The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1849-10-19
EFrDm the Philadaphia Evening Bullotin IIth inst
DeplorabIO Riots In PhfladsIphfa.

A riot Of q most dsploEabe character has occur
red on the Southern borders Of our. city, which we
shall proceed 70 describe clearly az the circum.
stances will permit. A brick tavern called tIae
California House, four stories high, at the corner Of
sixth and 80. Mary streets, kept by a mulattO man
who has q white wife, has for some time been the
object Of the Indignation. Of the Eogydiea of the
southern districts Of the county, and was a few
wesks sinee the scene Of nOtOus disturbance.
About O'Clock last evening, pFofting by the fact
that the police force engaged in keeping order
about the various election polls gang Of rOVdies
with a furniture car, in which was blazing tar
barrel came up Seventh street, and rushed down
St Mary street. which is inhabited principally by
negroes. An attack on the California House hav-
ing been feared the rotous party created much ex-
cltements and as they passed down St. Mary street,
stones were thrown and couple Of discharges Of
pistols were heaTd-folloWed BY an exciting Fumor
that q white man was shot.
The mob being thus rendered furious proceedsd
70 the front Of the California House, which, with
the nelghbOning houses, was by this time well de-
Tended by the blacks, many of them armed. Seve-
RAJ sales were made by the negroes, but the aEsai
ants finally effected an entrance into the house
about O'Clock. The fixtures Of the bar Were torn
down, and fire was kindled in the inside Of the
house. The inmates were forced % fly, and the
escaPs Of the gas from the demolished fixtures
helping TO spread the flames, the whole house was
soon in a blaze.
The fire companies speedily reached the vicinity,
but when they attempted to play upon the flames,
they were driven of by the rioters, who peted them
with stones. Some sections Of hose were put in
the hands of colOred men, who used them with
some effect upon the neighboning houses. Not
Wlthstanding this the fire spread, destroying two
adjacent frame dwellings, two brick dwellings, and
carpenter shop in the rear, the tavern of Mr. Nc
Twain, the Montgomery House, and stable be-
longing to a man named Bell
The police, in the meantime, had been assembling
10 considerable force, and az early as halfpast
O'Clock, had attempted to drive of the rioters, but
were driven back by discharges Of firearms and
yolleys OF stones the pavements being torn up to
furnish the latter missiles
While tho Montgomery House was burning free
ly, the Hope Engine Company manfully took po-
MHon to play upon it, but an QveTpoWerng mob
took possession of their apparatus and 1t up St
mary street. Il was re-taken by the company, but
not tnl It was much injured. The Goodwill En-
CINE, the Phoenix, Vigilant, and other companies,
also did all that was possible, but as they We're
about to attempt to render service, voeY OF fire.
arms was discharged by the mob, with the most
lamentable results. Charles Hammelwright, ofthe
Goodwill, was shot through the head, and died
almost instantly. He was an estimabe man,
paper staineF by trade, rsiding in Schuylkill Sc
venth street, near Vine. He was unmarried. A
number Of others were wounded, whose names we
shall give at the close Of the account as nearly as
they can be aseertained.
At 70 O'Clock, midnight. the State House bell
struck taps, the signal for the military to be called
out, and this was continued during some time.
This was understood by the mob, and before
O'Clock, A. NJ, suspension of hOstilites was eff
fected. Occasional reports of guns and pistols
Were however heard until O'Clock. The FIRE, in
the meantime, had been put out, or had burnt
itself out.
A number of the police had suffered from the
yolleys Of stones and bricks but, Notwithstanding
their inferior force, they succeeded in making
raj arrests during the night.