The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-05-21
GREAT RIOT IN NEW YORK.
MILITARY CALLED OUT!
Melancholy Sacrifice Of Life :!

Evening Mirrors version of the Great Riot at the
Astor Place Opera House At is dated on the after
noon of the 1lth inst. The accounts in the morn
ing papers are written in far more exciting style
but not so likely to be correct, from the hurried
mafiner in which they must have been prepared:
We are called upon to-day to record one of Tue
most fatal and melancholy riots that ever disgraced
90 eiy sa1ises which led TO sis
terrible outbreak are TOO well known to require
repetition and though the city is ouiwardly calm
and peaceful to-day, yet the excitement is too in
tense for reflection, and shall devote space
TO the terrible details than TO comments on ibis
awful outrage, which began in madness and ended
in blood.
The public authorities had reason TO believe du-
ring erday, that another attempt would be made
to prevent the performance at the Opera House,
and took measures accordingly. About five hun
dred of the police We're detailed for special duy
there, and the brigade under, the command of Gen.
Hall, were ordered to turnout, fully equipped, at
5 O'Clock, P. M, and rendezvous at the Centre
Market; portion of Gen Morriss brigade were
also out, and were stationed in the Park. The
police proceeded in body TO the theatre about 5
o'clork and took possession of all the entrances ;
the doors were strongly barricaded, and every
means that prudence suggested, adopted to prevent
a successful attack from without.
The rush for tickets very great, and before
night none We're to be obtaincd and long before
the hour OF commencement there were from 1900
to 1000 persons in the house. large crowd had
likewise assembled in Astor Place, and by half
past Z O'Clock it probably numbered from two to
three thousand persons. But they were hurryng
TO the place in all directions and as the crowd in
creased. the bowling for Macready and cheers for
" Ned Forest were continued with scarcely any
intermssion.
WITHIN THE THEATRE.
d, The curtain rose at the usual hour, and all was
sI,n 6 NJ
who was vociferoi,sly applauded but when Mr..
Macready appeared in the third scene, the rioters
commenced hooting, shouting and Kissing, while
the friends Of Mr.. Niacready, who outnumbered the
others by at least 50 to ], and loudly cheered.
This was continued for about ten minutes when
board was held up by one of the actors, which
was written, 1.-The friends of order will remain
quiet :" this partly queillng The noise, which was
then kept up only hy the rioters No other demon
stratiOn however matchmaking was thrown
upon the stage, and the performances went on
through the first and second acts in dumb show
The Chief of Police lad stationed his men in stu
atoms where they could act most elIectually, but
they were instructed 10 do nothing until ordered by
MIR. Matsell.
The Mayor was also in the house accompanied
by the Recorder aud the Sheriff, to assist in case
of emergency. As soon as Mr.. Macready appeared
in the third act, the rioters became more violent,
and one fellow sitting the orchestra rose, and
called to his fellows 10 give "three groans for
Macready'' Mr. Matsell then appeared in the
tfs g 2 - rvs, and shonted, men do yo3r
was ssized and 5r6gs0i Gus amidst the cheers r.
the audience. After this the performance pd-
eeeded undisinrbed TO the eud, except by the noise
the outside, the yels of the crowd, the thump-
ing of stones against the building, the crash of the
window panes, as large stone now and then was
hurled through them, and fell in the terraces and
Hobbies of the theatre One gentleman we believe
was struck in the head, and slightly injured, and
the splendid chandelier was damaged to some ex-
tent. Every sentence of the play that was al all
applicable to the circumstances was instantly
marked by the audience, particularly those words
of Macbeth:
81 will not be afraid of death and bane,
Till Birnam forest come to Dunslaaae
The following also called forth loud applause:
Our castles strength
Will laugh siege to scorn.
At the close of the tragedy, there was general
call for Mr. Macready, who appeared, but merely
bowed his acknowledgements. The farce was then
commenced but the clamor on the outside, and the
fact that an attempt TO force the doors had been
made, caused no little nneasness to the audience,
and desire to get safely from the building, was
the prevailing feeling; the performances were
therefore discontinued. In The mean time person
attached to the theatre seeing the state OF things
outside the house, hurried off for the military, who
had not arrived on the ground at halfpasi clock
He met Gen. Halls brigade in Broadway, near
Prince street, and the General, on being informed
of the state of affairs, gave the order to march in
quick time, and they very soon took up their sta
tons in Eighth street, and protected the audience
as they left the theatre but for this, we have no
doubt that they would have been attacked, and
the most serious results ensued. MIR. Macready
also left the house unmOlested and accompanied
by two or three friends, reached his hotel in safety
ATTEMPT TO FIRE THE HOUSE.
The rioters, who were arrested in the theatre,
We're placed for safe keeping In a room below the
parouette, and guard placed at the door. In this
room were straw, in which champagne had been
packed shavings, etc, which the prisoners set on
fire. and then commenced breaking down the wall
of lath and plaster, but the noise attracted the at
tention of the police, who opened the door, and a
rush was made by the rioters, but they seized
by the officers aud some of them were handcuffed,
and placed in another ROOM The fire was speedily
extinguished, and the audience were entirely lg-
norant of the occurrence.
SCENES IN THE STREETS.
The mob in front of the theatre did not proceed
TO any acts of violence until after dark they first
turned of the gas in the lamps opposite the theatre,
and towards O'Clock there were probably assem-
bled nine or ten thousand persons, and the crowd
was increasing every minute. They then began TO
throw stones at the windows, and a rush was made
at one of the entrances, and the door partly forced
but the police stationed inside, and seIzng the
first who entered, they We're secured, and the door
again closed. This was repeated several times,
and at each time the police succeeded IN making
several captures. The yelling and hooting was
friphtful, and yet in that vast crowd, there were
probably not more than hundred or two who took
any active part in the outrages Many of them, too
were youths from ii to Is years of age.
ARRIVAL OF THE MILITARY.
Soon after 9 O'Clock, a troop of horse was seen
rounding into the Astor Place from Broadway and
were saluted with Kisses and groans; they never
heless marched up the doors of the theatre, and
dispersed the mob collected in that spot, and then
passed on but the crowd again commenced the
work of destruction and at least two-hirds of the
windows in the building were smashed, and al
every crash there was q loud cheer
| About halfpast 9, Gen. Hall with troop o.
horse, and portion of the regiment of National
Guards, marched through Astor Place, IN qulch
time, and We're peled with stones and bricK bats
they passed into Eighth street, and the mon agar
commenced peltng the building AT thlS ume tllt
police made rush, and many of the leS ders were
| secured. among them E. 2. C.sJudson alas " Nee
Bunfline.'' who was cheering on the mob to fur
tier acts oc violence. After The audience had LET
cl,,IFp tn he n