Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1857-08-06
LOCAL INTELLIGENCE.
LrxsL CouR1.-The EIsetiOs Riots. YES


izen Of Washington; lives in the first precinct OF
the Fourth Ward; got to the polls quarter afteL ,
In the morning stayed there TIL the Jua , LII
were rsopened; was standing near the tax clerks
window; saw a crowd of nfty boys In the street;
they were hallOoing; saw no lighting; TWO men IN
Sibley; he was drunk made great noise; the
other was Vanloman Johnson; heard Sibley say
he could whip any man who was not ION Don
Ohio man; Capt Goddard was there; Johnson took
Sibley away down the street; this was i've to ten
minutes before the ARRAY; Sibley returned and
spoke to witness, and witness asked him TO keep
quiet when the fight began, witness lodged be-
hind the breastwork, and remained there until Ii
was over; saw the Mayor there; he was standing
mp in his carriage, talking with some one at the
citizens Were kept from the polls; no one was
dragged from the polls; saw weapon stuck up In
the barricade; IL was blacksmith's cold chisel;
the man who had il witness did not know; this
after the ARRAY; after sticking IL up, he sat
down and did not say a word; he sat five minutes,
and pulled il out and went away; witness saw no
more of him; he did not interfere with any per-
son; il was all Quiet then; some three persons
were with him; saw Captain Mills there short
time aftesward; heard some one say the marines
were coming; looked out and saw them coming
up; the commissioners said, ''if they are coming,
we will close the polls;' they closed the polls be
fore the marines arrived on the ground.
CTOSS-sxamissd The polls Were closed before
the marines got past Shreve's stable; the Mayor
was there while the voting was going OF, and be-
fore the marines arrived.
lions about the cannon on the day in question;
got to the cannon before the marines; few per-
sons were about the cannon except those in charge
of it; IL was south of the main door Of the mar
ket; il was pointed due south; the crowd was
noisy; witness asked the crowd what they were
going to do with il; witness persuaded them TO
permit IL to be turned with the muzzle up the
street; IL was soon turned back, and again turned
mp street; Just before the Mayor came witness had
appealed to them to take the cannon away in vain;
MIR. Wilson came up to witness and said he would
ness told him that he would assist him in what
ever he thought proper to do; he made no answer;
MIR. Carlisle was there; the marines Were then
about to charge on the gun, and witness told Mr.
Carlisle to come away; just then pistol was
fired from the corner of the market house; then
the marines fired eight or nine irregular shots az
the market-house; witness ran away and went
over towards Alston's corner; witness moth
ing rammed into the cannon; saw no effort made
TO discharge it; witness was between the marines
and the cannon; Mr.. Merrill offered to 60 for the
Mayor, and went for him alone; has known Mr..
Wilson many years. never knew of anything
against him; was only on the ground while the
marines were there.
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES with the crowd
in vain; witness and Mr.. Merrill turned the can
non up the street; the marines must have been
marching up the street when the Mayor got to the
gun; paving stones might have been rammed into
the gun without witness having seen the thing
done; witness was trying to have the gun taken
away; If the Mayor spoke to the crowd witness
did not hear him; Mr.. Carlisle expostulated with
the crowd in vain; the marines were nearly in
line when they fired; the firing was confined to
the extreme right Of the line; they fired before
they took the gun; when they fred first witness
was standing by the gun; the marines fired north
of the cannon; saw no man stuck with bayonet;
witness was running down Seventh street when
the left Of the line of marines fired.
James NOdkeS, sworn. Was at the market
house, in the Fourth Ward, on last election day;
the first thing witness was the crowd COM
ing up with cannon; they brought II to the south
corner of the square, near Massachusetts avenue
and halted there; IL remained there ten minutes;
the marines were then coming up Seventh street;
the cannon was then moved up to the market
house. witness went over and told them to take
the gun away; a small man told witness to take
his marines away, and they would take the can
non away they took hold OF the gun and dragged
ii up higher while the marines were on street,
the men loaded the cannon; witness begged them
not to fire the cannon; they were some Of them
drunk, and made great noise; they asserted that
they were going to defend themselves against
the marines; witness was there and responded to
MIR. Wallach's request TO know II no one was
there to assist him; the Mayor walked up to the
gun; man walked up to him and said, :" Take
your marines away, take your marines away"
Capt. Goddard was there; witness said to the
Mayor to ask Capt. Tyler 10 take the marines
away, and they would assist in getting the gun
away; the marines marched up opposite the gun;
the Mayor went out to meet them; witness heard
4 voice say, " Charge, and take that gun;,' they
instantly charged on the gun; then witness saw
two stones strike the bayonets Of the marines;
this was the moment the gun was taken; q pistol
was fred, and a voice said, "Why don't you
tire?n then the marines fred q general brOadside
upon the crowd; witness then ran across the foot
way towards the corner; saw no pistol fired from
the corner, nor stones thrown from Alston's cor
ner; was there moment before the marines d.
rected their muskets towards the point; saw two
Of them whom he knew take deli beTate aim at
him; he could see down into the muzzles Of their
guns; they fired volley; saw three men fall dead
up to that time no pistol had been fred from that
corner, so help him God; witness ran west, and
tried to get In an alley; il was barred up; could
not get into it; the gun was loaded before the
Mayor came up to il; he did not attempt to adj
dress the crowd; knows Son Birkhead by sight;
he did no, assist in loading the gun II was loaded
by two small men.
CroSs-eznnrinsd one said when the
mayor arrived, there is the mayor, hear him; saw
the gun loaded; was very near It: they put nails
and stones in the gun, also bullets, buck shot
and small pistol balls they put in powder at
first; one man held his hand on the breech and
another man loaded it does not know either of
the parties that loaded the gun; there was large
crowd about the mark house.
Ashton 5. n. Waite, swoEn.-Was at Allston's
corner when the marines fred upon IL; saw the
marines fire upon that corner; heard no shot from
that corner or saw no stones thrown before the
marines fired; saw four or five persons shot on
that corner; Mr.. Deems was one Of them
CTOSS-srGniRsd.-There was 4 dense crowd
between witness and the Marines they were all
along the curbstOne.
The Court here took recess and on resump-
ton OF the business OF the trial
MIR. Key stated 10 the Court that he proposed to
recall the last witness, (Mr. White) for the pur-
from the point at VIII Oh he was standing, Of tie
affairs which were going on at the market house
Mr.. Bradley objected that the examination in
chief had not been directed TO that point and the
prosecution had no right to put inerrogatofies as
to anything which was not brought out by the
examination in chief.
MIR. Key explained that what he wished to elicit
was IN relation to the subject matter of the EXAM
ination in chief he contended that he had RIG bit
to ask the witness what he saw done At the right
Of the line of marines.
The Court held that the Cross examination must
lie confined to the corner where witness was stand
ing; he must conform in the cross examination to
the examination in chief; such had been the ruling
Of the Supreme Court Of the United states
Alexander A!dTich, swoTn.-Was at Allston's
corner at the time the marines were in line oppo-
site the market; was wounded while standing
there; was not concerned In the riots nor was any
one who stood there with witness; was moving
about from the corner to two doors below on
Seventh street; lad good view of the marines:
saw no stones or pistols fred from that corner lie.
fore the marines fired upon il; was sufficiently
near TO have seen such thing had IL happened
was wounded in the ankle after Mr.. Aston was
killed by the fire OF the marines.
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