Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1854-08-16
lFronl the ST. Louis Inteliigencer, AugustS.l
FEARFUL ELECTION RIOT In ST.
LOUIS.
Three Men Killed---Large Number wounded
From Fifty to Sixty Houses Destroyed.

Monday election day. was time of unn-
sual excitement and bloody riot III St. Louis
The difficulty commenced in the Fifth Ward,
and was occasioned by Irishman stabbing
an American. This was the signal for gene
raj attack, which commenced upon the
Irish doggeries on Mayor and Green streets,
and Washington avenue, and on the whole
front of the Levee, from Cherry street to be-
low Locust street.
The crowd supplied themselves with axes
and other implements Of the sort, from the
steamboats, at the wharf, and with them beat
in the shutters and smashed the counters and
everything that would yield to blows. On the
Levee between Cherry and Locust streets,
there are only one or two houses at most, that
do not bear disastrous marks of the conflict; at
Locust street the damage stopped.
We could only learn with certainty OF one
death 1t is rumored that there are four or
five killed. The number of the wounded we
have no means of estimating. From the re-
ports rife on the spot, and from the fact that
hundreds of discharges were heard during the
course of the row, which ragged good two
hours in all its fury, and has continued at in
tervals thus far during the night, it is fair to
presume that the number is large.
| We have been able, up to the present time
| to obtain with certainty only the following
| names
| Joseph Arnot or Arnold, a Frenchman,
| working on the canal boat Burlington, and
not in the atfray, and shot down almost
Immediately on leaving the boat to see what
| was going on.
| Jackson Fowler, mate, was shot in the left
| side.
| James Russell, pilot, shot in the arm.
| a man whose name we did not learn, re-
ceived stab in the back, under the left ARM
| the point of the weapon coming out at the left
| breast.
Wounded men were constantly borne up
from the Levee to Broadway, during the time
! of the fight, and such terror reigned in the
neighborhood that the stores of Broadway and
| on Fourth street, for some distance down,
| were closed and remained closed during the
| afternoon and evening.
The greatest excitement prevails at the
time of writing. There is talk on the streets
| of project to attack the College, which pro-
badly has its origin in the heated imaginations
| of some terrified Irishmen. The office Of the
| Anzeiger has already been once attacked with
stones, and as we write, crowds are rushing
down Third street in that direction, shouting,
| .sBerestein! Berestein!' The military,
| however. are under arms, and on the alert;
and we anticipate no further damage to life or
property.
| Eight companies of militia are i'll readiness,
of which three have just passed office in
fine order, marching towards the point now
| threatened-the Continentals, the Washington
| Guards, and the National Guards.
| line in such a manner effcctually to protect
| the office of the AnZeiger, stretching across
| Third, near the mouth of Chestnut and Market
streets, and the alley back of the Anzeiger Of
| fee, in such way as to prevent all access.
| About ten arrests have been made. The
| prisoners were lodged in the calaboose, with
| the exception of the fellow with whom the
| fight commenced. He was subsequently re-
moved to the Jail, as a rescue was feared. 1t
is said that he is an Irishman, that he stabbed
| a man in the crowd round the polls in the Fifth
| Ward, and then dropped his knife and ran.
| He was pursued for several squares, and final
| ly caught.
| AS nearly as we can learn three men are al
ready dead from the effects of the wounds re-
| ceived in the riot, and two are not expected
| to survive.
As we write (midnight,) there are flying
rumors of rioters gathering in the neighbor
| hood of the College, corner of Ninth and
| Green. There has been more or less disturb
| ance and alarm there since the rioting began,
but we hope and selieve that the worst is past,
and that quiet is restored for the night.
| AT one O'Clock this morning, the military
had retired, and Third street, in the neighbor-
hood of the Anzeiger office was quiet, but
| even at that late hour there were small knots
| Of the rioters securing the northern part
of the city, yelling and throwing stones.-
| Some fifty or more were engaged tearing out
! the inside of z. Brady's doggery, corner of
| Morgan and Fifth streets. This house was
mobbed early in the afternoon, but the crowd
| returning did the work well, not leaving a
| whole door or window, and not a particle of
| furniture within. This is the third time with
| in few years that houses on that corner have
been sacked.
| On Morgan and Green streets, extending
west from Broadway, not an Irish grocery is
| left, all being torn TO pieces, and the houses
| more or less injured A frame row at the cor
| ner of Fifth and Green, suffered severely, the
| weather boarding being split and torn by
| stones, and all the windows and doors smash
| ed in.
/ AT late hour, when it was deemed safe for
persons to pass along the riotOuS district, we
| turned out for the purpose of procuring a list
| OF the houses and their location, but found
such multitude the streets named, that
we were compelled to give it up for a more
seasonable hour. At rough estimate there
are not less than fifty or sixty houses, chiefly
| Irish doggeries of the lowest order, badly
damaged, and their contents destroyed. To
estimate the loss are unable, but should
| guess it not much short of $50, 1000. All this
| besides the murder and manning, was the
work of but a few hours. The police force
| was entirely insufficient and for nearly three
| hours the excited multitude had full sway
| After the appearance of the military compara-
| tive order was restored; but up to the hour of
| going to press this morning there were small
| squads moving here and there, but apparently
| without ability TO do further mischief
Which is it!
oNFI ILL,