Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1855-08-16

fiiie Sournai Oh TUESDAY, ftn inSt.,
next morning after the election. gives
the following account of the riots and
bloodshed on the day of the election
We have read nearly all the accounts
published in the Louisville papers. and
are therefore enabled to Judge which is
correct, and give the Journals version
as the most impartial and reliable Of the
terrible scenes enacted. The Journal
says:
We have not now time to give de-
tails. We assert, however, and are
sure that it will be proven by respecta-
bic witnesses, that every act Of blood
shed was begun by foreigners. That
in every instance where mortal violence
ensued, the beginning of the riots was
an unprovoked slaughter by foreigners
of peaceable Americans while quietly
passing in the streets at distance from
the polls. This infuriated the popu-
lace, and prompt and terrible resort
to mob violence, by which many for
eigners were killed and much property
destroyed, was the consequence. In
the first ward about 9 O'Clock in the
morning, while the election was pro-
ceeding quietly at the polls, Mr.. Geo.
Burge, respectable and quiet Ameri-
can citizen, was brutally assaulted by a
party of Irishmen on Jackson street, be-
tween Jefferson and Greene, without
having given any provocation, he was
knocked down and horribly beaten with
stones and clubs. He attempted to
escape from the fiends by whom he
was attacked and ran into the alley of
an adjoining house, where he was fol-
lowed by his blood thirsty assailants,
and cut, stabbed and beaten until he
was supposed to be dead, when one of
these inhuman brutes deliberately OPEN
ed his knife and proceeded to cut the
throat of the murdered man. When
this act of violence was made known a
party of Americans started in pursuit Of
the murderers, who were subsequently
arrested and lodged in jail by the Mayor
and City Marshall.
In the afternoon, between three and
four O'Clock, several Americans were
fred upon and severely wounded while
quietly riding or walking by the Ger
man brewery on Jefferson street, near
the Beargrass bridge. Among these
were some gentlemen from Jefferson
county and several respectable citizens.
One gentleman who was fired at was
riding in buggy with his wife seated
by his side. About the same time
perfect shower of shot and bullets were
rained upon every American passer-by
from the windows of some houses oc-
cupied by Germans upon Shelby street,
in the neighborhood of Madison street.
As soon as these occurrences were
made known it was ascertained that
large bodies of foreigners, armed with
shot guns and rifles, had assembled in
The neighborhood of the brewery and
also on Shelby street. An indiscrimi
nate slaughter of American citizens was
An immense crowd of
excited, maddened, infuriated Ameri-
cans assembled, they were fired at from
he windows of the brewery and the !
houses on Shelby street, and in seeking
10 arrest these offenders severaHmen
we're badly wounded, and the incensed
and infurlated mob burned the brewery
and sacked the houses from which the
shots were fired.
In the 9th ward, the most serious dis
.urbances occurred about o'clock in
he afternoon. A Mr.. Rhodes, in COM
oany with two friends, all American cit
zens, was quietly passing upon Main
street, near Chapel, when they were set
lpon by a party of ten Irishmen, who
With horrible oaths swore they would
lean the streets of every American
Fifteen shots were fred upon them
Rhodes was killed, and both his COM
oanions badly wounded, one of them Sc
.iously. The Irishmen then ran up
Chapel street, and on being pursued
ook refuge in house at the corner of
Chapel and Market streets, whence sew
,ral shots were fired by the inmates, by |
which several American citizeps were
wounded and two were killed, Mr.
Graham and a Mr.. Hobson. The fir
ng from this house continued for some |
lalf hour. The Irish were armed to
he teeth with firearms ofevery descrip- |
ion, while the Americans were almost
ntirely unarmed, and were obliged to
70 to their homes to procure arms to
Iefend themselves and their friends
rom the murderous fire of the insane
Tretches who had made this attack up
N them. Between 6 and 7 o'clock, a
efficient force had assembled to cap
ure the murderer of young Graham;
N attempt was made to hang him, but
We learn that he is still living.
In the meantime fusilade of shot
-uns and rifles was kept up against any
American passing by the row of houses
t the corner of Eleventh and Main, be-
onging to an Irishman named Quinn,
,rother of Father Quinn, a Roman Cath
lie priest; several Americans were
wounded by shots fred from these
and the attention of the crowd
vas given to them. They were filed
nth Irishmen, and with loaded arms as
he sequel proved beyond doubt. An
tempt was made to drive them out,