Fremont journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County [Ohio]) 1853-1866, 1855-08-24

very remarkable features deserving par
ticuar notice. There were some t1oenty or
tWepty:GVe Americats shot and wounded
by German and Irish before any violence
was offered TO the foreigners The Ger
mans and Irish were all armed and they
commenced the attack upon the Americans
almost simultaneously at the Brewery up
on Green street. and upon Campbell, Clay
Shelby, Hancock, Green, Marshall, and
Madison streets The Germans were found
congregated in large body at the inter-
section of Cambell and Green streets, arm
ed to the teeth, before there was the slight
est indication of difficulty in that portion
of the city. When the Germans were urg-
ed by the police officers to 90 quietly home
and put away their guns, their only answer
was voliey of bullets, and, even when
the Americans had passed the houses Of
Germans without having offered to attempt
any violence whatever, the dastardly Ger
mans opened their gates and discharged
their guns at the Americans, wounding
children who were following tho crowd
The Americans were shot doUH and Grip
pied and msimed by bullets and buck-shot
fred from guns in the hands of Germans
and lrishmen, while the foreigners, who
were in turn attacked BY the Americans
were with We believe only one exception)
beaten with sticks aud stones.
We would call particular attention TO
the testimony Of Buge, Richardson, Cross,
Selvage, and Vogt In summing up all
the circumstances as proved in detail in re-
gard to these riots, no one can for mo-
ment doubt that they were deliberately
commenced and deliberately premeditated
by foreigners:
TESTIMONY IN REGARD TO THE
RIOTS IN THE FIRST WARD.
H. Jones, being sworn, states; On Mon
day about o'clock Col Preston was stand
ing in the street in front of the First ward
polls, in the midst of crowd OF Germans.
l heard him tell the Germans to spend one
day for their rights and to stay around and
not leave the polls, that be was the only
Democratic candidate there was out for
Congress. Col. P was among the Ger
mans about the polls nearly all the morn
ing-lrom early in the morning till nearly
or about IL O'Clock. ~
Between u and o'clock of that day as
I l was on my way to dinner, as l passed
Marshall street on the west side of Clay
street, heard fuss on Marshal. street,
west of Clay street. stopped al the col
ner of Clay and Marshall; I had stood
there about two minutes, when an Irish
man came out of house on Marshall ST,
east Of Clay, and fred pistol at me. /
ran toward him, he escaped into the house,
l searched for him but he bad concealed
himself l did nos anticipate any thing Of
the kind and was altogether unarmed.
H. JONES.
Sworn to and subscribed before me, this
9th Aug, 1855. L. A. WHITLEY,
Notary Public.
Mr.. James Irwin states: About 10 min
utes after O'Clock on the morning of the
election, while standing near the polls in
the first ward, l saw large German push
ing lis way to the entrance of the poils.-
An American told him not to press so
hard, that be would get to vote just as
soon. The German attempted to draw a
pistol on him, and got it partly out of his
pocket Some words passed and he made
q second attemptto draw his pistol, ct which
timU he was knocked back.
About 2 or 8 O'Clock in the afternoon, l
was standing on the corner of Clay and
Madison streets, and saw some fighting
there between foreigners and Americans.
After the fight was over and the Ameri-
cans we're going away, German came out
of backyard gate with a shot gun, and l
think large knife; be raised his gun and
fred it at the American party; the shot
took effect in the body of a boy about 10
years old. Some four or FIVE persons then
attacked him; his wounds, l learn, have
since proved fatal. did not learn bis
name. JAMES IRWIN.
D. 7. BIigh states on oath: About l
O'Clock Charles Hodge and l left Davis's
stable on Jefferson street, between Third
and Fourth streets, in buggy, to go to the
First ward polls. When we had been at
the polls some FIVE minutes saw crowd
running out Shelby street. Hodge and
went in thai direction in the buggy, When
we came 10 The corner of Green and Shell
by we saw party of Americans retreating
before party Of Germans. There were
good many bloody heads among The A
mericans. The Americans had no arms
except sticks and such missiles as they had
picked up from the pavement. The Ger
mans were generally armed with guns,
some yaugers, some shot guns, and almost
every description of guns. When we
reached the rear of the American party l
met Alexander Gilmore. The two parties
were then about square apart told him
to do what he could in keeping the Amer
ican party quiet and would go to the Ger
mans and see what l could do with them.
l drove right up into the crowd and com
menced talking TO them. l asked theia to
go home and put the guns away, and told
them if they would do so there would be
no further difficulty. They were unwilling
to listen to such advice. The only reply
could get was exclamations from the Ger
mans of fDrive them into The river! Drive
them into the riverp When found that
could not influence them I turned round,
and had scarcely succeeded in turning the
buggy when they let fly volley of shot
and balls and stones at us. We were obliged
to drive at full speed to escape. This bro't
back the American party; they rushed up
on the Germans and forced them to retreat