The southern press. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1851-06-04

Tne u&11&48 IN e4lloos A01 14eAlt4i
The two invest igations into the unhappy and
fatal riot IN Hoboken--ons held by the coroner
at that village, and the other by the magistr rates
1t Rsrgen-hsve been brought to close. The
testimony produced before both tribunals ex-
hibits several curious phases. which are 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 the police authorities. II
will be found, on careful perusal Of the evil
donce, that none OF these views are exactly cor
rect, 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
Monday last, the 26th Of May, the Germans,
who, for the last five years. have been in the
habitof holding annual May festivals, either in
Hoboken or elsewhere IN the vicinity Of this
city. proceeded to Fox Hill. adjacent to the
ElysiAn Fields, TO enjoy their ancient celebra-
ton. They assembled, according to the testi-
mony Of some Of the Witnesses to the number
Of $4,000 or 10000. But making all due al
lowances for exaggeration, there were probA-
bly, half TINT number present; and constituting,
a. they do, large proportion of the citizens OF
New York, they were fully entitled to the pro-
lection Of the laws, in the enjoyment OF their
innocent pastime.
The Germans are most inoifensive people.
The Irish, with some few exceptions, are quiet
race; but tho Germans are still more 80, and are
equal, il not beyond, the Scotch, in their peace
able disposition, their love Of order, and ODE
dience to the laws Unfortunately, there were
fighting men mixed up with them, under the
Qarb Of white coats who call themselves "Tur-
ners," from their agility in turning head over
heels in various gymnastic exploits. We have
been told that the object Of this society is to
defend the weak, and we have no doubt that
many members of it are we'll disposed peace
able, gallant men bot it must not be concealed
that it includes number Of rowdies and des-
perate men, who have within the last two or
three years flocked to this city from all parts of
the continent-a floating mass of restless spirits,
consisting of Poles, Hungarians, and other ma
tions, as well as Germans proper, who were red
revolutionists social reformers and Fourierites
ut home, and would like to carry out their anar-
chica IDEAS here, if they could. The New York
Tribune is their special organ. These are the
Short boys Of the Germans, but for whose con-
duct, the German race, who are numerous in
this city, are no more responsible than the citi-
zens of New York are responsible for the acts
Of their own short boys, who, for some years
past have disgraced this city and its vicinity.
SWhen Greek meets Greek, then comes the
tug Of war" When fighting men meet fighting
men, and Short boys meet Short boys, then a
a riot may be expected. When there is d~po.
sition towards rowdyism, it is easy to find a
cause of quarrel.
The New York Short boys, who for years
have infested Hoboken and driven respectable
persons from the enjoyment Of its delightful
summer retreats, determined to kick up row
having in these dull times-when there no
elections going on, no primary meetings held
bee me blue moulded for want Of exercise in
their peculiar vocation. They mingled with the
Germa 9 in the outskirts of their encampment
and helped themselves to the segars and beer
from the stands, without paying for these art
cles. The owners of the stands insisted upon
payment. The Turner'S, or at lenst portion
of them, were at hand, and gave the sc0undrels
good thrashing which they richly deserved
Perhaps tho proper course here would have
been to arrest these marauding rascals, and hand
them over to the police for fraud. But had the
Turner's stopped with beating and driving the
short bows off the ground, there is no person
who would be disposed to blame them much
or TO show any sympathy for the rowdies.
But the Turner's, not content with driving OF
the short bows, pursued them, to nfiict addition
al vengeance They chased them into the saloor
of Mr.. McCarty, respectable and worthy citi
zen and in order to protect chem from murder
and also to defend his own life, he found it ne
cessary to fire on this band, after they had de-
molished his bar and set fire to his house. This
was exactly what the short boys wanted 1t at.
forded them an excuse for renewing hostilites
and rousing the sympathes of the villagers
Justice Browning, who made some Intellectual
attempts to suppress the riot Mt McCarty's, was
severely hurt by the German white coats, and
this was another Godsend for the short boys
Weak man as he was, he felt so indignant al
the treatment he received, that he resolved to
visit it upcn the whole mass Of Germans; and
the short boys, with all the cunning OF stool
pigeons, to stiff their own guilt on the innocent
induced him to appoint them special constables
to arrest every German who came to the ferry
With the assistance Of some Hoboken boys, ms
bad as themselves, they lay in wait for their 7c-
tins, and knocked them down, one by one, as
they came quietly and unsuspectingly into their
ambuscade They brought them first as prison
ers to the office of Justice Browning, and thence
to Bergen Jail on stages, without any charge or
accusation whatever against them. II has been
proved that scarcely one of those arrested even
knew Of the existence of riot on the hill or at
McCarty's. Yet some of them, accompanied
with their wives and children, were not only
beaten in the most cowardly manner, under color
of law and justice, but were robbed by their as
sailants OF the fifty two Germans imprisoned,
only three remain in custody; and in reference
to upwards of forty, there was not a man to
come forward and make an accusation against
them. Only two white coats were arrested in
all, and not a single short boy. So the guilty
were allowed to go scot Free while their iniquity
was visited upon the innocent Germans, many
of whom were in company with their families.
These nre the extraordinary facts. The YER
dict of the coroners jury saddles the right
parties, both among the Germans and Short
boys, but they make very important omission
they say nothing about the conduct Of Justice
Browning. or the awless arrests and assaults
upen the Germans at the ferry and IFS vicinity,
which lei to retaliation on their part, resulting
in the death ofMartin Bridges, an innocent man,
who had nothing whatever to do with the affair.
The coroner and the magistrates have also acted
ycmissly in allowing the rincleaders Of the riot