Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-08-17
The Late Riot nt LonIsvlIle.
m : From The LOuisville JeurpaLl

ltANh tho IeetshhtS SSaEudi .'
We deeply regret to have 10 record the
scenes Of violence. bloodshsd, and house
burning which occurred in cur city yester-
day, We cannot now express our Abhor-
renee OF such things; nor can We End space
Ia which to say what we would wish to say
upon this subject A
terrible responsibility rests upon those who
have melted the foreign population Of our
city TO the deeds Of violence which were
the commencement of the riots in tho First
and Eighth Wards We are confident that
these riots we're not oecssioned by any thing
that hsppened a. any of the several voting
places. The election throughout the city,
as far as We can learn, had passed of with
unusual quiet with the exception Of bru
tsl outrage in the First ward, Of which we
shall speak presently, and some 6ghting at
the eight ward polls in which no one was
much hurt. TIE riots we're occasioued by
indiscrimina.e and nurderous assalts COM
mitted By foreigners, chiefly Irish, upon in
offensive citizens peaceably attending their
own business, at some distance from any
Of the voting places. All the Circumstances
connected with these assaults. strongly indi-
eaie that they were pFemediatee and iDstiga-
ted by other parties than those by whom
they were actually committed. We are not
now prepared to say that they were the con-
sequences only ofihe incendiary appeals, for
some time past, publicly made TO our for
eign population by some of the leaders Of
the Anti-American party, or that they we're
instignated by direct instructions Of men
With iendish hearts, who control in great
measure the passions. and are able to die
tate actions 10 the German and Irish who
made these attacks. All the facts will pro-
baby be aseertained judicieially, and then
the responsibility will rest where it proper
Iy belongs. The circumstances as detailed
TO us, and the confessions of some of the
miserable wretohes who we're made the
victims Of their insane folly and murderous
violence, show that these assaults upon un-
offending and innocent native-born citizens
we're premeditated, and that the blame at
taches to others who are as yet unnamed.
We have not time to give details, We
sssert, however, and are sdre That it will be
proved BY respectable witnesses, that every
act Of bloodshed was begun By foreigners
That in every instance where mortal vio-
lence ensued, the beginning of the riots was
an unprovoked slaughter BY foreigners Of
psaceable Americans while quietly passing
in the streets at distance from The polls.
This infuriased the populace. and prompt
and terrible resort TO mob violence BY
which many foreigners were killed and
much property destroyed was the conse-
quence. In-the First ward about o'clock
IN the morning, while the election was pro-
ceeding quietly al the polls Mr.. Geo. Burge,
arespeciable and quiet American citizen,
Was brutally assaulted by party Of Irish
men on jackson Street between jefferson
and Greene, without having given any pro-
vocation, be was knocked down and horribly
beaten with stones and clubs. He attempt.
ed to escape from the fends by whom be was
attacked and ran into the ally Of an adjoin.
ing house, where be was followed BY hi:
od-thirsty assailants and cut, stabbed and
beaten until he was supposed to be dead
when one of these inhuman brutes deliber-
ateIy opened his knife and proceeded tC
cut the throat of the murdered man. Wher
this act Of violence was made known par.
ty Of Americans started in pursuit of the
murderers, who we're subsequently arrested
aud lodged 10 jail BY the Mayor and City
Marshal.
Inthe afternoon between three and foul
O'Clock. several Americans were fred upoI
and severely wounded while quietly riding
or walking by the German brewery on Jcf
erson street, near the Beargrass bridge
AmOng these were gentlemen from Jeffer
son county, and several respectable citizens
Oue gentlemen who was fred at was riding
in buggy with his wife seated by bis side
About the same time perfect shower o
shot and bullets were rained at every Amer
lean passser-by from the windows of somt
houses occupied by Germans upon Shelby
street, in the neighborhood of Madison
street
As soon as these occursuees were made
known it was sscertained that large bodies
Of foreigners, armed with shot guns and ri
fes, had assembled in the neighborhood o
The brewery aud also on Shelby street.
An iudiscriminate slaughter of American
citizens was apprehended. An immense
crowd Of excited, naddened, infuriatet
Americans assembled; they were fred a
from the windows of the brewery and the
houses en- Shelby street. aud in seeking IL
arrest these offenders several men were
badly wounded, and the ineensed and infu-
rated mob burned the brewry and sacked
the houses from which the shots were fred
In the 9Th ward, the most serious dis
turbances occurred about O'Clock in the
afternoon. A Mr.. Rhodes, in company with
two friends, all American citizens we're quiet
ly passing up Main street near Chapel, when
they we're set upon by party of ten Irish
men, who with horrible oaihs swore they
would clean the slreals Of ever American
Fifteen shots we're Gred upon them
Rhodes was killed and both his companions
badly wounded, one Of them Seriously
The Irishmen ran up Chapel street and on
being pursued took refuge in house at the
corner of Chapel and Market street whence
several shots were fired by the inmates, by
which several American citizens were
wounded and two killed, Mr.. Graham and
Mr. Hobson The firing from this house