Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-08-17
From the Louisville Journal.
The Riots Concluding Testimony The
First Ward NiOts.


respectable citizens in relation to the riots in the
First ward.
From all the evidence that has been adduced in
relation to these riots, evidence not based upon
street rumors and irresponsible declarations, but
by the oaths of responsible and re-
liable men and women, who were eye-witnesses
our readers viii be convinced that all the state
ments which we have hitherto made upon this
subject, were literally and entirely true. In all
our representations Of these lamentabe tragedies
we have endeavored to do equal justice to all
concerned. We have carefully excluded from our
columns every statement which we were not salts
fed could be proved to be true. We have refused
to publish any mere rumors Of any description,
and have required the most complete substantial
ton for every sentence we have given to the pub
lie upon this subject
In preparing the affidavits to show how these
riots originated, and who were their authors, we
have not had an opportunity to seek out witnesses
by whom, doubtless, many facts could be proved
Of even greater Importance and significance than
any we have published; We have taken facts only
as they were voluntarily furnished us by others.
We have been informed by reliable gentlemen,
and, il necessary afidavits to the fact can be
produced, that, on the Sunday evening previous
to the election, aa Irish servant girl, in the en-
poyment of DR.. Yandell, begged the Doctor not
to 20 down town on the day Of the election, telling
him that there would be danger; that she knew
more than he did, and that she knew more than
she dared TO tell and also that Irish girl in the
employ of Mr.. Simral, on the Sunday afternoon
previous to the election, earnestly entreated Mr..
Smral and his son not to go into the city on the
day Of the election, for the Irish were armed and
intended to fire from their windows and kill the
Americans. We have also been informed, that,
on the day of the election, about noon, an Ameri-
can on horseback, particular description Of whose
person has been given, rode rapidly from house to
house in the neghborhood where the riot in the
First ward was commenced, and urged the Ger
mans that the time had come to arm themselves
and begin the attack upon the Americans. We
have no doubt that, when our German and Irish
citizens shall have recovered from their fright,
some startling revelations will be made by them
as to the origin and previous planning of these
riots, both in the First and Eighth wards
On Friday last we gave some ofthe reasons why
it had become necessary for the Sag NIGHT party
to incite disturbances upon the day Of the election
in order to obtain some shadow of excuse for the
overwhelming defeat which they were certain to
sustain, notwithstanding all their clustering and
Dragging We have reason to believe that, long
before the election, the leaders of that party were
convinced that they would sustain defeat, and
that from that moment il was determined by them
to create disturbances in various parts of the city
upon the day of election, with perhaps the faint
hope that the foreigners might drive the Ameri-
cans from the polls and secure the election Of the
Sag NIGHTS candidates, but last resort to fur
nish themselves with an opportunity or pretext to
say that the disturbances prevented their voters
from coming up to VOTE Unfortunately for all
their calculations, the American vote polled, al
though not full one, was much more than ma
jority Of al the votes that have ever at any cleo
ton, been polled in the city and their foreign
minions, in executing the portion Of the pro-
gramme assigned TO them, that of shooting down
nativeborn citizens in cold blood and without pro-
vocation, In order to create riot, have left upon
the Sag NIGHT party all the odium of those dis
graceful and tragic proceedings without bringing
to it any OF the profits which were hoped to be
thereby realized
IL will be observed that in both the riots In the
First and Eighth wards the attack was made by
the foreigners upon American citizens at a time
when there was no sign Of any disturbance what
ever in the neighborhood where the riots began
that the streets we're as quiet upon any ordinary
occason-that there were no crowds Of persons
present. that but few Americans were in the vicin-
ity, and that the attacks were made by the Ger
mans, armed with guns and pistols and rifles, and
every description of weapons, upon unarmed Amer
icans who were quietly passing upon the streets
giving no provocation and expecting no attack.
In the First Ward the riots were begun between
. and o'clock, and had been entirely suppressed
and order and quiet had been restored, when the
Irish in the Eighth Ward commenced firing upon
the Americans. There was no connection between
the two riots they were entirely distinct and sep
arate, occurring one and half miles apart, at diff
ierent times, and altogether unconnected with and
independent Of any occurrences at the respective
voting places in those wards. The only coinci-
dence about them was in the fact that they were
begun by the use Of firearms on the part Of for
eigners against unarmed native-born citizens. Eve
~ circumstance that has been made known with
regard TO the commencement Of these riots tends
to prove conclusiyely that the foreigners in both
the Eighth and First wards we're in a state Of pre-
paration for these attacks, which must have occu-
pied weeks to effect, while the Americans we're
totally unprepared for, and unsuspecting Of any
contingencies.
In the First Ward riots there are some remark
able features deserving particular notice. There
we're some twenty or twenty-five Americans shot
and wounded by German and Irish before any vic.
fence was offered TO the foreigners. The Germans
and Irish were all armed, and they commenced the
attack upon the Americans almost simultaneously
at the Brewery, upon Green street, and upon
Campbell, Clay, Shelby, Hancock, Green, Marshall,
and Madison streets. The Germans we're found
congrcgated in large body at the intersection Of
Campbell and Green streets, armed 10 the teeth,
before there was the slightest indication of Diff
Guilty in that portion Of the city. When the Ger
mans we're urged by the police officers to go quietly