M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1855-08-17
B / 0 ODY WOR K!
MURDER AND ARSON.
TWENTY MEN KILLED /!

i we passeu yesterday, tnrougn tne
forms of an election. As provided by
statute, the polls were opened, and pri-
vileges granted to such as were fright
upon the goose" with lew exceptions,
to exercise their elective fr anchise.-
Never, perha 2s, was a greater farce. or,
as we should term it, tragedy, enacted.
Hundreds and thousands were deferred
from voting by direct acts of intmida-
tion, others. through fear of consequen.
ces. and q multitude from lack of pro.
per facilities. The city. indeed, was
during the day, in possession of an arm
ed mob, the base passions Of which were
infurialed to the highest pitch By the
incendiary appeals Of the news paper or.
gan and the popular leaders Of the Know
Nothing party.
On Saturday night large detachmsnts
of men were sent to the First and Sec
nd Wards TO see that the polls were
properly opened. These men. the "a
/ merican Executive Committee suppl.
: ed with refreshments, and as may be
, imagined they were in veIy fiji condi-
> lion on Yesterday morning to see that
the rights of freedom we're respected -
Indeed they discharged the Important
trusts committed to them in such man
ner as to commend them forever 10 the
admiration Of out laws! They opened
the polls; they provided ways aud means
for their own party to vote; they bluff
j ed and bullied all who could not show
t the sign; they in fact converted the elec
: zion into a perfect farce, without one
} redeemlng or qualifying phase.
We do not know wher or how their
f plan Of operations was devised. Indeed
we do not care to know when such q
: system of outrage-such perfdy-suct
, dastardy-was conceived. We only
y blush for Kentucky that her soil was the
scene Of such ou:rges, and that some ol
her sons were participants in the nefa
. rous swindle.
1t would be impossible to state when
q or how this riot commenced. By day
q break the polls were taken possession
' of by the American party, and in pursu-
D ance of their preconcerted game, they
e used every stratagem or device to him
q der the vote Of every man who could moi
manifest to the guardians of the polls
,, his soundness on the X. N. question:
, We were personally witness TO the pro
CeduTe of the party in certain wards
and Of these we feel authorized 10 speak
! At the seventh Ward we discovered
shat for three hours in the outset in The
| morning it was impossible for those no
: "posted" TO vote, without the creates
: difficulty. In the Sixth Ward a party
, of bullies were masters OF the pOlls.-
: We saw two foreigners driven from the
e polls, forced 10 run gauntlet, beat I'm
mercifully, stoned and STABBED. In the
: case Of one fellow the Hon. VIM
Thoma sson, formerly member Of Con
, gress from this district, interiered, AMI
while appealing to the maddened srowt
: to cease their acts of disorder and viz
Z, ence Mr.. Thomasson was struck from
e behind and beat. His gray hairs, hi
:, long public service, his manly presence
n and his thorough Americanism, availet
i nothing with the crazed mob. Othe
and serious fights occurred in the Sixtl
Ward, of which we have no time t,
make mention now.
The more serious and disgraceful dis
turbances occurred in the upper wards
The vote cast was but partial one, ant
nearly altogether on one side. No shov
was given to the friends Of Preston, ,wh
n were largely 10 the majority, but VIII
). in face OF cannon, muskets and revolv
ers, could not, being unarmed and quis
populace confront the mad mob s.
the vote was cast one way. and the re
suit stands before the public.
In the morning, as We staIe else W her
George Berg, carpentei living on tn
} corner of 9th and Market, was kille,
} near Hancock street. A German nam
: ed Fritz, formerly partner at The Gal
House, was severely, ifnot fatally bea
e ten.
). In the afternoon general row occur
n red on Shelby street, extending fror
i Main to Broadway. We are unable /
:. ascertain the facts concerning the dis
= tuTbance.
), Some fourteen or fifteen men were shot
u including officer Wi Iliams, Joe Selvage
e and others. Two or three were killed
i and number of houses, chiefly Gerlna
b coffee houses, broken into and pillaged
n About 4 o'clock, when the vast crowd
o augmented by accessions from ever
!. part of the city, and armed with shot
II guns, muskets and rifles, were proceed
=, ing to attack the Catholic church o
" Shelby street, Mayor Borbee arreste
:, them with speech, and the mob re
} turned to the First Ward polls. Pres
ID emily large party arrived with a piec
y of brass ordinance. followed by nun
ct Der of ,nsn and boys with muskets.
IS an hour afterwards the large brewery o
- Jefferson street, near the junction {
lie Green. was set fire to.
s. In the lower part of the city, the dis
r turbances we're characterized by a great
- er degree of bloody work. Late in tn
afternoon three Irishmen going dow
10 Main street, near Eleventh. were attach
- :, ed, and one knocked down. Then ell
= sued terrible scene, the Irish frin
=, from the windows of their houses, o
~ Main street, repeated vollsys. Nj
Y. Rhodes river man, was shot and Kill
III ed by one in the upper story, and M
e. Graham met with with similar fate.
An Irisbman who discharged pistol I