The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-08-13
The LOUISVILLE RIOT.
SCENES OF TERROR
FLIGHT OF THE IRISH AND GERMANS.


ticulars of bloodshed are shocking. We publish
two accounts, one from the Louisville Journal, R
and the oher from the Louisville Courier, {an-
tx NJ Ii will be seen that each party tries TO
throw the blame of the affair on the other:
From the Louisville Journal
THE FIRST BLOOD.
The anti-Americans may assert and protest and
swear as strongly as they will that the fearful
riots of Msnday we're begun by the Americans.
but In disproof OF this, the broad, papable, un
denied fact stands out, that the first boodshed,
the first killing the first numbering. both In the
upper and In the lower parts of the city, were the
work of the foreign born population. Inc 1or-
eigners may have imagined that they did not
have fair play at the polls but they were the first
to resort to assassination. They may have false
ly imagined that an attack upon themselves was
contemplated, but they were the first to resort TO
assassination.
We have been told that there were several Irish
men engaged 10 the riot who did not belong to the
city, but had been summoned here for the espes
ciai purpose OF aiding their countrymen Ia the
outrages contemplated by them ON Saturday night
and actually perpetrated on Monday afternoon II
has also been ascertained beyond any doubt that
there was large quantity Of arms and ammuni-
destroyed. We have also been informed that
threats had been made by Catholic Germans In the
First Ward that they would kill any German who
should dare to vote the American ticket on Mon
men who were wounded upon Shelby street, that
this threat, Ia one instance, at least was actually
carried into effect on Monday afternoon. We also
know that, Ia consequences of these threats and of
Information that those who had uttered them were
assembled together, fully armed and bent upon the
execution of their bloody purpose, number of re-
spectacle, orderly Germans who voted the Ameri.
ticket actp ally afraid TO go to their homes
and did not go there until yesterday
There Is very strong ground for belief that these
att 70 hap
pened on Monday, but that all the arrangements
were made for them several days before hand
that they were premeditated and preconcerted- -
From several sources we have been Informed that
tho Catholic Irish n the neghborhood of Quinn's
houses, on Main street. had arranged for and con
templated an attack upon the American procession
on Saturday night and were induced to defer the
execution of their murderous designs only by
sheir fears excited by the immense and unex
pected number and character OF those who COM
posed the procession Two OF the Irish women
living In that neghborhood have admitted that they
were cognizant of this design
A gentleman Informs us that on Monday he was
warned by aGerman friend, gunsmith, not to ap
psoach the portion of Main strees between Tsnih
and Twelfth streets during the day, as he had with.
In the previous ten days cleaned and put In order
quite two hundred guns ior the Irshmen living In
that neiehbcrhood
The disparity between the number of foreign
born and native-born citizens killed ia but small
and the coroner can bear witness, aud many hun
dreds of others can bear witness that the first
persons killed in both ex,remi.ies of the city were
Americans-shot down like dogs by unseen foes.--
Unquestionaby large number of the Americans
iniurtated by the massacre OF their friends, have
evinced q disposition to go much too far Ia the
work OF retaliation and herein they guilty
but this shall not deter us from the assertion and
reiterati0n of the great fact that American bosoms
were stained with blood before American hands
Were
We all know that it was considered very doubt
nnhn
the city could be polied within the thirteen hours
of the election. The native born American ci,i-.
zens thought and felt that, If any portion of tho
people legally entitled to vote should have stand
back and lose their suttrsges for want of tine the
foreign born citizens should stand back rather than
themselves They thought and felt that this ought
to be perfectly manifest even to the minds of the
foreigners. Undoubtedly they pressed forward
first If possible, and in this they were right
the polls at IL O'Clock Sunday night and re main
there until the following morning They had hight
to go at what time they pleased, and in what mum
bers they could. They had right to Toss their
friends over the heads of the crowd to the polls
we are told they did in some few instances though
this no doubt violation of courtesy. They had
right to vote as fast as they could provided they
used violence in pulling or thrusting bach their
opponents from the poils and we have not heard it
alleged that they did this in solitary instance.
paralleled rspiditY. they evinced no disposition
consume time unnecessarily at the polls. to
clude those who mi ight wish to come after them
Votes were recorded with speed that would have
exhausted the whole voting strength of the largest
ward in the city before the hour for the closing
the polls All the foreign born citizens, though
sIms of them may have failed to obtain immediate
access to the polls, would have had opportunity
TO cast their vote before night Before the hour of
noon, we heard loud proclamation made from the
doors of the voting places to the supporters of ibe
anti-Americnn ticket, that the way open for
them. They were invited to come up And the
whole vote would easily have been cast but for this
terrific excitement created ct distance from the
polls, by the shooting upon American citizens by
misguided foreigners, from their lurking places.
THE RIOT
AS we stated yesterday, there were several Fl ss
fights at the different polls on Monday morning.
Immediately after dinner matters assumed more
violent aspect. The first serious dtiuclty occurred
In the upper part of the city couple OF gentlemen
were riding along In a carriage, when they were
fired at from house by Germans or Irish and one
of them wounded The firing was repeated. Ed.
Williams, watchmau In the second ward Joseph
Selvage, and John Latte, Americans went there
L alta had his leg shattered by musket ball, Sell
wage received several buckshots about his BODY
and Williams was slightly injured.
The report reached the lower part of the city
that six Americans had been shot and were lying
In Dr. Pyles office. his caused the assemblaee OF
a large crowd, which proceeded up town. The
first attack made by the crowd was on German
named John Vogt, Ia house from which shots had
been fired upon Americans, on the corner of Clay
aud Madison. He was shot, stabbed, and BEATEN
Another German, named jacob VINO was sitting on
a staircase, was dragged out stabbed and beaten
His recovery Is doubtful. Every thing In the
lower part OF the house was broken to pieces.
About the same time Mr.. Wm Richardson,
teacher 10 one of the public schools, was passing
on Shelby street, and found party OF Catholic
Germans dragging out German from house, the
door of which they had broken open, and beating
h m cruelty Tor having voted tho American ticket
Mr.. K. and the persons with hin attempted TO la
terfere and were fred upon and severely wounded.
Mr.. Richardson then procured hack and placed
ibe wounded men In 1t. While proceeding In the
hack to the surgeons, in passing the corner of Mad
ison and Jackson Streets the hack was attacked by
a number of Irishmen from Irish row, on jackson
street. number of shots were fired, the driver
and boy sitting beside him were wounded. and
the wounded men Ia the hack were shot In several
places The Irish followed the hack firing at it for
whole square.
Soon after this the crowd of incensed and infuri
ated Americans went to look after the aggressors,
aud the riot ensued In which the brewery was
burned. several houses mobbed, and number OF
persons Americans and Germans, were wounded.
The Journal here gives an account of the attacks
detailed in the Courier, with the ssme version:
The coroner has held an inques. on the follow
Ing bodies:
William Graham, an American and foundry man
was killed on Chapel street, by being shot 10 the