Eastern times., 1855-10-25
How Many were Burned at Louisville ?
4 SoUL-SICKENING RECITAL,


The question has many times been asked US,
'how many persons were burned up in Quinn s
buildings by the know nothing mob on
Bloody Monddy" 1t is impossible TO answer
this question with any degree of certainty
From all the information we have been able to
gather, we are deeply impressed with the con-
viction that the number must be very large.
When all the circumstances of the case are
taken into consideration, that large number
Of families occupied the buildings, that the
mob occurred at that time in the evening when
they were nearly all at home, that no expecta-
tion of the bloody scene was anticipated, or
even dreamed of bv the Inmates, ,and therefore,
no provisions made for escape; that so far
IRON attempting to escape, the most of them
had closed their houses and were in their
rooms for the purpose of avoiding collision
with the know nothings; when they realized
the extent of their danger, their houses were
surrounded by the armed mob, set on fire, and
those attempting to escape shot down like wild
beasts-when all these things are taken into
consideration, with the confusion and terror
that must naturally have existed, there is rea-
son TO fear that large number fell victims to
the flames.
The charred bodies of the 1rishman and his
wife which were taken from the ruins left no
doubt of their fate. That the two young Longs
were also victims, is equally certain. The
unfortunate Quinn, it is well known, after he
was shot, was thrown, yet quivering and alive,
into the flames, and there met his fiery death.
Some bones were found in the ruins, which
were pronounced to be those of child and
this agrees with the statements made by the
Irish, that number of children are missing !;
nor do we doubt it, and like the poor Longs,
that they were entirely consumed, not even
any portion of their bones being left to tell
their sad fate.
Those buildings were hives of human beings
A very large number of persons were collected
in them. and from the accounts OF some of those
who escaped, and the perilous position of those
whom they left behind, we cannot but conclude
lnat many pershed IN the flames.
In the evening, before and at the time the
first fight took place, Quinn and the two Rear
dons, were up stairs in Quinn's private room,
sitting down talking upon various subjects
When the mob surrounded and set fire TO the
houses they ran down stairs. They had not
been down long before D. Reardon determined
to attempt to escape. He started out and was
shot down as he left the door. After he was
shot, some fellow, seeing he was not yet dead,
presented pistol and attempted again to shoot
him, but he was prevented by somebody,
(Capt. Mcgowan, we believe,) and Reardon
was taken to place of safety, and fingered
until next day, when he died. Seeing the
fate of Reardon, the old man, Quinn, was
much alarmed, but he was compelled to choose
between being burnt alive and the chance Of
being shot, and he was dressed up in woman's
clothes, with sun-bonnet on his head, and in
this disguise started into the street but he
had no sooner left the door than he was shot
down, and being recognized, was thrown into
the flames, The other Reardon, seeing the
fate that had befallen both his brother and
Quinn, remained in the building until the heat
and falling cinders drove the mob back from
the houses, and at moment when their atten-
| ton was directed to some other point, he
| seized the occasion and escaped. Before he