Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1855-08-15

cans and Foreigners. We gather the follow
ing facts from the e1Louisviile JouysaI'' of
August 9TH. The riots were occaisioncd by |
ndiscrimnate and murderous assaults COM
mitted by foreigners, chiefly Irish, upon inof-
fensiYe citizens, peaceably attending to their |
own business, at some distance from any of
the voting places
All the circumstances connected with these
assaults strongly indicate that they were pre-
meditated and instigated by other parties than
those by whom they were actually committed.
In every instance where mortal violence ensu-
ed, the beginning of the riots was an unpro
voked slaughter by foreigners of peaceable
Americans while quietly passing in the streets
at distance from the polls.
This infurioted the populace, and prompt
and terrible resort to mob violence, by which
many foreigners were killed and much proper
ty destroyed, was the consequence. In the
First Ward about O'Clock in the morning,
while the election was proceeding quietly at
the polls, MI. George Perge, respectable and
quiet American citizen, was brutally assaulted
by party of 1risnmen on Jackson street. be-
tween Jefferson and Greene, without having
given any provocation he was knocked down,
and horribly beaten with stones and clubs.
He attempted to escape from the fends by
whom he was attacted, and ran into the alley
of an adjoining house, where he was followed
by his blood-thirsty assailants, and cut, stab
bed and beaten until he was supposed to be
dead, when one of these inhuman brutes deib-
erately opened his knife and proceeded to cut
the throat of the murdered man. When this
act of violence was made known, a party of
Americans started in pursuit of the murderers,
who were subsequently arrested and lodged in
Jail by the Mayor and City Marshal.
In the afternoon, between three and four
O'Clock several Americans were fired upon and
severely wounded, while quietly riding or
walking by the German brewery on Jefferson
street, near the Beargrass bridge. Among
| these were some gentlemen from Jefferson
county, and several respectable citizens: One
gentleman who was fired at was riding in bug
| gy with his wife seated by his side. About the
same time perfect shower of shot and bullets
wero rained upon every American passer-by
| from the windows of some houses occupied by
Germans upon Shelby street, in the neighbor-
| hood of Madison street.
| AS soon as these occurrences were made
known it was ascertained that large bodies of
| foreigners, armed with shot guns and rifles
had assembled in the neighborhood of the
brewery and also on Shelby street. An indis-
crimnate slaughter of American citizens was
| apprehended. An immense crowd of excit ed
maddened. infuriated Americans assembled,
they were fred at from the windows cf the
brewery and the houses on Shelby street and
| in seeking to arrest these offenders several
men were badly wounded and the incensed and
| infuriated mob burned the brewery and sacked
the houses from which the shots were fred
| In the Sth Ward, the most serious distur-
Dances occurred about O'Clock in the after
noon. A Mr.Rhodes, in company with two
friends, all American citizens, was quietly
passing up the Main street, near Chapel, when
they were set upon by party of ten Irishmen,
who with horrible oaths swore they would
clean the streets of every American. Fifteen
shots were fired upon them.
Rhodes was killed, and both his companions
badly wounded, one of them seriously. The
Irishmen then run up Chapel street, and on
being pursued took refuge in a house at the cor
nef of Chapel and Market streets, whence sew
eral shots were fired by the inmates, by which
several American citizens were wounded and
two killed, a Mr.. Graham and Mr.. Hobson
The firing from this house continued some
half hour. The Irish were armed to the teeth
with firearms of every description, while the
Americans were almost entirely unarmed, and
were obliged to go to their homes to procure
arms to defend themselves and their friends
from the murderous fire of the insane wretche:
who had made this attack upon them. Be-
tween and o. clock sufficient force had
assembled to capture the murderer of young
Graham an attempt was made to hang him
but we learn he is still living.
In the meantime fuSilade of shot guns and
rifles WAS kept up against any American pas
sing by the row of houses at the corner Of
Eleventh and Main, belonging to an Irishmar
named Quinn, brother of Father Quinn,
Roman Catholic Priest; several Americans
were wounded by shots fired from these premi
ses, and the attention of the crowd was given
to them. M:
They were filed with 1rishmen, and with
loaded arms, as the sequel proved beyond 9
doubt. An attempt was made to drive them
out, and the houses were fired, whether on
the inside or outside, we do not know. While
burning the frequent reports showed that they
were well provided with firearms; and the
confessions of poor miserable devil who was
rescued by Capt. Stone, proves that they were
well filed with arms and contained thirteen
kegs of powder provided for the occasion.
RAILROAD MEETING:--The Commissioners OF
the Tyrone, Clearfeld and Erie Rail Road