Lewistown gazette. [volume] (Lewistown, Pa.) 1843-1944, 1849-05-19
From the ,NtlU York Courier # The llh.
Great Riot. BIONdShfd and Loss Of Life

Our city last night was the scene of transac-
tious more disgraceful III their origin, more
outrageous in their incidents, and more bloody
in their results than any we have ever been cal
led on to record.
The writer of this reached the ground at half
past seven O'Clock, and found the whole area III
AStor Place in front of the house occupied ny
dense crowd large number OF whom ifiifheul-
ately in front Of the main door were SHOUTING
and endeavoring TO force an entrance; dn0
doors were closed against every body--the the
atre beinp already fell. The curtain rose ana
the play commenced. Mr.. Macreadys appear
ance was the signal for loud crles and Misses,
which were overwhelmed, however, oy lhe ap-
| pIsuse with which he was greeted Inc play
pp,ent ON amid considerable confusion until near
the close of the second act, when the Police in
attendance, by simultaneous movement, selz-
ed, handcufTed, and carried off ten or twelve Of
the ringleaders-after which the play went on
without interruption to its close-Mr. Macrea-
dy being constantly greeted with the most hearty
applause.
Outside, meantime, a play of far different
! kind was enacted. The crowd in attendance
! increased rapidly and constantly. Astor Place
was denSely crowded from the Bowery to
Broadway, and both these streets were filed
with an immense multitude Of people. Eighth
street also, above the Opera House, was crowd
/ ed, and on every side people were assembled,
as spectators of the apprehended tragedy. Find
! ing il impossible to effect entrance on the
ASt0f race Sluc OF INC HOUSE, We pdSSCu IOuuu
TO the stage door in Eighth street The clamor
on the Astor Place side had scnsibly increased,
and some stones were a this time thrown at the
windows. Reaching the stage door, we found
that also closed and guarded by strong body
of police. We had been there but ten or fifteen
minutes when rush of the mob was made from
the BoWery side, and number OF them began
to gather paving stones and hurl them at the
windows of the stage part of the house.
The Police went inside and barricadcd the
door. We crossed the street and stood among
the rioters. The sidewalk and part of the street
was filed with spectators. Those who took an
active part in storming tie building were only
fifty or eighty in number, ahd were in good part
boys. They took up stones from the street, and
men among them took large flag stones and
broke them in pieces, distributing them among
the mob, who hurled them at the windows in
regular succession, beginning with the Bowery
end and going towards Broadway. The blinds
were all closed, bat being slight, were Of course
easily smashed in.
This continued without interruption for some
fifteen minutes, during which time about one
third of the windows on that side had been bro
ken IN. Just then, some one on the InsIde of
toe building thrIst through lower window
hose pipe and began 70 throw water upon The
mob. This received with shouts of deri-
sion, and shower of stones was forthwith d-
rected against the window from which it came
The assault was also renewed upon the upper
windows, which were nearly all broken in. An
attack was then made upon the main door on
the same side. Heavy stones were taken up
from the pavement, and half dozen or more
persons would go together and hurl them stimuli
tancously against the door. Three or four dis
charges of this stort burst the door IN, and
call was made for a rash. Ten or fifteen per-
sons approached the door, and just they
hurled their missiles against it, battering II al
most completely down, a side door opened and
laryn poltaa ;7in of
the rioters and dragging them inside, and then
rushing out again in good order and forcing
back the whole crowd on either side.
The entire space in Eighth street. in front of
the Opera House, was thus completely cleared
and we accordingly went round to the Astor
Place side. Here the crowd was denser than
ever. The street was completely flied and the
! rioters Immediately in front were stoning the
windows and in vain endeayoring to force
entrance. The Police inside once or twice,
watching their movements, rushed forth, seized
their leaders and dragging them inside, commit
( ted them to close custody. We understood that
4 Mr.. Judson, better known as "Ned Bunt-
line, . was thus captured aud hand-cufcd. The
clamor kept up was incessant, and was fire.
quentiy varied by cheers for Ned Forrest"
and groans for Macready.
At about half past nine o'clock, the tumult
/ increasing, the doors and windows giving way,
! and the shouting and stoning being n. their
! height, diversion created BY the approach
/ of the military from Broadway. First appeared
! a company Of Hussars, mounted white
/ horses, and riding two abreast with drawn
! swords, a walk directly through the centre
/ of the crowd-and these were followed by two
| divisions Of Infantry-composed of the National
| Guards, whole regiment under Col. Duryea,
/ and the Governors Guard, part of the regi-
! ment under Col. Peers-wth fixed bayonets
! cleaning above the heads of the surrounding
| crowd They marched directly through the
! "a ~, -.
| ance with groans, and Kisses, and bootngs, un
! tli they reached the corner of the Bowery, and
! were turning into Eighth street when some
stones were thrown at them and other demon
strations of hostility eyipced. As they passed
through, however, the tumult ceased. The
crowd closed in behind them, but neither the
shouting nor stonng the windows was at once
renewed. Their appearance had made an i'm
presson-marked and salutary. They passed
into Eighth street, and were posted to keep the
| space clear in front of the House, for the exit
OF the audience. They were drawn up in dou-
BILE line across the street, al the other end, be-
| hind file of policemen. Mr.. Macready had
gone through the play and been called out at its
close. The door was opened and the audience
came out.
demonstration made on the Astor Place
side caused the door TO be closed, and the in-
fantry marched in order from Eighth street to
Broadway (leaving the police alone in charge
Va I-iSiti 5liCSNs J-OOHb anu liItouS
the crowd to the Astor Place front of the
| House. Here they were halted. The rioters
began TO peit them with stones. Several 0i the
National Guard we're severely wounded. The
active participants in the mob were gathered in
two squads, one in the street between the troops
and the Bowery, and another little aside, be-
| tween the troops and the dwelling house of Mr..
/ Langdon. Two or three times in succession
t the troops ordered to charge. They did
| so-droye back the mob but on falling back,
were instantly again hemmed in and pelted with
/ stones.
! We are told good authority, that several
! pistols were fred by the rioters at this time.
/ Seeing that the men under his command were
falling around him and carried away wounded
/ Gen Hall reported to the Mayor the condition
Of things, and stated that unless the riot act
were read, he would withdraw his troops.