in The death of several of our fel
+; low beings, calls for our deep sorrow, ant
it becomes all who have had any share il
s this tragical scene TO humble themselves be
: fore God, and to sympathize deeply and sin
cerely with those whose relatives and friend
have fallen. Earnestly conjure all to avoi'
all occasion of excitement, and to shun al
d public places of assemblage, and to do no
s thing that in any way may exasperate.