The Hillsdale standard. [volume] (Hillsdale, Mich.) 1851-1909, 1856-06-17


House, and in the care, and under the sole
control of tho appointed agent Of the City
Board and soremained up to, and including the
I'd Of June. .sf
On the 2d Of June, Royal Williams and
Police Judge of the City, in which they aver
-"that they have reason TO believe and dc
believe that on the first day OF June, intoxica
ting liquors were, and still are, kept and de-
posted at said Portland, and intended for SALE
by Neal Dow, in violation of law" fr
| On this complaint, warrant was issued and
| placed in the hands Of Deputy Marshal Ring
between three and four o'clock, p. NJ, by vir.
tue of which the liquors we're seized before 8
P. M. and left in the City Agency as the
most safe and convenient pace of deposit.
Immediately upon the issue Of the wdrrant,
persons began to assemble about the agency,
in excited converse about the warrant and
seizure, ayering that "the liquor must como
out" tn "Dow must be treated like any
other man." that they "hal come to see the
liquor split" &c. This collection dispersed
about tea time, having planned another meet
ing for eight o'clock, which gathering was at
tended by hundreds if not thousands.
In the mean time, the City authority was
constantly bcsiegcd by messengers giving in
formation of threats Of violence, made in a
variety Of language, and circumstance, in the
p. NJ and early evening. Other messengers
giving information OF violent demonstrations,
came in before o'clock, which though feeble
and puerile at first, were not long in putting
on graver form, aid menacing the peace
and dignity of the city, and tho lives Of the
officers of the law. Brick-b IS and other mis-
siles were freely and TOO cuc essfully used
against the Agency building, before the force
Of which its door and windows partially gave
way and, as final act of seldom paraleed
atrocity, fire arms were discharged against
the constituted authorities of the law, while
engaged in the discharge Of an important
trust.
Meantime the authorities had not been in
active. The Marshal had summoned his en-
tire Police force, giving them instructions and
appointments to stations of duty-the May
or and Aldermen had ordered the companies
of City Police to be in arms and ready for
any emergency-the Sheriff and other Off
GERS were directed to take proper stations and
to warn the crowd of their duties and dangers,
would admit rcsortcd to, to restore quiet, and
to preserve it.
But these measures, though conceived in
wisdom. and executed with energy; failed to
reduce or chain the fury of the mob. Led on
by John Robbins, fresh vollics Of stones and
brick-bats were hurled against the agency
heavy plank or joist produced and used to
batter its door--gun or pistol shots, by him
and Others fred into the building now only
occupied by the Police force, charged to pro-
tcct the building and property at all hazards.
Is it wonderful that 50 assailed-by such
crowd ofriotcrs-uttering threats of vengeance
the door already carried away--with stones
and brick bats flying carelossly about--and as
a last and final act of malignant resistance,
fire arms used against them through the open
door Is it wonderful that the Police fred
upon their assnilants--that John Robbins fell
by their fire, and with the fearful guilt Of his
last hours all upon him went to bis last ac-
count?
Your Committee are aware that thas been
attempted to charge the death of Robbins to
the fire of Capt, Green's company of Guards,
but the testimony is explicit and overwhelwn-
ing in favor Of tho statement they have
given. Robbins is the man who led on the
rioters in in their repeated and violent attacks
of the agency building--thc man who thrust
his arm through the breach made in the door,
forced its inside fastening and exclaimed 'come
on the way is clear"-hc is the man who ut
tered "Tll 60 through that door or 60 to
hell"
Again, he falls in front of the agency-is
there heard to make his last exclamation,
"I'm shot," while the echo from the crowd is
heard to answer, "a man is shot" "a man is
dead" &c. He is precisely where most ex-
posed to the police fire, and where he would
not be exposed TO the fire fthe Guards-and
hence, your Committee think, instead of be-
ing "a peaceable and unarmed citizen, passing
quietly through the streets" he was for hours
engaged as a rotous leader of riotous con-
course-and, while SO cngaged--fcll by the
fire of the defenders Of the peace, as it was fit
that he should.
As TO the ''callng out of the military" it
did not in point offact take place. Two CON-
panies Of an armed police force were however
called to aid the city authorities, and in
great emergency--one that fully vindicates the
command-ordercd to fire: But there is no
evidence in the Committees report, showing
that their fire took effect or that they fired
more than blank cartridges.
Tho final verdict of the Portland Commit |
tee of Investigation, fully vindicatcs Mayor |
Dow from the Gazette's false and cowardy |
charges, and is given entire.
"The Committee, on careful and labori-
ons investigation Of the whole case, arc salts
fed that the Mayor and other executive off,
GERS of the City did no more in the cmergen-
cy than their duty to the public service re-
quired; and that they would have proved un-
faithful to their trust had they done less"
Your committee would respectfully sug-
gest that the correspondence herewith sub
mitted, together with their synopsis of the
facts thereby elected, be offered to .he pa
pers Of the County for publication. |
BENTON FOR GOVERNOR IN MIssouRr.-A
Cincinnati dispatch to the st. Louis Democrat
ID