Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1855-04-12
cINoINNr& ELE%rloN.


which prevailed at the polls Of the. Eleventh
Ward for q shor, p 'rod ON yes erduy. The
Old Liners and the representatives Of the
foreign parties, are vrhement in their dtnun
citation Of what ,hcy insist is gross outrage
and an unparalleled aggression; whila on the
the American Reform parry, re-
pudiate ell 8 ich as, rti nst and ilcy insi't,
that although the affair was somewhat abrupt
ia the manner Of it, taking off, TIE urgent ne.
cessity of the case permitted no delay.
We have taken all lhe pains time would
allow to obtain correct information, and the
statements made to us 10y several paIties
whose word we have nc reason to doubt, pre-
sent the case about thus:
1st.-That the Old Liners and Foreigners,
from their immense majority had Obtained
and kept undisputcd control Of the polls, aud
that they used their power to most unfair ad-
vtntage.
2d.-That leading Democrat swore that
they had possession OF the pols-meant to
have their own way with chem.
3J.-That vast number ofiIicgal votes
had been cast, having been thrust in by the
handful.
Alh.-That they att last positively refused
to permit Americans AMI -PtotestInt Ger
mans, to deposit their votes at alt.
Il is further stated, that between thr ,e
and four O'Clock, the votes OF several Ameri-
cans were refused, or disputed. An aterca-
ton ensued, which brought OF blows. The
Americans, few in number, were overpow-
cred and maltreated, and the whole crowd
joined in, all the Americans on the grounl, F.,
were "cleared out"
The news spread, and ,nutitudes were
soon on their way to vind;clte the rights Of
their citieen.bOrn countrymen. AS each
knot of Natives arrived on the outskirts Of
the dense multitude Of Germans and Others,
they pushed on through ittoward the Engine
House where the polls were held. They met
some obstruction which they gradually over
came, and eventually centered in force at
the polls. Then a German Protestant cti-
zen was put forward to dep sit his vote; this
was challenged, if not fatty refused.
Alteration soon brought on a general m =
lee. during which stones, clubs, drav-pins,
knives and pistols, were freely used by both
parties. Many persons were seriously wound
ed, two dangerously, Nro have been since
reported dead After half an hours hard
fighting, the Americans were leti masters
Of the field.
The multitude, ot this time, was variously
estimated at from three thousand to six
thousand. The foreign population mad npw
become satisfied, ana the polls were dccIar-
ed open to Americans Everything appear.
ed in course of pcacrable result; when the
sound of cannon from the summit of the
hills back tf the poll created a new dstur-
bance. There was but one discharge snd
as the defeated Germons were seen ascend.
ing the aiI. the cry arose that it was "A rail-
living signal. The report soon became cur
rent that the Germans had secreted ans, on
the SUNNI; of the hill from which, when
equipped, they intended to descend and re-
take the polls.
The American blood was now fairly arous-
ed By this conviction, and a thousand or two
men and boys started to scale the hill. Most
were unarmed, except with such missiles as
came first to hand, but they went at it with
Crown Point determination. Some took the
zigzag paths, but the most eager clamberrd
straight up the shelving steep sides, with
hands and feet; appearing at Il distance, like
so mary flies clingng to the vertical wall o.
a room. They carried the hight, captured
the gun, fred FEU DE JOE o. several
rounds, then brought il down IN Triumph
The excitement kept increasing, and fresh
fuel was add I'd to the fire by the accounts Of
the toings elsewh re. The tickets were be-
ing counted, but when the vote for township
officers was announced, and it was asccr-
tanned that over thirteen hundred votes I'd
been cast-a greater numbe tIan there are
adult residents of the Wharf.-The people be-
came So incensed, as 20 seize, empty, and
break up the ballot boxes containing the
votes for the city ticket. The crowd, with
the cannon, then adjourned to the
THIRTEENTH WARD.
This ward, like the fourth, only more 50, is
inhabited by the Irish-principally laborers
on the canal and railroad. AS specimen Of
their political morals, we may state that just
before the last fall election, at a primary
election--.a locoioco invention --several hun.
dred votes were given for favorite candi-
date for Sheriff more thanthe actual vote Of
the entire Ward, when the voters were sub
mitted to challenge and oath.
Matters had been tolerab!y quiet during
the forenoon, but in the afternoon, as il by
concert, the same game was commenced by
the Irish as in the Eleventh by the Germans,
An Americans was assaulted without provi-
cation, knocked down, beaten, -trampIed upon
by numbers, and his life was only saved from
the inlurated Irish by the determined efforts
OF Miles Greenwood, and the police Officers.
The patty with the cannon soon after arriv-
ed, and cleared the streets, 1t has been sta
ted that bouIders were discharged lrJm the
cannon, and denied. M.ny pistols were fr-
ed, but the extent OF the damage was limit
cd.
Thus ended the foreign demons tration in
the city. The evening and the night up to
3 o'clock in the morning, passed otiwithout
further disturbance columbian.
TEMPERANCE MOVEMENT IN California