Demoine courier., 1855-04-12
Bloody Riot in the 18th Ward-De-
Structi0n of the Ballot Box.
Cincinnati, April, 3.

i Cs ttlOdy dltCItIoUu a tCulCioouS GA
citemen, was stirred up by the news that
there had been desperate fighting, and
several men killed in the llth Ware.
We hurried TO the scene of action. and
on the way met a gentleman cognizan,
of the facts. He informed us that there
had been savage fighting in the llih
Ward, but no body killed. Early in
The day Germans were decidedly insol
en-, TO Americans, but every quie. man
on both sides who attempted to vote me.
with no difficulty.
There was some fighting early in the
day, in which the Germans were most
numerous and came out victorious, but
the American boys were the best fight.
ere. They knocked the Dutch right and
left in the fight tina. occurred. Abou.
noon a MIR Brown was wounded and the
foreman of a brewery stabbed in the
lungs. The wounds Of these individu-
ais were thought 10 be dangerous. Many
other persons were severly hurt The
reason for destroy ing the baiiot :
was that the DutcL=h trad bees chea'eu III
H. ri, u.ru ard shat more votes were
10y polled han there were male re.
siden's in the Ward. The Know Moth
ings having whipped the Germans at the
polls despatched a detachment to capture
she Artillery, which was done without
much loss OF oi~~6
About 5 o'clock a rush was made by
about 80 men closely followed by about
three hundred more for the ballot box
Mayor Sncllbaker had taken his posi,ion
IN front of the box; but was roughly
handled, his clothes torn and several rude
blows inflicted upon his person. In a
moment the ballot box was thrown ont
with considerable force, striking a man
on The shoulder who stood about one
third the distance across the street,
When it reached the ground 1t was i'm.
mediately assaulted by large numbers,
who stamped j. to fragments and scat
tered the tickets far and wide. The ex.
element was terrible. The cannon was
captured which had been loaded with
brick bats, and was followed down street
by mulliludes.
The Cincinnati Gazette OF the I'd
says:
1.-The American ticket has been de-
fea.ed in Cincinnati, much to our regret.
The German and Irish vote wal cast al
most in a body sgains. it, as will be seen
by the vote cast in the German and Irish
Wards. While we write this Zone o'clock
A. NJ we have returns from only a
portion Of the Wards, yet we have suf
ficient 10 satisfy us that The American
tickle, is defeated wholesale and retail
Mr.. F~arran's majority will o probably
fall below eight hundred, and it may be
larger. irrespective of the Eigh. Ward.
the votes of which have been destroyed. =
The election was a deeply exciting
one, and was characterized by scenes
which all good t~ciizens must regret. The
fights, in some instances, began in the
morning with the opening of The polls.
At the Fourth Ward there was a fight in
which several persons participated, but
we believe no particular Injury was in.
Hicted on any one. In the Sixteenth
Ward, American Judges were chosen.
This led to some hard words and a fgh,
in which three or four persons were pref
~ severely beaten. In the Eleventh a
difficulty arose early IN the afternoon -
II was rumored the Germans would not
permit Americans to vote, and in con.
sequence of this rumor a party of seven
or eight Americans went up to see what
was the state of things, and to help their
friends get in their votes. A German
was arrested by the police officers. and
as they were taking him away ne was
rescued and officer Carey severely beat.
en- on the ground.
The Americans were soon informed,
and towards six o'clock the fighting was
resumed. in the course of which a man
named Geo. Reeber was severely, and
it is ,hough,, fatally stabbed. DR.. Brown
was hit on the heaa with a colt and much
hurt, and VI. Higdon, William Smith and
John Leonard, were also beaten more or
less severely. Soon after this a rush
as made at the polls, The ballot box
seized, taken out of The house, broken
in pieces, and the tickets scattered about
the streets.
A party then went up to Jackson's
hill to seize the cannon which had been
used yesterday to fire minute guns in
honor of Jefferson's birth day. The gun
was captured. The sword was taken
from the captain Of the gun squad, and
the flag which belonged 10 il was carried
off and planted on the engine house,
where The polls were.
The crowd soon after went down town,
passing by the Ninth Ward polls. when
another fight was got up. but ihe polls
having been closed they proceeded to
the Thirteenth Ward polls, on Sycamore,
between Seventh and Eighth. As the
party was passing with the cannon. they
were assaulted by Irishmen there assem-.
bled. who threw boulders a. them. A
general scrimmage ensued in which boul