The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1851-06-02
The Hoboken Riot-Its Causes and Res lts.


Mcdonald.
The Hoboken Riot-Its Causes and Results.
The two Investigations into the unhappy and
fatal riot in Hoboken-one held by the Coroner at
that village, and the other by the magistrates at
Bergen-have been brought to a close The test-
nony produced before both tribunals exhibits
several curious phases, which worthy of notice.
There are some who attribute all the blame to the
Short Boys some who charge the Germans with
the unfortunate results, and some who are disposed
to lay the greater part of the evil at the door of tae
police aut norities. 1t will be found, careful
perusal Of the evidence, that none of these views
are exactly correct, and that the responsibility and
the guilt must be shared in unequal quantities. in
greater or less degree, with them all
The history of the case is briefly this:-On M On
day last the 26th Of May the Germans, who, for the
last 1--WE years, have been in the habit of holding
nual May festivals, either in Hoboken elsewhere
in the vicinity of this city, proceeded to Fox Hill,
adjacent to the Elysian Fields, to enjoy their
Gent celebration. They assembled according to
the testimony Of some Of the Witnesses to the num-
Der Of $1,000 or 10000. But making all due allow
anees for exag geration, there were probably half
that mum Der presents and constituting, as they do,
. large proportion of the citizen. Of New York,
they fully entitled TO the protection of the
laws, in the enjoyment Of their innocent pastime.
The Germans a most inoffensiye people. The
Irish, with some few exceptions, quiet race:
but the Germans still more So and equal, If
not beyond, the Scotch, in their peaceable DISPOSE
tion their love Of ORDER and obedience to the laws
Unfortunately, there were fighting men mixed up
with them, under the garb Of white coats, who call
themselves Turner's" from their agility in turning
head over heels in various gymnastic exploits.
We have been told that the obee. of this society is
20 defend the weak, and we have doubt that
many members Of il are well-disposed, peaceable,
gallant men; but il must not be concealed that it
includes a number Of rovdies and desperate men,
who have within the last two three years locked
10 this city from all parts of the continents float
ing Of restless spirits, consisting of Poles,
llungarians, and other nations, well rs Ger
mans proper, who red revolutionists, so
cial reformers and Fourierites at home, and would
like to carry out their anarchical ideas here, If
they could The Ncu York Tribune il their spe-
cial organ. There are the Shor. Boys Of the Ger
mans, but for whose conduct, the German race,
who numerous in this city, are no more re-
sponsible than the citizens Of New York
responsible for the acts Of their Fn short Boys,
who, for some years past, have disgraced this city
and its vicinity "When Greek meets Greek then
comes thetug Of war" When fighting men meet
fighting men, and short Boys meet Short Boys,
then riot may be expected. When there is a die
position tow ards rowdyism, Il i easy to find
Of quarrel.
The New York short Boys, who for years have
infested oboken and driven respectable persons from
the enjoyment Of its delightful retreats, de-
termined to kick up row, having in these dull times
when there are 10 elections going on, no primary
meetings held--bccome blue moulded for want Of
exercise in their peculiar vocation. They mingled
with the Germans in the outskirts Of their encamp-
ment and helped themselves to the segars and beer
from the stands, without paying for these articles.
The owners Of the stands insisted upon payment.
The Turner's, or at least portion Of them, at
hand, and gave the scoundrcls a good thrashing,
which they richly deserved. Perhaps the proper
course here would have been to arrest these maraud
ing rascals, and hand them over TO the police for
fraud. But had the Turner's stopped with beating
and diving the short Boys of the ground, there i
no person who would be disposed to blame them
much, or 70 show any sympathy for the rowdies.
But the Turner's. not content with driving OF the
Short Boys pursued them, to inact additional ven
geance. They chased them into the saloon of Mr..
McCarty, q respectable and worthy citizen; and IL
order 10 protect them from murder. and also TO dc.
fend his own life, he found Il necessary to fire on
this band, after they had demolished his bar and
set FIRE to his hone. This was exactly what the
short Boys wanted II afforded them an excuse for
renewing hosilitics. and rousing the symPathes Of
the villagers. Justice Browning who made some
Intellectual attempts to suppress the riot at DlcCar-
ty's, was severely hart b. the German white coats,
and this was another God. end Cor the Short Boys
Weak man a. he was, he f,it indignant AZ the
treatment he received, that IL resolved TO visit il
upon the whole mass of Germ ms; and the Shore
Boys, with all The cunning Of stoc pgeons, TO shift
their own guilt the innocent IL, 'uced him 70 sp
point them special consables, TO arrest every Ger.
man who came to the ferry. With the assistance
Of some Hoboken boys, az bad themselves, they
lay in wait for their victims, and knock ed them
down, one By one, as they came quietly III an
into their ambuscade. They hrt ught
hem FIRST as prisoners 70 the Office Of Justice Bro
ing, and thence 70 Bergen Jail on stages, without
any charge or accusation whatever against them IL
rs been proyed that scarcoy one Of those arrested