True American. [volume] (Steubenville [Ohio]) 1855-1861, 1855-01-18
THE ERIE WAR!

peioie lloouj uley SoJ leauy Ior tueIV WOTh,
and did it up thoroughly. Sheriff Vim
cent was driven off, and near a mile of rail
removed, the bridge destroyed, and the
road torn up.
At Erie, the rioters met early in the
morning round the court house, and were
harangued by a Dntchman. He spoke
broken English for while, and then broke
out in his native tongue. G'll give you a
little Dcutsche," said he; but ended his
speech with, Down NIT de bridge, by God.
A hurrah for the bridge was given, and off
the mob started for it. This was about 1
P. NJ. They reached State street Bridge,
which is about 100 feet long, and here the
Sheriff met them.
Just then, say at 2 P. NJ, courier rode
up from Harbor Creek with the news
Shu6e Smith took off his hat and shouted
"Hurrah for Harbor Creek-they have
done it up good" The Dutchman shout
ed, "The Harbor Creek boys are the boys
the boys of Erie are tam'd towards
Down goes de dam bridge" And the work
of destruction began.
This was about half past 2 P. NJ, ant
at this hour two Dutchmen were on the
bridge with crowbars. Sheriff Vincent
half scared, ordered them to desist; they
hesitated for a few minutes, but one of the
Dutchmen piled his crowbar to a rail, anG
was so drunk that in attempting to rip i
up, he pitched some twenty feet into tho
creek below.
Sheriff Vincent then left. Immediately
Otty Mean and others went to work tear
ing the bridge. Sheriff Vincent in abou
half or threc-quarters of an hour. (aftcr
P. NJ returned, and walking near to th'
end of the bridge, took out proclamation
and began to read it.
The mob crowded him off, and drove hin
into the keystone Saloon, a small doggery
there they kept him for an hour, the build
ing being surrounded by over 100 persons
Officers Loomis and Hunter got him out o
the house to take him home, and walked
on each side of him-while Judge Mile
was in the rear cndeavoring to keep tn
crowd back. Here stones, eggs, brickbats
snow-balls and clubs fell thick and fas
around the 'o6icials'-the party reaching
large brick house, and was compelled t
take refuge in 1.-THE mob stoned them a
they entered, and surrounded the house
and kept the party there near an houl
Mayor King then appeared for the frs
time. He waved his hand to the crow
and said, "you must disperSe and go away;
he took the Sheriff home, and the crow
went back to the bridge and commence
operations there again.
About this time, say 4 P. NJ, a comp'
ny of fantasies, roughed, masked wit
false whiskcrs, and drunk, appeared, heat
ed by dwarf, who beat the drum, and
"tall feller," who played the fife. The
marched round the crowd, shouting 'spies
rotten eggs" &c.
Meanwhile up went the rails and dow
went the whisky. Over plunged the iro
into the creek, and out shouted the rioters
Slowly they worked-and hard--and by
P. NJ the bridge was stripped, and til
timbers set on fire, amid the drawings {
as low a set of men as could be gathere
together.
Then the rioters marched to the Frenc
street bridge-6O feet long Here the
had recruits and worked more rapid,
Rails and timbors were torn up and pitche
down the embankment. Then the tore
was applied to the timbers. By 6 P. N
the work of destruction was done.
"Down nit de Constitutional Office,
shouted the Dutchman. That caused
pause. The fear of a warm reception d
tered them. Whether they did anythin
or not, after this, we shall hear to-day.
, The mob numbered not over 500, womc
and all. They were of the lowest clas
the majority of them drunk. Indeed
was shocking sight to see the brutalit
and debauchery displayed by these lawle.
beings. ...
This is the disagrccable report we hay
to make of the doings at Erie and Harbc
Greek on yesterday, the Eighth of Januar,
We had hoped that sound discretion an
sober sense would have controlled the pc,
pie of these places; but they have take
the law in their own hands and again mat
ly broken ana de6ed it.
1t is certain that this violence cannot
allowed to pass unrebuked or unpunishet
Neither Pennsylvania nor Ohio would /
justified in this course Nor can the Ger
eral Government be permitted to overloo